Transformational Leadership Behaviors: 8 Key Characteristics

What we’re talking about here is transformational leadership, but many decision-makers and business leaders are unsure what that looks like in practice. To help you understand what transformational leadership is and how it can change organizations for the better, let’s take a look at a few of the signature behaviors and characteristics of a transformational leader.

1. Agility/Nimbleness

More than any other characteristic, agility describes transformational leaders. They’re not mired in old ways of thinking or wedded to outdated mindsets. They’re able to look at situations, take in new information, and change their approach to situations and interactions. They realize that there is no end to personal or professional growth and continually seek out new ways to stimulate development and ensure that they’re able to adapt and grow as times change, both in their personal lives and in their roles within organizations. The key is being able to manage the tensions between driving excellence/improvements/accountability and guiding exploration/innovations/agility.

2. An Understanding of What Must Change

The agility we discussed above feeds into the next characteristic – an understanding of what must change within the organization. This understanding is fed by the leader’s personal and professional commitment to excellence and innovation. It’s also informed by deep listening to customers, vendors, and co-workers, active engagement with others, and strong observation skills. The key is being confident in one’s own decisions while also being open to challenge, adaptation, and change.

3. The Ability to Change Minds

The third transformational leadership behavior we need to discuss is an innate ability to change minds. One of a leader’s most important responsibilities is to ensure that people are on board with new ideas and ways of doing things. They accomplish this by being empathetic while also inspiring confidence in their audience, whether that’s made of board members or employees. Often, this means getting people to come around to their way of thinking. However, it also means that these leaders must be open to changing their minds when necessary. The key is being able to use specific techniques to coach others to change their minds and behaviors, even when they are resistant or afraid.

4. Active Listening

When it comes to transformational leadership behaviors, few are as important as the ability to actively listen. That’s because, in addition to inspiring ideas and behaviors in others, these leaders must empower their colleagues and team members to share with them. Active listening involves hearing thoughts, ideas, input, and feedback without judgment so that the other person feels valued, seen, and recognized.  The key is being able to listen with curiosity to the feelings, thoughts, needs, and ideas of others (including body language, what is not said, and what is between the lines).

5. Good Judgment

Transformational leaders are risk-takers, but that does not mean that they do so mindlessly. They must exercise good judgment at all times so that they can determine the risk/reward. This transformational leadership behavior plays a role in a very wide range of responsibilities, from hiring new team members to taking on new projects and pivoting when it comes to strategies and visions. The key is being able to make effective decisions using different sources of information, often incomplete, ensuring short and long-term impacts are considered.

6. Committed to Clarity

While transformational leaders might set aggressive milestones that force team members to stretch and grow, they are also committed to clarity in all that they say and do. They provide clear expectations for team members, communicate their vision without clouding the topic, and offer guidance and mentorship to help team members grow and develop in their roles and within their wider careers. The key is being able to communicate with others with clarity, even when we are feeling uncertain or confused, and communicating early and often, never assuming others are clear or certain.

7. Empathetic

Empathy is the ability to put yourself into someone else’s position. Empathetic leaders can put themselves into the shoes of anyone else on their team and understand how they see and experience requirements, project mandates, and responsibilities. Empathy is a key transformational leadership behavior. Without it, you cannot inspire trust, instill motivation, or get employee buy-in. The key is being able to attune to the states and needs of others in an open-hearted and open-minded ‘neutral’ state and having empathy for the feelings, needs, perspectives, and behaviors of others.

8. Committed to Building Trust

Transformational leaders understand that without trust, their team can achieve nothing. However, that trust must flow in two ways. Team members should trust the leader, but the leader must also trust in their team members’ abilities, knowledge, and passion. When employees see that they’re trusted by leaders, they’re free to act as they know is best, make more confident decisions, and even feel free to fail (because failure is an integral part of learning and growth). The key is being able to build trust through small and consistent actions of care, reliability, and connection and fostering an environment that encourages truth and transparency even in political and highly-charged situations.

Building a Brighter Future for All

Transformational leadership behaviors might seem at odds with conventional management theory. That’s because most of what’s taught stems from the transactional way of doing things, which does not inspire trust, foster growth, or enhance stability. The characteristics of transformational leadership discussed above help build a brighter future for everyone by creating inspired teams, boosting employee retention, enhancing creativity, fostering innovation, and more.

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