Learning Transformational Leadership from Great Leaders

A history of transformational leaders and what we can learn from them.

On October fifth, 2011 the earth lost one of the great innovators of our time Steve Jobs, Jobs not only founded and grew Apple to the company we know today but his ideas revolutionized the way we interact with computers, and looking back on Jobs incredible successes I think a few questions come to mind. How did he achieve so much and can we follow a method to get similar results? The answer to both these question is yes, and these successes can come from pursuing growth through transformational leadership. Transformational leadership is the process of bringing a significant vision into the world with a team, and a transformational leader will not only develop themselves through this process but will also develop their followers. Somehow the idea of transformational leadership has begun to feel impossible, like something that not, that only the greatest innovators can achieve. But want I want to talk about it is how anybody can practice transformational leadership and in their own way make radical changes in our world. Through my experiences in the Lockheed Martin Leadership Institute, I’ve learned that transformational leadership can come down to four steps, and while each step will take a massive amount of work anyone can follow through with them.
The first step is developing your vision, while this might seem really easy like just envisioning yourself super rich or at the top of your field. What makes this step part of transformational leadership is the way this vision relates to your environment and to who you are as a person. To find this transformational vision you need to do a deep dive into your values, to find something that you are truly passionate about, because if you aren’t passionate about your vision then there is no way that anybody else is going to be. The first place to start would be by taking some level of personality evaluations, such as the Myers Briggs or strength finders, and while these are really good methods to learn a little bit more about yourself you also need to experience the world by practicing your listening skills, studying how those who come before you develop their own vision, and even keeping a small journal with you to write learnings in. All of these will develop your ability to pursue valuable changes.
The second step in transformational leadership is to inspire others with your vision. To start on your path of inspiration you need to begin developing your emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the ability to control your emotions in times of trouble, as well as your ability to connect with the emotions of others. Someone who has a high emotional intelligence can inspire others because they know exactly what their people need when they need it. Working on your EQ is very unique, because it comes from experience which means anyone can grow. To start growing an EQ all you need to do is ask questions. Ask those close to you how you make them feel when talking with them and keep this feedback in mind in the future, even just go ask a random stranger how their day is because while it seems like a random act your training yourself to put others forward, to seek to understand before being understood. It is also important to do some level of mindfulness training, this can be praying, meditating, or even rubbing two fingers together for 30 seconds and focusing in on the sensations. This training will help to build neurological pathways to help you process your own emotions. Once you've begun growing an emotional intelligence you will be able to connect with others in pursuit of a similar vision as yours and form a team.
The third step towards transformational leadership is to take direct actions toward your vision. While the previous steps were slowly moving you towards realizing your vision now it’s time to put it together. This is going to take dedication to two very important skills, project management and communication. A huge part of effective project management is discipline, for a project to succeed the small things need to be done correctly in order to set up the larger steps. To start I would recommend setting SMART goals, those that are specific, measurable, achievable, result oriented, and time based. By setting the standard for excellence through SMART goals, you will not only be able to set realistic expectations but your followers will also know exactly where to go. This leads into the importance of communication in project management. When you look at all the projects, companies, and non-profits that fail every year, a huge reason for this is lack of communication. This can be from not communicating with whomever your consumer would be, or not communicating internally, and it’s important to remember that communication is a two-way street, so if those on your team are not communicating with you there might be a problem that needs to be addressed. 
The fourth and final step towards transformational leadership is to focus on growth of not only yourself but also your team. A leader who embodies transformational leadership understands that the transformation is not simply for themselves and the way that they operate, but is also in the growth of those around them. This can be through giving others opportunities to be challenged, educating them on the basics of transformational leadership, or even through just coaching them. This gives you the opportunity to not only succeed in your own vision but to also have an influence on the success of your team’s personal visions. What is so important about leadership in general and specifically transformational leadership is that it cannot stay on the inside. These lessons need to be practiced through experiences. Now although it will be tough at first, if you focus on finding your vision, inspiring a team, building your management skills, and finally developing others, you will not only transform yourself but the world. Thank you.

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