The Four I's of Transformational Leadership
Transformational leadership is a style of leadership first described by Pulitzer Prize winning author and political scientist James MacGregor Burns in his 1978 book Leadership. Burns studied various political leaders―including both Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy―and subsequently developed his theory on transformational leadership.
Transformational leaders help invoke positive changes in those they lead and are generally characterized as energetic, engaging, and passionate. Not only are these leaders concerned with an overall vision, but they are also focused on helping every member of the group succeed. The primary goals of transformational leaders are to inspire growth, promote loyalty, and instill confidence in group members.
In 1985, Bernard M. Bass―leadership researcher and professor at Binghamton University in New York―expanded on Burns’ ideas and explained that transformational leadership is comprised of four main components, now commonly known as the the "four i's" of transformational leadership:
Inspirational motivation. Define a desirable mission (e.g. securing a post-season birth by winning a conference championship). Inspirational motivation includes exhibiting passion in one's work, providing value to the mission of the organization, cultivating an environment of commitment to goals, and communicating a clear and compelling vision.
How? Communicate a vision that is so attractive and appealing, that they want to follow it and make it a goal to achieve it as well. Give each person a strong sense of purpose, set high standards, and expect them to achieve it. All members of the team need to obtain a collective "mission mindset" to get to where you want to be.
Idealized influence. Model desirable behavior (e.g. a leader adhering to the same high standards he has for the team). In order to be a transformational leader, a leader must demonstrate idealized influence by putting into practice in their own lives what they preach to others.
How? Model the behavior you wish to see in them. Have immense passion and enthusiasm about the vision and strategy. Passion and enthusiasm are contagious and spread like wildfire. By modeling proper behavior, they trust you and want to emulate the way you do it.
Intellectual stimulation. Provide followers with intellectual stimulation (e.g. collaborating with team members to create a unified strategy). Intellectual stimulation is encouraging creativity from team members and then compelling them to not exclusively accept traditional ways of solving problems.
How? Always question the "this is the way we've always done things" mentality. Emphasize growing and learning instead of outcomes and results. This removes the "fear factor", empowering them to constantly be learning and looking for opportunities to act upon, rather than playing it safe.
Individual consideration. Show individual consideration to each team member (e.g. tailoring coaching style to the needs of each individual member). Individual consideration involves mentoring others, respecting the needs and differences of individuals, practicing two-way communication, and developing the potential of one's followers.
How? Each person has a unique contribution to make. Are you maximizing each person's value? Find their strengths and bring out the best in each of them. Communicate clearly, openly, and often. Create an environment where the best idea wins, regardless of where it comes from. Every voice matters.
Researchers have found that this style of leadership can result in better performance, better well-being, and a stronger sense of empowerment in the group. Groups led by this type of leader also tend to be both successful and loyal. They give great effort to the team and care deeply about the group's ability to accomplish its goals. Turnover also tends to be relatively low, as transformational leaders can inspire a great deal of commitment in their followers.
Want to be a transformational leader? Inspirationally motivate, ideally influence, intellectually stimulate, and individually consider those you lead and you'd be on the path to transformation.