Exploring The Transformational Leadership Model
At Infopro Learning, we’ve developed a model for future leadership that emphasizes some of the mega-competencies required to navigate successfully. The future leader recognizes innovation and disruption and authentically inspires others to enact organizational transformation. That is the mark of a future leader, they are a transformational leader.
We fully understand that this model will need to change continually as we learn more about the future. However, we feel compelled to create a roadmap now and be adaptive with internal leadership development for both our company and for our clients.
We see this roadmap as the beginning of a robust conversation to support the learning community in creating dynamic leadership development processes and programs seen through a new prism.
Transformational Leadership: 3 Competency Areas
Our Transformational Leadership Model emphasizes the attributes that leaders need to navigate organizational change in the digital age… and beyond.
At the center of a transformational leader is their character. The three other competencies drive business results, but only with strong character as the foundation.
Credit: InforPro Learning
In our Transformational Leadership Model, we value character at the core. Future leaders will be evaluated based on the strength of their character – how they lead others in a way that builds commitment and respect.
Leaders demonstrate character through ownership and accountability while promoting an environment that encourages people to achieve extraordinary results.
Courageous Character blends servant and positive leadership with the tactical skills of coaching and developing others. It is necessary that a future leader who leads organizational transformation has the courage to try new things, inspire others, and stick with improvement. We put character at the center of our transformational leadership model because without it, none of the other competency areas will be effective.
The remaining 3 competency areas will drive business results, and engage and retain the top talent in our companies. These areas are:
1. Inspire Authentically
In the age of technology, perhaps the greatest challenge for future leaders is to authentically inspire and connect with those the lead.
This dimension of leadership embraces business acumen within and external to the company; it translates that knowledge to employee engagement by developing diverse high performance and diverse teams. Future leaders will create an environment that is focused on execution excellence.
Shaped by the global networks of commerce and the pace of technology, the focus on full transparency and communication clarity cannot be emphasized enough. One aspect of leadership just emerging is called followership – having followers with diverse thinking to translate business priorities into actions and who are free to challenge and offer different perspective to strengthen outcomes.
Key concepts of Inspire Authentically include:
- Transparency and Strategic Thinking – the ability to demonstrate integrity and continually learning and “thinking” about the strengths and flaws in one’s own thinking processes
- Developing Talent and Managing Results – the capability of spotting good talent, bringing people together to execute with excellence and the courage to make changes when required
2. Innovate Wisely
Innovation is a given in today’s world, but with so many options wisely determining when to innovate and when not to, is more important than ever.
Future leaders will need to create a culture in which people have time and the inclination to innovate. People with whom they work will want to see connections within and external to the workplace and press hard to make those changes happen. The exponential nature of vast technological resources make openness to new ways of accomplishing goals a constant learning process for every person in the organization and is certainly top of mind for every leader.
The word “wisely” is a cautionary note to leaders to ensure a balance between enthusiasm for creating a culture in which innovation is valued and a culture in which there is too high a tolerance for risk. Balancing the two will be an essential skill of future leaders.
Key concepts of Innovate Wisely include:
- Connect and Develop – attracting and leveraging networks within and external to the business
- Unlearn and Discern – the ability to utilize mega-competencies of creativity, critical thinking, and learning agility
3. Improve Relentlessly
Only organizations that push down decision making and create shared accountability for results will survive during this digital age. New strategies and innovations impact internal and external processes requiring a relentless attention to detail to ensure smooth implementation and avoidance of unintended consequences. Whether embracing digital transformation, reducing workflow, creating an entirely new business model or a new go-to-market strategy, leaders need to transform every step of the way, working with diverse minds.
Key concepts of Transform Relentlessly include:
- Lateral management – working across the organization with wide global networks of internal and external resources
- Change management – creating planning and process improvements that anticipate changes and embrace technological advances to disrupt old ways of thinking
These are some of the leadership dimensions that future leaders will need to be successful. If you want to learn more about developing leaders for the future, download the eBook Future Leadership Development: Transforming Leaders to Excel In The Digital Age… And Beyond.
