How do we practice transformational leadership in facebook?

Have you ever thought facebook is so useful in keeping yourself updated with all your near & dears?

I find facebook gives one more level of service which no one thought about!! – YES! It gives excellent way to show your leadership skills.

It exactly delivers the transformational leadership components on every post that one makes!

Let us look at how it does -

1. Individual consideration: This component says “everyone is not same & we need to give individual attention based on their current level” How facebook gives this: You communicate your friend in individually on their wall. Even it is common post, you may address your comments specific only to a friend by using @friend name. In this way, you make an individual who interacts with you feel more comfortable as you converse with them in their level.

2. Intellectual Simulation: “Has anyone thanked you for the suggestions or comments that you provided helped them getting out of a trouble they faced?” Then you already practicing Transformational Leadership.

Sometimes even the options that we share may not suits exactly to that situation but that induces more thinking about the solution for the problem that they are facing – This is ‘Intellectual Simulation’ component of Transformational Leadership. I found facebook has really wonderful way to express your views in one-to-one or one-to-many relationships. Authors, business leaders, individuals help friends by giving comments that lives longer than their life time.

3. Idealized Influence: Are you getting lot of comments & likes for the posts that you make in your facebook updates? There may be positive responses or negative. You are impacting visitor who reads your posts even you don’t get the responses. Your influence is more & it is greater than one-to-one conversation.

In case the way you present is not liked by many, as a leader, change the way you tell that is accepted by your followers. Most of the time, you are respected & admired by your followers. They have a separate place for you in their heart. You have absolute trust on your followers and they also have it for you. In any situation, you show high standards of conduct.

4. Inspirational Motivation: Inspiration? Motivation? so much literature on this topic & got frustrated about any book that says about it? You like these words when you put in practice in one book called ‘facebook’.

Every news feeds, status updates, videos, links – what do you expect? Something funny.. but meaningful.. right? Take every care on your facebook updates to reflect what you have in mind – but inspires or motivates someone who reads it. At least make some attempt to make an impression about it.

Motivation really comes down to inspiration. Since motivation comes from within, it is a form of self-inspiration. This process is nurtured by watching others achieve their goals.

Most often it is developed by following the example of leaders who do the right thing for people, communicate frequently, empower vigorously, coach regularly, and sacrifice for others.

Summation of Transformational Leadership was given excellently in Reference [1]. It is a nice gist and has almost all activities of Transformational Leadership.

1. Leaders have high moral and ethical values.
2. Leaders express genuine interest in followers.
3. Leaders have an inspirational vision.
4. Genuine trust exists between leaders and led.
5. Followers share leader’s values and vision.
6. Leaders and followers perform beyond self-interest.
7. Participatory decision-making is the rule.
8. Innovative thinking and action is expected.
9. Motivation is to do the right thing.
10. Leaders mentor.

Compare these 10 points with explanations about practicing them in facebook, you will feel the real power as transformational leader.

Reference

[1] Transformational Leadership by Colonel Mark A. Homrig, 21 Dec 2001. Retrieved on 08th Jan 2009 from http://leadership.au.af.mil/documents/homrig.htm

Want to add some more about these components? Please feel free to comment…

Transformational leadership Studies & Hypotheses

Leadership is such an wonderful area of study where the exploration happens everyday endlessly! Some theories become old and obsolete – some theories are debatable – some theories are profoundly interesting. Compared to other theories, Transformational leadership is somewhat new, explored everyday due to its popularity, interesting in nature and there is an easy way to get results using Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire™ (shortly MLQ™).

MLQ™ is the most widely used instrument to assess transformational leadership theory [9] and “is considered the best validated measure of transformational and transactional leadership” [10- p. 338]. With the help of MLQ™, leadership behavior can be evaluated and trained accordingly. MLQ™ has history from 1980s. Right now, MLQ™ Form 5X (developed by Bass & Avolio. 1995)[8] and its modified versions are used for transformational leadership studies.

Here is the steps: Start with a question on leadership & its relationship with something. Then circulate MLQ™ to target audience. Get the results and compare it against your assumptions. Create your Hypotheses.

Here are few examples:

Question: Is Similarity in Leadership Related to Organizational Outcomes? [4]

Hypotheses:

H1:  Perceived similarity between superiors and their leaders with respect to transformational leadership is: 1) positively related to positive outcomes, and b) negatively related to negative outcomes.

H2:  In addition to perceived leadership, perceived similarity between superiors and their leaders explains unique variance in outcome variables.

H3:  The correlations between transformational leadership and outcomes can be ranked as follows:  SHTL – SLTL / DHTL – DLTL.

Question: Gender differences in transformational leadership among the field leaders of New South Wales Police students [5]

Hypotheses:

Female leaders would attract universally higher ratings on factors thought to be associated with greater effectiveness as a leader. That is, it was expected that female police leaders would be viewed as being more transformational and less laissez-faire than males.

Furthermore, it was expected that female leaders would attract higher effectiveness ratings and that followers would be more satisfied with their female leaders.

Ultimately, followers who had female  leaders would also be expected to expend a higher degree of effort at work/in training.

Question: What mechanisms explain the positive effect of transformational leadership?[6]

Hypotheses:

H-1 Transformational leadership has a positive effect on job satisfaction.
H-2 This impact is partially mediated through job characteristics and intrinsic work motivation.
H-2-1 Transformational leadership has a positive effect on job characteristics.
H-2-2 Job characteristics have a positive effect on intrinsic work motivation.
H-2-3 Intrinsic work motivation has a positive effect on job satisfaction.

Job characteristics partially mediate the relationship between transformational leadership and job satisfaction. This was not found for intrinsic work motivation. The results of this study underline the impact of transformational leadership on perceived job characteristics and employees’ job satisfaction.

NOTE: MLQ™ is trade marked product and you can contact Mind Garden® for further enquiry – Mind Garden® is a registered trademark of Mind Garden, Inc. All the hypotheses work are outcome of respective authors work and not my opinion on those questions.

References:

1. Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire™ – The benchmark measure of transformational leadership – Bernard M. Bass & Bruce J. Avolio – from web site URL: http://www.mindgarden.com/products/mlq.htm

2. The Full Range Leadership Model™ – http://www.mlq.com.au/flash_frlm.asp

3. 41 5 Transactional and transformational Leadership – document retrieved from web site URL – http://www.diss.fu-berlin.de/diss/servlets/MCRFileNodeServlet/FUDISS_derivate_000000001791/05_05_kapitel.pdf;jsessionid=E9EEB7BF0A73678BF5AC450F3F84F2F2?hosts=

4. Is Similarity in Leadership Related to Organizational Outcomes?  The Case of Transformational Leadership March 28, 2005 – document retrieved from web site URL –

http://leadershipcenter.osu.edu/library/publications/leadership-discoveries/2005/march-2005-is-similarity-in-leadership-related-to-organizational-outcomes-the-case-of-transformational-leadership

5.Gender differences in transformational leadership among the field leaders of New South Wales Police students – document retrieved from web site URL – http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.89.1734&rep=rep1&type=pdf

6. The influence of transformational leadership on job satisfaction: The mediating role of Job characteristics and intrinsic work motivation Bösch Walser, R., & Heilmann, T., Social and Economic Psychology, University of Zurich – document retrieved from web site URL – http://www.psychologie.uzh.ch/sowi/team/heilmann/documents/BoeschHeilmann_Poster_eawop2009.pdf

7. DEMO profile of MLQ output http://www.testcentral.ro/files/mlq_f_en.pdf

8. Bass, B. M. and Avolio, B. J. 1997. Full range leadership development: Manual for the multifactor leadership questionnaire, CA, Mind Garden.

9. Kirkbride, P. 2006. ‘Developing transformational leaders: the full range leadership model in action’, Industrial and Commercial Training, Vol. 38, No. 1 pp.23-32.

10. Ozaralli, N. 2003. ‘Effects of transformational leadership on empowerment and team effectiveness’, Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 24, No. 6, pp 335-344.

What is getting transformed in Transformational Leadership?

Whenever I take Transformational Leadership topic, one or the other person eagerly asks – “What is getting transformed?”. I thought it would be nice to share my answer views in a post quoting few references.

James MacGregor Burns says:

Transforming leadership occurs when one or more persons engage with others in such a way that leaders and followers raise one another to higher levels of motivation and morality by transforming leadership which ultimately becomes moral in that it raises the level of human conduct and ethical aspirations of both the leader and led and, thus, has a transforming effect on both.[1]

Transformation will elevate and discipline the inner soul of both leader & follower.  Hence goals, values, principles, motivation and morality of both leader and follower will be one and the same at one point of time — it is like one soul two body. In such case, no supervision needed — each one knows what to do in different situations.  This is the ultimate goal of leadership.

Due to difference in human thinking & nature,  each one of us differ in skill level to perform an activity. Kelley (1995) indicates that leadership and followership are equal but different activities often played by the same people at different times. Individuals who assume leadership roles have sound visioning, interpersonal and organizational skills, and the desire and willingness to lead. Effective followers are distinguished by their capacity for self-management, strong commitment and courage.[2]

Summation of Transformational Leadership was given excellently in Reference [2].  It is a nice gist and has almost all activities of Transformational Leadership.

1. Leaders have high moral and ethical values.
2. Leaders express genuine interest in followers.
3. Leaders have an inspirational vision.
4. Genuine trust exists between leaders and led.
5. Followers share leader’s values and vision.
6. Leaders and followers perform beyond self-interest.
7. Participatory decision-making is the rule.
8. Innovative thinking and action is expected.
9. Motivation is to do the right thing.
10. Leaders mentor.

References:
1. James MacGregor Burns, Leadership , New York: Harper & Row, 1978), pp.4, 20

2. Transformational Leadership by Colonel Mark A. Homrig, 21 Dec 2001. Retrieved on 08th Jan 2009 from http://leadership.au.af.mil/documents/homrig.htm

Transformational Leadership – Confidence

Whatever you think, that you will be. If you think yourself weak, weak you will be; if you think yourself strong; strong you will be – Swami Vivekananda.

Confidence is an important qualities of Transformational Leadership. Whole life and the Leadership principle revolves around the word “Confidence”. A Transformational Leader should have confidence on himself in achieving the vision.  Followers’ should have confidence on the Leader & his vision. Leader should also show confidence in the follower’s capability to achieve the vision.

Throughout the Leadership practice, confidence building is an important inevitable step in which Self-confidence is the backbone for any Leader. There need to be a plan in developing self-confidence. I can say follow 5C’s that will help you in developing confidence:

Clear vision and path - A Transformational Leader possess clear vision and the way in achieving the vision. Once a plan is clear then success is unstoppable which boosts confidence.

Commitment – “The one who commits himself completely will achieve the goal soon”. Both self-confidence & followers’ confidence grows when a leader involves himself fully in the activities that leads to achieve goals.

Courage – Hurdles & struggles are common in achieving success even for an easy activity! No need to ask problems in working towards bigger vision. So, staying focused and keeping hope in Leadership is a must. A Transformational Leadership should be courageous and communicate followers to be brave during difficult times.

Consistent - Having coherency between speech and action is required for Transformational Leaders. Consistency in the approach will keep cohesive team in place that helps transforming each other to next level.

Celebration – Even smallest achievement needs to get attention of all – so Celebrate! This gives the entire group a feel of accomplishment that makes them confident. Everyone work more committed & motivated.

Followers’ confidence can be raised with individualized considerations and recognition to their accomplishments.

Try out the 5C’s and tell me, I am waiting for your comments Transformational Leaders.

Transformational Leadership – Change

Continuity gives us roots; change gives us branches, letting us stretch and grow and reach new heights.  – Pauline R. Kezer

Each and every individual possess unique behavior, style, thought process and perceptions, but this may or may not help them in reaching the highest of their potential as each one of these affects their daily activities and hence the output. On analyzing the behaviors of those leaders who are considered to be successful, researchers came up with different leadership theories.

Is it possible for everyone in the world to have the same characteristics? Surely not, but it is proven that by practice one can develop a behavior or style. Modification from the current behavior requires a Change. To change, in the core, it is required to learn, adapt and follow the new style. Change cannot exist without a direction. A change can take you to any side (up or down) in your life. First, you change yourself for the good of the community. By doing so, indeed you can bring a change in the community. Transformation means “a change from one form or level to another.”

The simplest transformation I can point is – Ice to Water and Water to Vapour. We can identify all three phases of H₂O with their physical form. At 0 degree Celsius, Ice transforms to Water – i.e. from solid form to liquid form. At transformation temperature, both solid & liquid form exists. Same exists at 100 degrees Celsius.

A leadership which has the capability of transforming people, community and organization is  Transformational Leadership. Leaders with transformational leadership qualities have a vision, clear purpose and connect followers which takes them to the next level. In Transformational Leadership, you are bringing a change within you and a change in the followers. For you to change, you need to learn what is good, try adapting the ingredients and follow it sincerely. Next, you bring a change in the followers’ mind by communicating, educating, encouraging and taking care of their concerns.

You must be the change you wish to see in the world. – Mahatma Gandhi