Transformational Leadership – A Key Future of Work Strategy

By 2020 70% of future leaders are likely to reject what traditional businesses have to offer and will work independently through digital means. Organizations that are focused on developing transformational leaders will survive and grow.

Gen Y’s surveyed by Deloitte are seeking organizations that have transformative leaders and processes and they feel that leaders are not doing enough right now to foster leadership ability.

The future of work will be almost entirely made up of Gen Y’s and 91% of them will stay with a company fewer than three years (Inc.com)

The future work is not a far off fantasy that we continue to put off. The future of work reality is here and now.

The leadership that is needed to drive transformation is simply transformational leadership. What does that mean?

Here are the key attributes of a transformational leader:

1. The focus for a transformational leader is to ‘transform’ self and others and business

2. A transformational leader does not focus on CYA or protecting self – he or she focuses on doing what is ‘right’ for the overall business even if it means that that leader may no longer be needed in his or her current capacity

3. A transformational leader is vigilant about evolutionary growth – they speak and do with a focus on ‘what brings the most energy’ to people, situations and the business.

4. A transformational leader is a change leader – they see disruption as a necessary part of creating massive change that benefits the overall organization – they ‘do’ disruption in a way that is not destructive rather constructive to get to the ‘vision’.

5. A transformational leader is completely comfortable unstable environments – he or she has mastered the ability to be in what may look like chaotic periods of time while staying focused on transforming processes and people for greater good for all.

6. A transformational leader is hyper aware of his or her ‘blind spots’ and surrounds himself or herself with people who are comfortable with challenging him or her, the status quo or how things are done.

7. A transformational leader self evaluates and is open to being consistently evaluated by peers, other departments, customers and more- he or she WANTS the feedback and sees it as a key success in the evolution of success.

8. Transformational leaders help others look good, gives recognition and reward to all contributors and ‘walks the talk’ of being a leader who embodies ‘shared leadership’ approach.

With the future of work being a web of interconnected hubs of people, of being a way for people to create solutions collectively and for being a place of dynamic energy where everyone contributes his or her gifts the ONLY way to get there is with the willingness of leaders and their teams to transform the way we think, the way we interact and the way we work together.