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Characteristics of Transformational Leaders

August 30, 1999

"A transformational leader is someone who can take on the responsibility for revitalizing an organization.  They define the need for change, create new visions, mobilize commitment to those visions, and ultimately transform an organization.

Transforming an organization requires new vision, new frames for thinking about strategy, structure, and people.  While some entrepreneurs can start with a clean slate, transformational leaders must begin with what is already in place.  They are like architects who must redesign outmoded factories for a new use. 

The common characteristics of a transformational leader:
* They identify themselves as change agents.  Their professional and personal image was to make a difference and transform the organization that they had assumed responsibility for. 
* They are courageous individuals.  These are prudent risk takers, individuals who take a stand.
* They believe in people.  They are powerful yet sensitive of other people, and ultimately they work toward the empowerment of others.
* They are value-driven.  Each transformational leader is able to articulate a set of core values and exhibited behavior that was quite congruent with their value positions.
* They are life long learners.  A transformational leader is able to talk about mistakes he/she has made without seeing them as failures but learning experiences.
* They have the ability to deal with complexity, ambiguity and uncertainty.  A transformational leader is able to cope with and frame problems in a complex, changing world.
* They are visionaries.  The ability to dream, the ability to translate those dreams and images so that other people can share them (Tichy & Devanna, 1990, pp. 4, 271-280)."

Reference:  Tichy, N.M, & Devanna, M.A. (1986, 1990).  The transformational leader. New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Are you a transformational leader?

* The Transformational Leader is available on loan at the OSU Leadership Center.  A listing of all the Leadership Center's resources is available on our website www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~leaders

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Created: 2009-01-06, Updated: 2009-01-16