If you’ve ever heard someone speak about their vision with so much passion you couldn’t help but be inspired, you’ve likely experienced transformational leadership.

James MacGregor Burns originally coined and defined transformational leadership. As a Pulitzer-prize winning author, Burns wrote several books based on his research surrounding leadership. He defined the transformational leader as someone who engages in a process where both the leader and followers push each other to become morally better.

More than a style, transformational leadership is a way of behaving. After all, the purpose of leadership is to convince followers to act in ways that progress a shared goal. Through their personality and vision, transformational leaders inspire their followers to adjust their expectations, motivations, and perceptions.

In the business environment, we want leaders to inspire a team of people to do what’s right for the company. This may mean perfecting or changing a way of doing things. If people don’t value or feel good about the direction, they won’t commit to making it happen.

The transformational leader taps into what motivates their team members, what they value, and how they feel. The leader and the team inspire each other.

While there are different types of leadership styles, transformational leadership is the only one to get inside people.

What makes transformational leaders unique is they:

• Possess influence, charisma, and a high standard of excellence

• Inspire and motivate

• Exhibit compassion and consideration

• Challenge their followers to think critically and for themselves

This isn’t manipulation.

On the contrary, it’s about authenticity. It’s about taking actions that inspire and empower others. This can only be done when the leader appeals to values and emotions.

It’s also not about power.

We don’t even have to look at history to find leaders who lead through sheer power — for these “leaders,” the end justifies the means and often aren’t choosing what’s right for the common good. It’s all about grabbing and keeping their own authoritative power.

Transformational leadership creates a high-performance culture, characterized by collaboration, empowerment, and fulfillment.

And it’s the type of leader we help you become.