Why Transformational Leadership Matters in a Post-Pandemic World

This article offers novel insights into how managers can become more effective transformational leaders in the post-pandemic era.

Training Magazine

The post-pandemic led to new technology, business methods, and a paradigm shift from office space to cyberspace. Executives had to find a new way to build teams as they changed to more remote work. People relied on the home network to conduct business for organizations; some expanded their bandwidth while others were already equipped. The post-pandemic led to new ways of educating executives, managing talent, and developing entrepreneurs.

The knowledge economy is going through an unprecedented level of disruption. The surprise result of a year-long pandemic increased uncertainty over safety and security, and fears about a downturn in the economy have left many business leaders concerned about where their organizations should go next and how best they can prepare for post-pandemic recovery. One possibility is to embrace technology. Making the right technology decisions can create a business platform that embraces an uncertain world and gives organizations the resilience to bounce back.

In a post-pandemic world, leaders must come to grips with their motivational mindset before using their leadership competencies to motivate others. Given the post-pandemic recovery, many people have embraced electronic communication and are engaged in internet-based relationships. This article inspires a new wave of thinking in leadership and organizational studies. This article also helps you to achieve your plans and goals as you recover from the pandemic. The most important aspect of the post-pandemic recovery is YOU as a leader. I recommend trying to be a transformational leader to make the right decisions for your followers. This is what you and executives need to do in the post-pandemic era. Transformational leadership is an ideal form in enabling organizations to build knowledge-based organizations that can create and implement innovations timely as they operate and compete in a post-pandemic world.

Transformational leadership emphasizes satisfying basic needs and meeting higher desires through inspiring followers to provide newer solutions and create a better workplace. The four steps of transformational leadership are at the forefront of the knowledge base. They have a relative value in organizations throughout North America and the rest of the developed countries. Four steps to goal setting using transformational leadership:

Step 1 – Idealized Influence

Transformational leaders who show idealized influence are role models for their followers because they engage in high standards of honest and ethical behavior. In doing this step, executives need to take the following actions:

  • Instill pride in organizational members for being associated with them.
  • Display a sense of power and confidence.
  • Go beyond self-interest for the good of the organization.
  • Talk about their most important values and beliefs.
  • Consider the moral and ethical consequences of decisions.
  • Emphasize the importance of having a collective sense of mission.

Step 2 – Individual Consideration

This is the extent to which a transformational leader attends to each follower’s needs and is a mentor, coach, or guide to the follower. In doing this step, executives need to take the following actions:

  • Spend time coaching others.
  • Consider employees as having different needs, abilities, and aspirations from others.
  • Help organizational members to develop their strengths, and provide various formal training programs to improve the performance of duties

Step 3 – Inspirational Motivation

Inspirational motivation is the degree to which a transformational leader articulates an appealing vision that inspires and motivates others to perform beyond expectations. In doing this step, executives need to take the following actions:

  • Talk optimistically about the future
  • Talk enthusiastically about what needs to be accomplished.
  • Express confidence that the goals will be achieved. 

Step 4 – Intellectual Stimulation

Intellectual Stimulation is the extent to which transformational leaders challenge assumptions, take risks and solicit followers’ ideas. This step links followers’ individual efforts to the organization’s collective interests. In doing this step, executives need to take the following actions:

  • Emphasize effective coordination among different functional areas, and seek differing perspectives when solving problems.
  • Suggest new ways of looking at how to complete assignments and undertake a comprehensive analysis when confronted with an important decision.

How do these steps build a high-performing knowledge-based organization? The answer is simple. Executives can use these four steps to exploit organizational knowledge and firm performance in several ways. This is factual. Take a look at the following table:

The Steps of Transformational Leadership
Commercial Outcomes
1.  Idealized Influence

·  Enhancing dynamic relationships among employees and departments within companies

·  Developing a more effective vision incorporating various concerns and values of external business partners

2.  Individual Considerations

·  Empowering human assets

·  Building a more effective learning climate within companies

·  Mobilizing follower support toward the goals and objectives at the senior organizational level

3.  Inspirational Motivation

·  Recognizing possible opportunities in the business environments

·  Sharing successes to build alliances

·  Inspiring employees to put extra effort into their work

4.  Intellectual Stimulation

·  Facilitating knowledge sharing around the organization

·  Creating a more innovative climate in companies

·  Creating new knowledge and solutions for organizational problems

 

In Conclusion

This article offers novel insights into how managers can become more effective transformational leaders in the post-pandemic era. Transformational leadership is easy to understand, implement, and get followers to be one-voice and vocal throughout the organization. This leadership style is more realistic than some of the other leadership forms. This article suggests that a leader’s ability to develop a high-performing knowledge-based organization can be significantly affected by using the four steps of transformational leadership. Transformational leaders within companies can also play a crucial role in achieving a high level of effectiveness and world-class efficiency in the post-pandemic era.

Mostafa Sayyadi, CAHRI, AFAIM, CPMgr
Mostafa Sayyadi, CAHRI, AFAIM, CPMgr, works with senior business leaders to effectively develop innovation in organizations, and helps companies—from start-ups to the Fortune 100—succeed by improving the effectiveness of their leaders. He is a business book author and long-time contributor to HR.com and Consulting Magazine.