Three times in my career I’ve been asked to serve on senior leadership teams responsible for the successful transformation of failing organizations. I study and often speak on transformational leadership.
Transformational leaders can also succeed with well running organizations during conventional times. However, when asked to effectively and fundamentally change an organization in very positive and enduring ways, they get the job done.
They focus on mission, vision, leadership, culture, team, and alignment. These are the powerful predictors of organizational excellence.
They message and model the positive change that is needed. They have a leadership team who is deeply committed to the vision and mission. They recruit, retain, and inspire the team to achieve the new vision. They identify and remove obstacles. They ensure the organization and operations are aligned with the right objectives and outcomes. They apply proven strategies, best practices, and model policies.
They continually communicate positive progress and valuable results. As the team sees ever improving performance, their commitment to the change vision deepens.
Here’s the test for success: when a leader who was hired to transform a deeply dysfunctional organization departs, if the same team and culture are still firmly in place, you failed. You are not a transformational leader. When Lee Iacocca left Chrysler, it went back to being the old failing Chrysler again despite some short-term gains.
Transformational leaders forever change the leaders, team, culture, hiring, systems, and results that an organization has and achieves. You can walk through it 30 years after that leader leaves and it’s still a high performing organization with the right leaders, team, and culture. In fact, the organization continually improves its performance after this leader is no longer there. This is perfectly predictable due to the new culture of excellence which has taken root. Captain Abrashoff was thrilled that the sailors aboard the USS Benfold won even more awards after his command of the ship.
It’s easy to inherit a sound organization and lead it in good times. Even incremental improvement is not that difficult. Transformational leadership is the true test and it’s why there are so few who can do it.
Sources: Abrashoff, 2002; Blanchard, 2011; Collins, 2001; Drucker, 2001; Grant, 2017; Kotter, 2012; Lencioni, 2012; Maxwell, 1998; Welch, 2005.
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