There comes a time in every company’s lifespan when a transformational leadership becomes a priority. It’s a sign of change, of upper management’s willingness to take control of the company’s health. Because transformational leaders are those who can nurture practices that benefit every single employee. They boost morale, inspire others and drive the company motivation forward.
But the question remains – how can HR spot such a person? How to help existing team leaders to become better versions of their professional selves? Well, we’re here to answer those questions.
Define What Makes a Good Leader
We operate in a chaotic job market. Now more than ever, HR can jointly agree that, despite universally accepted good practices, each company has its own definition of what makes a good leader. A good leader’s qualities align with company vision and mission. A chef of a prestige restaurant and an IT team lead will have wholly different goals.
What’s up to you: Have an initial sit-down with the rest of the HR team. Define which leadership traits are a must for your specific niche. That will already make for a great first step in finding the perfect candidate.
Scan Vigorously and Filter Strictly
Transformational leadership requires driven, dedicated individuals. They are the ones who signal change for the better. This means that it’s up to HR to scan for the best possible candidates. You need to apply all the tools at your disposal to ensure the person you choose is up to the task and able to deliver beyond expectations in due time.
What’s up to you: Decide on the kind of screening process you’ll use. It’s similar to regular employee screening, only here you test for additional qualities. Personality testing, mock situations, and so on. It will all depend on your industry niche, and what your company needs.
Have a Rewards System
Good leaders need one hell of a support system to feel valued and appreciated. While they may have a higher-ranking position, they still handle a lot of stress and uncertainty. Make sure that they know their efforts are valued. Don’t focus only on their results, but on the path they take.
What’s up to you: Establish a rewards system that will laud the leaders' accomplishments. Make sure to implement it so that other employees feel encouraged to take on leadership tasks of their own. It sends a message that the company values taking initiative. This makes it an excellent motivator.
Endorse Employee Advocacy
Two things missing from a lot of leadership positions nowadays are the skill and social intelligence to recognize other employees' efforts. Once people reach a team lead position, so to say, they start focusing on the bigger picture and often lose sight of the individuals who work under them.
What’s up to you: Transformational leaders need to have employee awareness. What sets them apart from others is the ability to recognise talent and hard work in others. They follow other employees' progress and advocate for them with HR, the CEOs, and CFOs. Nurture this skill and your business will have tighter-knit professional relationships built on acknowledgment and trust.
Teach Vulnerability and Transparency
In the same vein as our previous point, it’s essential to point out how crucial vulnerability and transparency are nowadays. Nothing discourages employees more than the idea that they can’t do anything right, while their supervisors hold up deadlines and seemingly unreachable standards. A great leader acknowledges their own mistakes, holds themselves accountable and shows others that there is no harm in being vulnerable.
What’s up to you: Teach your potential leaders that vulnerability is a quality that will help them survive in this place. Being relatable is what gives the most strength, as we’re more inclined to support those who admit they’re imperfect, and own up to their shortcomings.
Establish Leadership Development Programs
A lot of the times, leaders are created simply from necessity. Projects are under tight deadlines, there's a shortage of manpower or other reasons. In times like those, there isn’t much thought given about proper support and education of said leaders. They find themselves thrust in a new environment, filling the shoes of their predecessors without a lot of pointers.
What’s up to you: When HR finds itself in this situation, and there already isn’t enough time or resources to train leaders, it’s best to look for outside help. Hiring a coach that can educate the HR department on creating transformational leaders, or candidates themselves is a great replacement.
In the End
When on the lookout to create (or promote) a leader, the HR department needs to stand united. As cheesy as it sounds, only by working together can they address the important aspects of making a good leader, and stick by them. As we've mentioned, screening for candidates needs to be vigorous, a support system needs to be in place, and endorsement in the form of praise and feedback should be imperative.