4 Goals of Personal Transformation for Leaders
I coach a variety of professions and the one thing I recognize in each of my clients is that they are a leader. They may not see it, or even believe it, but I do.
When I suggest to them they begin to think like a leader unfortunately most of them first think about the type of leader that yells, screams and is a dictator.
We are living in fast-paced, highly competitive times when leaders as a rule need to be aggressive and even ruthless in order to stay at the top. It is not a very comfortable place to be.
While the pervading culture seems to support the idea that leaders have to be tough and merciless, there is another way for people to be at the helm and still blossom as persons.
Ironically, the majority of human resource books will tell you that callous, task-oriented leaders do not actually do as well as those who have a more inclusive, kinder and more creative style of management. This more desirable style can be an outcome of personal transformation for leaders.
Objectives of Personal Transformation for Leaders
Human Resource Development studies today show that exacting productivity from subordinates no longer works – if it ever did. You cannot merely demand that so many cars be sold in a month’s time from your sales force.
It has been recognized that instead of coercive, authority-centered treatment, people today need leaders who will be able to motivate and inspire their teams to perform well. The same is expected of leaders regardless of what type of organization they belong to.
Quite often, people who are given the heavy responsibility of leading need to go through personal transformation in order to become inspiring.
Formal sessions in personal transformation for leaders aim to provide a process and experiences that will allow them to understand themselves and how their behavior affects others; how some behavior may impact their co-workers positively and some negatively.
Transformation sessions or retreats for leaders will include the following four goals:
- Enabling leaders to know themselves better – their personal style of assuming command; their behavior patterns and reasons behind these; how their actions can be perceived by others. The process of reflection and self-analysis is taught so that leaders may look deeply into their own manner of conducting business and the motivations that drive them. This helps them to unload emotional baggage that may be triggering negative behavior.
- Improving emotional intelligence so that the leader is more composed, less impulsive and more able to view things rationally; so that his or actions are constructive rather than reactive. This aspect of personal transformation includes gaining better focus and direction.
- Dealing with pressure and responding calmly and productively to challenging situations. This includes enabling leaders to become more adept at managing others in times of crisis.
- Enhanced understanding of the behavior and motivations of others. This includes comprehending and empathizing with others’ situation. Most of all, it includes developing the ability to help subordinates productively rise to challenges in spite of internal issues or personal problems that may be present.
Aspirations of Leaders in Transformation
There are many leaders who personally recognize a need for transformation. Initially, the most common reason for wanting this transformation is the need to deal with stress effectively and manage high-pressure situations in a focused, centered way. However, when this objective is probed, other desires often surface. One of these is the need to balance work and home life. Another reason is the desire to build and sustain effective, professional relationships in the workplace that will improve morale.
In the past decade, managing changes and transitions within the organization has become a top motivation because of the high incidence of downsizing and corporate takeovers. Some see the need for personal transformation in order to fully spread their wings as leaders; they want to be enabled to evaluate possibilities and improve their capacity for taking calculated risks.
Whatever the motivations individuals may have for seeking personal transformation, the fact remains that leaders who undergo this process become better persons and better leaders. When this happens, it is not only they who become transformed but the entire organization they are responsible for.
Start your own personal transformation by picking up your copy of Develop the Mental Strength of a Warrior today!
