How Transformational Leadership Bolsters Introverts - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / How Transformational Leadership Bolsters Introverts - Introvert Whisperer How Transformational Leadership Bolsters Introverts Transformational leadership is all about teamwork and motivation. It’s a theory of leadership that throws away micromanagement and celebrates employees of all personality types. Transformational leaders follow by example and work in tandem with their team â€" not hovering above it. This type of leadership strengthens the talents of introverted employees based on its theory that each employee requires something different from their management team. Introverts will work better under this type of management because it plays to their strengths. This approach demonstrates the understanding that differences between individuals are not weaknesses. Whereas traditional management styles may focus more on extroverted personality types, transformational leadership works to help each employee flourish in their own way. Establishing Trust Transformational leadership styles make employees feel like their coworkers, managers, and the company as a whole are in this together. Everyone may have different roles, but everyone is doing this for the same reason. It’s a leadership style that focuses on being authentic, creating harmony, and establishing an ethical climate. With a culture of acceptance and understanding, introverted employees feel a trust for their company that they may not feel in other settings. Transformational leaders may have their employees take the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator assessment in order to help them understand their personality and how they best function in the workplace. They may provide different types of training options and show flexibility with working styles in order to establish trust with each employee. Trust is an important aspect in a company because it sets the tone for the way employees will work for their company. Employees who have distrust in their company aren’t as motivated. They won’t go above and beyond or take the risks needed to create something innovative. It’s impossible for employees to feel like a part of a team when the leaders of a company haven’t established trust with them. For introverts who are naturally more cautious, this trust is vital. Those in leadership positions looking to implement this style can do so by including their employees in the change they want to see. Open up brainstorms and discussions so that everyone can help transform their company. Be transparent and work to diversify your management style. Know that if there is a trust issue with your employees, it’s up to you to work to gain it back â€" not them. Encourage suggestions for change, then actually implement their ideas into your company. Leading by Example Transformational leadership is about jumping in and helping instead of barking orders and viewing the workload from a distance. This helps establish trust and increase respect as leaders lead by example. It enables managers to be more empathetic to their employees and their experiences with their respective workloads. When leaders help shoulder the workload, employees are more motivated to create something special. As a result, projects are more successful. Having a manager who leads by example is helpful for introverted employees, especially those who thrive in meaningful relationships with others instead of entertaining forced interactions. Introverted employees will feel a closer relationship to their managers which can help them to work better overall. If a company wants their employees to view each other as a part of one team â€" like everyone is committed in the bigger picture â€" they have to lead by example. Employees can tell when their managers are making decisions for their own bottom line instead of making decisions for the good of everyone. Without leading by example, employees wont feel safe enough to sacrifice their own self-interests for the good of the company, either. As a transformational leader, leading by example means shifting your duties and mindset with each decision each day. If you want employees who work hard, you have to work hard as well. Don’t merely supervise their work; jump in and complete some yourself. This is a concrete way to show transformational leadership to your employees. A Focus on Employees A strong employee focus is one of the staples in transformational leadership. Introverts often feel undervalued at work because they aren’t comfortable with highlighting their own achievements, which is often what sets an employee apart from the rest. This can come off as uncaring or cold, which can put an introvert’s job in danger. The opposite is often true, and many introverts care deeply for their work and job performance. With transformational leadership, management’s focus on employees will showcase the personality of an introvert much more naturally. This focus on managing people instead of numbers helps to build a culture of motivation and productivity that other leadership styles won’t get. Productive and committed employees are highly valuable, and transformational leaders help to cultivate that. There are many ways to focus on employees and foster the strengths of each individual. Having one-on-one meetings with each team member can help to build a rapport with them, which is a great aspect of leadership for introverted employees who do best in on-on-one situations. Encourage them to be candid, talk about the training they need, and be flexible in the tasks they dont excel at. Transformational leadership means throwing away the idea that each position has to be identical and embracing the idea that the duties of a position can shift with the strengths of each employee. Culture of Creativity Each person is inspired in different ways. Introverts often find their creative inspiration from within, which can make collaboration difficult. However, transformational leadership encourages employees to think critically and promote change that will allow the company to evolve together â€" no matter how they are able to tap into those ideas. This freedom and understanding helps each employee to feel more creative and comfortable with innovation. A culture of fear and unnecessary competition stifles creativity and risk. Encouragement and acceptance helps creativity flourish. Employees shouldn’t be forced to believe in their company’s message or met with hostility when they question things. Instead, they ought to be free to make their own decisions, have opinions, and take as much of a role in the message of the group as anyone else. This ideology in transformational leadership is one that celebrates creativity, even if it sometimes fails. Improving Mentorship Introverts are most socially comfortable in intimate settings with a few people. They prefer making deep connections over group settings where discussions are much more general or superficial. Transformational leadership makes room for mentorship, which is a great option to help support and strengthen introverted employees. Adaptability can be difficult for introverts in a business setting, but one-on-one support can help. Mentorship offers growth and training that not only helps each employee but also the company as a whole. One-on-one training is one way that a transformational leader works to help educate employees in ways that work for their learning style, instead of forcing employees to conform to a set standard. Better employees make for a better company, and transformational leadership accomplishes that. Creating a mentorship program is one way to help with transformational leadership theory. This can be done with managers or between employees, but the idea is to encourage teamwork and change. It’s a way to celebrate strengths in employees while offering training for others. For introverts, this is a great way to provide further training in a way that they will feel the most comfortable. Introverts are great employees for so many reasons. They are great listeners, extremely loyal, committed to the things they believe in, independent workers, and creative employees. Transformational leadership is one leadership style that works to help those attributes shine, instead of stifling them under blanket expectations for all employees. This leadership theory establishes trust, forces managers to lead by example, has a focus on the employees of a business, encourages creativity, and improves mentorship between managers and employees. Whereas other leadership styles cater to one type of employee, transformational leadership caters to all of them, which it’s why it a style that helps introverts shine. Author Bio: Sam Bowman  is a freelance writer and introvert who enjoys getting to utilize the internet for the community without actually having to leave his house. In his spare time, he likes running, reading, and combining the two in a run to his local bookstore. Image Source: Pixabay Go to top Bottom-line â€" I want to help you accelerate your career â€" to achieve what you want by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my 4 Building Blocks to Relationships eBookâ€" the backbone to your Networking success and fantastic work relationships.  Grab yours by visiting here right now! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer