Transformation has been seen as the act of bringing
about a desired change in an individual or a group of people. There are various
ways through which transformation among humans can be achieved and it all
depends on the type of method that a particular leader decides to make use of
in transforming his or her followers. Even though each of those methods can
bring about the desired change in people, most of such methods used only seek
to force people into submission and that makes it something totally different
from what true leadership seeks.
There are two main ways through which people can
identified as being transformed and they include;
·
Complying with directives
·
Showing commitment to the work that
they do
With regards to those workers or group members who
only comply with the directives that they are given, it is a sure way of
letting people know that they are not in tune with the change that has been
brought upon them and that they are being forced to dance to the tune of the
organisation even though they do not have any kind of limbic link with those
goals. This is not what true transformation talks about.
However, with regards to those workers who are always
committed to whatever task they are given, they help portray the idea that they
are really happy with what the system has been able to do to them. This is made
evident in the way that they perform each and every task that is given to them
without showing any signs of not being happy. Most of the things that they do
are done without being told to do so and they always make sure that the task is
executed to perfection. This is what true transformation is all about as it
seeks to change people through the act of being inspired well enough to show
commitment in the activity that they are performing.
The above two are just things that will let you know
that transformation has really taken place and they will also indicate whether
such a transformation is positive or negative with regards to how the people
respond to the performance of tasks.
In transforming yourself and others to strive to
achieve your goals there are two main parts which will help you to succeed as a
leader. These two main parts of transformation are;
Vision: Vision
is the creation of a mental picture of the condition that you seek to achieve
which is far better than what you are presently experiencing. This is the first
part of an individual becoming transformed as he or she will begin to create
various desirable goals and targets that are different from what is being
currently experienced. A leader who is without any clear vision sends a very
negative signal to his or her followers that they will be wasting their time
and energy if they decide to follow his or her lead. Followers always seek for
leaders who have a very clear idea of what they wish to achieve and allows such
an idea to totally and holistically transform him or her. When such a person is
identified, people are automatically drawn to him or her and their lives are
also transformed by the connection that they may have with the vision. Being a
leader with a vision is a step towards making sure that you transform your life
and that of your followers. When people are able to identify and properly
connect with the vision of a leader then they will also be willing to change
their ways in order to achieve that particular vision.
Action: This
is the second part of transformation and the last also but that does not make
it any less important. As a matter of fact it is of equal importance as the first
one since they each must be in place if true transformation is to take place
within an organisation. The mere fact of having a vision is to say that you are
halfway to transforming people and even yourself but when such a vision is put
into action then and only then can it be said that transformation has really
taken place within the group of people that you lead. So, for transformation
within a group of people that you lead to be recognised as being complete there
has to be a positive action that will be taken towards the achievement of the
vision that has been identified.
Now you know that vision together with action helps to
bring about transformation.
About the author: Jeff Evans, Ph.D. I am CEO of Envision Global
Leadership, Inc., a leadership development and organization development
consulting firm focused on change navigation. I have been working with
large-scale organization change as an internal and external consultant. This
work has included e-commerce ventures, new organization designs and startups,
and joint ventures and alliances in international and global settings. My
background can best be described as eclectic. This diverse experience provides
a rich context in my engagements as a consultant, executive coach, and speaker.