A Guide to Transformational Leadership

This IDC Perspective represents a guide to transformational leadership. Since the 1990s, transformation conversations have focused on keeping up with and capitalizing on rapid, constant technological change. More recent thought leadership emphasizes the importance of being intentional about what drives broad-based, meaningful impact. "We are now much more focused on the value that will be realized through transformation investment," says Alizabeth Calder, adjunct research advisor at IDC's IT Executive Programs (IEP). "By looking beyond the digital change plan, transformational leadership can be the connective tissue between digital and true organizational transformation. Bringing a holistic approach to change, by inspiring and empowering collective alignment, will optimize results at all levels of the organization." "I recently had the opportunity to lead an entire organization through a significant cultural and operational transformation, working with the team from C-level leaders to frontline client service team members. By intentionally taking a transformational leadership approach, we achieved unheard-of improvements in client satisfaction, employee turnover, and business growth. At the conclusion of the three-year change initiative, engagement surveys asking for the word that best described leadership produced a highly satisfying word cloud for the team, recognizing 'trust,' 'a better place,' 'clarity,' 'learning,' 'impact,' 'confidence,' 'care,' and 'insight.' I can't imagine a more personally satisfying outcome after leading a team through a time of intense and complicated change."