Michelle Obama: Setting the Standard for Transforming Leadership

Abstract

This article broadly focuses on transformational leadership. Digging deeper, we explore the four traits of a transformational leader and how they are implemented in day-to-day life. The article stresses on the importance of each of the four characteristics and gives us a broader perspective of the life of a transformational leader. It distinguishes between transformational leadership and various other styles of leadership styles and helps us to interpret the role of a transformational leader. To explain the above, an example of one of the greatest leaders the world has seen, Michelle Obama, has been taken. The article strives to explain how she is a transformational leader by connecting each of the four elements to certain events in her life.

I. Key Words

Transformational Leadership, Individualized Consideration, Intellectual Stimulation, Inspirational Motivation, Idealized Influence, Happiness, FLOTUS (First Lady of The United States), Development, Sustainability, Progress, Implement, Admired, Empowerment, Racism.

II. Introduction

Leadership is quite a complex word. It is something that can be portrayed in various ways. A leader can be someone who is calm, composed and takes decisions wisely, and can also be someone who is arrogant, brash, and takes hasty decisions which seem to be the right ones in the heat of the moment.

A leader can be anyone, from a person who manages a small-scale start-up, to a person who runs a country. What makes those leaders stand out amongst the rest though, is not their fame, their financial status, or their position itself. What makes them stand out, is their attitude, their ability to motivate and inspire, and their hard work. These three important traits of a leader are evident in many greats like Elon Musk, Nelson Mandela, Warren Buffet, Meg Whitman, and of course, Michelle Obama, all of whom are transformational leaders.

John Kotter, a professor at Harvard, defines leadership as “creating a vision of the future and strategies for producing the changes needed to achieve that vision, aligning people around that vision; and motivating them to overcome barriers and produce the changes needed to reach that vision.

A perfect fit for the above definition of leadership is none other than the candidate that I have chosen for the VP role, former First Lady, lawyer, writer and loving mother, Michelle Obama.

Now, along with being extremely diverse in terms of her career, one of the contributing factors that made me pick her was that she is a transformational leader.

What exactly do I mean when I say this?

III. The Unique Style of Transformation

People say that a leader is someone who has a vision. I disagree. I think that a leader is someone who not only has a vision but is one who focuses on righting the wrongs in the process of achieving that very vision. There are numerous ways in which a leader and his team can achieve that vision, but if you want your team to go the extra mile, to stay motivated and successful, then transformational leadership is the only way to go.

One of the best and most unique styles of leadership out there, transformational leadership, involves the leader connecting with the emotions and personality of each of his team members to identify needed change, creating a vision to guide the change through inspiration, and executing the change together. This style of leadership ensures that all the members of the team will be able to pitch in their ideas and plans and nothing will go unheard. There is no sense of hierarchy when it comes to this type of leadership, and the leader ensures this by setting an example, be it in the workplace or outdoors.

This style of leadership is one of the most treasured ones because it involves not only the leader, but the entire team. Through transformational leadership, employees become independent and there is a sense of maturity and respect in the workplace. There is an essence of integrity, loyalty and open communication, where employees can address higher authorities without any inconvenience.

Transformational leadership holds much emphasis on authenticity and cooperation between individuals. It is a style of leadership where the employees are aware of the vision and work towards the greater good, out of their own interest, rather than being compelled to do so. The example set by the leader is an inspiration to all the employees and motivates them to achieve that vision with perfection.

The kind of connection between the leader and his subordinates prevalent in this leadership style will not be witnessed in any other style of leadership. It is more unique than the other styles because here, the leader focuses on building each individual up, prioritizes learning new concepts and inspires and motivates the team to fly higher. All in all, the atmosphere in the workplace is extremely relaxing and is a place that the employees can definitely call their home.

IV. Transformational Leadership – The 4 I’s

The number of styles in which a leader can lead his/her team has often been debated. There are styles that are extremely friendly, while some demonstrate that the leader is supreme, and that there is nobody above him/her. It is also thoroughly debated as to why transformational leadership stands out amongst all the styles, as to why it is thought to be better than the rest. The reason for this supremacy of this style is none other than the 4 I’s.

The four I’s, are the pillar of transformational leadership. They are what makes a leader a transformational one. These four I’s, also referred to as four traits or characteristics of transformational leaders can be viewed in every transformational leader. It is what makes them a cut above the rest.

What are these 4 I’s?

· Individualized Consideration

· Intellectual Stimulation

· Inspirational Motivation

· Idealized Influence

Why these 4 I’s?

These 4 I’s, as mentioned earlier, are crucial if a leader wishes to inspire, nurture and develop his/her team. These elements can be used to create an open, communicative and diverse culture in and outside the workplace, allowing employees to freely share ideas and therefore to empower them on an individual level. They are the final touches that complete the masterpiece, that is, a transformational leader.

V. Individualized Consideration

Just from these two words, most people would to a conclusion that Individualized Consideration would mean ‘considering each employee individually’. While that is a fairly accurate definition, that’s not all there is to the term. These two words mean a lot more than what they seem to.

The above two words, while broadly meaning, ‘considering each individually’, mean a lot more. It refers to how leaders look at each and every member of their workforce, their strengths and weaknesses, their attitude, their impact and much more, and build on it. The role of a transformational leader is somewhat like a mentor where he/she has to consider each employee’s differences, problems and specialties, relate to them, give a few suggestions and continue working to develop, empower and inspire them to achieve more.

Individualized consideration in brief would mean, knowing each member of your workforce, treating everyone equally and listening openly to any concern or problems that they may have. Transformational Leaders actively work to create a diverse environment and supportive environment, where individual differences are respected and celebrated.

This behaviour can include the following actions:

· Discussing and empathizing with the needs of each employee

· Making interpersonal connections with employees

· Showing true compassion

· Encouraging professional development and personal growth of every employee

Thus, we can conclude, that Individualized Consideration is indeed of utmost importance to a transformational leader.

VI. Intellectual Stimulation

The second trait and one of the most important traits of any leader is Intellectual Stimulation. Briefly, these two words mean, ‘strengthening the mind through innovative measures’. However, intellectual stimulation is not only about conceptual knowledge. Intellectual stimulation springs from leaders who establish safe conditions for experimentation and sharing ideas and push their employees to challenge the status quo.

It is portrayed by a leader who creates an open environment and encourages consistent innovation and creativity, as well as critical thinking and problem-solving for the organization and themselves. Intellectual stimulation involves leaders arousing employees' thoughts and imagination, as well as finding new ways to improve their ability to identify and solve problems creatively. The leaders encourage the members of the team to tackle old problems in a novel style and inspire employees to think about their old-fashioned methods critically and share new ideas and plans.

Intellectual Stimulation involves leaders empowering employees to disagree with leadership and question certain questionable decision. It invigorates employees to reflect on why a leader took a certain decision, what circumstances he was in, the consequences he faced, and what he could’ve done to avert the disaster. It also focuses on risk taking, when appropriate, to achieve certain life-long goals.

This element also strives to seek other paths to goals and aims, as opposed to the normal, old-fashioned way, which require employees to stray from the normal way of doing things. It pushes employees to challenge their own belief and values and work towards their goal. This is why this style of leadership can play such an influential role in Change and Strategic Planning.

Thus, Intellectual Stimulation also plays an all-important role in shaping a transformational leader.

VII. Inspirational Motivation

Probably the most important element of the 4 I’s, these two words are extremely underrated. The impact of inspiration and motivation on employees can be tremendous and can push them go the extra mile and finish off the task. Certain employees need to be inspired and motivated or encouraged to accomplish a task and thus it is extremely necessary that a leader possesses this trait.

Leaders with an inspiring vision challenge followers to leave their comfort zones, communicate optimistically about future goals, improve their current outcomes and provide a certain meaning for the task at hand. Purpose and meaning provide the energy that drives an employee forward. The leader can help employees to succeed to an extent much more than they ever dreamed of. Employees are therefore willing to invest more effort in their tasks than before.

This trait is complemented with overwhelming speaking skills using which the leader will be able to explain how the organization would change over time. He/she would also be able to foster a strong sense of purpose as mentioned above so that the employees know the reason for their hard work and know what they are out to achieve. The leader can also link individual goals that the employee has to certain organization goals which would then drive the employee into doing better for the company.

The leader works to raise team morale through motivational techniques, acting as inspiration for his/her employees. The leader is also happy to share his/her high aims for the organisation’s growth so that all the employees are aware of what they’re working towards and make that vision understandable, precise, powerful, and engaging.

When combined with the Individual Influence that Transformational Leaders exert, Inspirational Motivation helps make up these leaders' charisma and thus is exceptionally important for not only a transformational leader, but his employees too.

VIII. Idealized Influence

The final element that finishes the 4 I’s is Idealized Influence. Now while many people may think that this is the same as motivating and inspiring people, though similar, this has nothing to do with the third trait.

This refers to the way in which Transformational Leaders exert their influence within a group. They do this by acting as role models for their followers. These leaders are deeply respected by their team due to the example that they set for others by embodying values that the employees should be practicing. Behind this, they provide a clear and consistent vision and a sense of belonging which encourages individuals to buy into the long-term objectives of the organization, and drives them to achieve their own goals.

These leaders guide their employees by providing them with a sense of meaning and challenge. They foster the spirit of teamwork and commitment by promoting a broad and inclusive vision that all employees can achieve and follow and show extreme commitment to the goals set. They represent organizational goals, missions and projects which acts as motivation for the employees.

Finally, they work day and night to create confidence and trust in their employees and instill an ‘anything is possible’ mindset in them. Thus, they are strong and committed role models that the employees can look up to and ask for help, but also copy and imitate as they wish to become a better leader themselves.

IX. Day-to-Day Examples

· Individualized Consideration

Scenario – An employee is going through some financial troubles. He is paranoid and it is reflecting his work.

Approach taken by the leader – A transformational leader would sit down and talk to the employee, listen to his problems and then find a solution. He would explain to the employee that everyone faces problems and would inspire the employee to work efficiently. This is an unconventional approach that very few leaders would take.

· Intellectual Stimulation

Scenario – An employee is faced with a problem but has no idea on how to counter it. This frustration of not being able to solve the problem is being shown in his personal life with numerous, sudden eruptions on trivial issues.

Approach taken by the leader - The leader would encourage the employee to look at the problem in another way, straying from the norm. He would advise the employee to think differently (creatively, innovatively) and solve the problem. He would thus, be taking an approach which would normally not be taken by a leader.

· Inspirational Motivation

Scenario – An employee is feeling down and has no interest in working. In fact, he doesn’t believe the sole reason of working for the particular organization at all.

Approach taken by the leader – The leader would raise and build the morale of the employee and would remind him about his high aims for the organization. He would say that they are in this together and would remind the employee about a sense of purpose of the work they were doing so that the employee would know the reason behind all the hard work. Again, this kind of reaction to such a problem would be extremely rare.

· Idealized Influence

Scenario – An employee is low on self-confidence and is feeling depressed. He feels that he is of no use to the organization and feels the need to quit.

Approach taken by the Leader – The leader would act as an example and convince the employee that things would be alright. He would create confidence and trust in their employees and instil an ‘anything is possible’ mindset in the employee. Moreover, he would promote the value of teamwork and encourage the employee to not lose hope. This approach too, is much different than an approach taken by another leader.

X. A Few Major Contrasts

For almost centuries now, there have been a lot of discussions and debates on the better leadership style. Transformational and Transactional Leadership are the two opponents when it comes to this battle. Each leader, be it transformational or transactional, has their own style of leading the company, their own vision, and their own. Plan on how to get there. The method of leadership in both styles is unique but as far as employees are concerned, a high percentage of them enjoy working under a transformational leader rather than a transactional one.

Thus, starting with the definition, and then going into depth, let us look into what both kind of leaders bring to the table, and compare.

· Definition –

Transformational Leadership - Where the leader taps into his employees' higher needs and values, inspires them with new possibilities that have strong appeal and raises their level of confidence, conviction and desire to achieve a common, moral purpose.

Transactional Leadership - Where the leader causes a follower to act in a certain way in return for something the follower wants to have (or avoid). For example, by offering higher pay in return for increased productivity; or tax cuts in exchange for votes.

Major Differences

QUALITY

TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADER

TRANSACTIONAL LEADER

PURPOSE

A shared higher, more stretching purpose is central to transformational leadership.

No shared purpose binds follower and leader, other than perhaps maintaining the status quo.

TIME-SCALE

Transforming leadership centres on longer-term, more difficult (often more inspiring) aims.

Transactional leadership usually focuses on leaders' and followers' shorter-term needs.

MORALITY

There is always a moral aspect to transforming leadership.

There is no explicit moral side to transactional leadership - the leader's aims may be moral or immoral.

So, while the defining feature of transactional leadership is a two-way exchange, the main features of transforming leadership are inspiration, mobilisation and moral purpose .

Apart from the above differences,

1. Transactional leadership reacts to problems as they arise, whereas transformational leadership is more likely to address issues before they become problematic.

2. Transactional leaders work in accordance to the status quo, while transformational leaders emphasize new ideas and thereby “transform” organizational culture.

3. Transactional leaders reward and punish in traditional ways according to organizational standards; transformational leaders attempt to achieve positive results from employees by keeping them invested in projects, leading to an internal, high-order reward system.

Thus, on drawing out a few differences, the gist of it is that while transactional leaders focus on the organisation, supervision, and performance, transformational leaders focus on change within the organization. That is the difference between Management and Leadership.

Now, taking the example of one of the most transformational leaders, let us view all the four elements and connect it to her leadership style, to understand the extent to which she is a transformational leader.

XI. Michelle Obama – A Brief Intro.

First Lady Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is a lawyer, writer, and the wife of the 44th President of the US, Barack Obama. She is the first African-American First Lady of the United States. Through her four main initiatives, she has become a role model for women and an advocate for healthy families, service members and their families, higher education, and international adolescent girls education.

She has studied in Princeton and Harvard and is a lawyer, writer, public servant and loving mother. Her book, ‘Becoming’, was an instant hit, selling 725,000 copies on the first day. Obama is someone who has and can bring about change, someone who is influential, and someone who can work towards sustainable development. These are some of the numerous reasons which persuaded me to choose her as the perfect example of a transformational leader.

XII. Michelle and Transformation

A transformational leader is empathetic, compassionate, inspiring and motivating. All of these qualities are eminent in Michelle Obama, former FLOTUS. Obama has often been termed as one of the most loved and most inspiring people alive. These are exactly the traits of a transformational leader. Let us see how the four elements align with her personality and to what extent she is a transformational leader.

· Individualized Consideration – This is the first element of a transformational leader. The ability of one to consider each employee individually and tend to their needs and concerns is what makes a transformational leader. Let us now draw an example from the life of Michelle Obama where she displayed Idealized Influence.

E.g. - When in a company, you can tend to each employee individually. But when you are running a country as huge as the United States, it is very tough to consider each citizen individually. Michelle Obama though, did not give this up. She divided the people into different categories (African-Americans, women, middle class families, children) etc. and focused on their needs. Her personal staff could also openly talk to her as she busted the bureaucracy barrier which enabled them to consult her without any difficulty

She was very active in the white house, influencing children, military families, and the youth. She played a strong role in getting children the proper education as well as helping them lead a healthy life. These views touched the emotions of mothers across the U.S. With having a strong influential history with women and the youth, Obama has thus proved that she does portray Idealized Influence in a large scale, considering each part of the country individually and tending to their needs, concerns and problems.

· Intellectual Stimulation – The second element of a transformational leader focuses on the intellectual ability of the employees or citizens and how they can solve problems creatively, innovatively and by straying from the norm. This is very essential because in today’s world, people need to pursue critical thinking, as opposed to the old fashioned way of doing things.

E.g. – Michelle actively encouraged education amongst children and ought to promote higher education for adolescents too. She believed that the world needed people who think differently as opposed to people who just blurt out paragraphs from a textbook. She encouraged the youth to learn new things and explore the world, creatively and innovatively. Her emphasis on doing things differently has not gone unheard of at all.

Obama’s Reach Higher initiative encouraged high schools graduates to attend a four-year university, community college or a professional training program and supported President Obama’s “North Star” goal to make America have the world’s highest proportion of college graduates by 2020. She was someone who was strong believer in change for the good.

She heavily emphasised on education for African-Americans and for the women of the United States. She encouraged arts education and motivated children to learn creatively, thus was a strong follower of Intellectual Stimulation.

· Inspirational Motivation – Another key characteristic of a transformational leader is indeed, inspirational motivation. Michelle Obama, has been motivating people for decades now and is one of the most inspirational people in the world. She is extremely supporting and has been an inspiration for millions.

E.g. – For two years straight, Michelle Obama was named ‘The Most Admired Woman in the World’. She actively participates in charity drives, has fought to abolish poverty and global warming, raised her voice on unfair issues against the marginalized sector of the country and opposed numerous other threats like obesity, racism and sexual discrimination.

This inspires the masses to do well in life and continuously strive for the better. Obama’s encouraging speeches are full of motivation and they drive people to work hard and participate in abolishing numerous dangers. Obama’s wisdom and her motivation moreover, can be displayed through her numerous quotes.

She has inspired millions to participate more and motivates people of all races, genders and religions to work hard, not care about the circumstances and reach a place higher than the status quo. This proves that she is definitely one of the most motivational women in the world who is admired by millions.

· Idealized Influence – The final trait that finishes a transformational leader and keeps them a cut above the rest is Idealized Influence. Michelle Obama is indeed an extremely influential person and that is proven by the change and the development that was brought by her into the society.

E.g. – Obama came from a middle class background just like the most of us. Her journey, her struggles, her victories and her battles make her greatly relatable to the masses . After all, she worked her way up to the top all the way from scratch. This is what makes her story inspiring. Due to all her work in various fields, she is definitely an exceptional role model to everyone. Her rise to the top shows people that anything is possible and that one should never give up. These are a few words Michelle strives to live by, thus, showing that she is definitely someone that the people can abide in, an influential role model.

XIII. Conclusion

And here, we reach the end of this article. We have read about Transformational Leadership in general and have compared it to Transactional Leadership as well. We have discussed the four major elements of a transformational leader and how important they are in day-to-day life. Moreover, we have looked at the importance of those four traits and the role they play in the life of a transformational leader. Finally, we learned about one of the greatest leaders in the world, former FLOTUS, Michelle Obama and looked about how she puts these traits or elements to use towards building a better country and ensuring happiness in everyone’s lives.

· Source 1 - https://www.businessballs.com/leadership-styles/transformational-and-transactional-leadership/

· Source 2 - https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-management/chapter/types-of-leaders/

*FLOTUS – First Lady of The United States