One of the main characteristics of transformational leaders is their ability to change things from their current order to an envisioned, better order. This ability requires vision for foreseeing how things could be better and strategy for bringing change (Kondalkar, 2009). Nevertheless, the ability to bring the change also requires taking risks and being aware of potential failures. Knowing failure and having previously failed represents an advantage for the transformational leaders, as paradoxical as it sounds. This is because individuals who failed know how to handle the failure and how to build on their own failure for getting back up, stronger than before.
This is the story of the former IBM vice president, Tom Watson Jr., who caused the company a loss of $10 million for a failed experiment that he coordinated. Prepared to give his resignation for this loss, he learned that IBM’s management had no intention to dismiss him, as he had just received a $10 million education. This made Watson to be more innovative, more hard working than ever, achieving the leadership position for IBM in the computer industry (“When Leaders Know the Value of Failure”, 2010).
Another significant trait of transformational leaders is that they find their motivation within themselves for bringing their organizations on a growing path, because they are passionate about what they do (Kondalkar, 2009). Being unprepared to deal with failure and responding to a potential failure by clacking or by being disappointed, can impact the transformational leaders’ performances, as they will not be able to find their inner motivation, resigning to their low self-esteem. Being unable to motivate themselves, transformational leaders will not be able to motivate others. In effect, transformational leaders’ lack of inner motivation, caused by a failure, can generate an avalanche of unmotivated and groundless employees, performing mechanical tasks, without any innovative or creative thrill. Lack of motivation in employees can lead to half-hearted and negligent work, which can negatively affect the overall performance of the organization. On the contrary, knowing how to revert from a failure and to maintain the motivation from within despite the failure will further motivate the employees to perform on their maximum capacities.
Wheatley (2009, in Marshall, 2011) defines the failure as a sudden sensation of groundlessness, when systems and ideas that previously seemed reliable dissolve and when strategies that appeared solid do not look solid anymore and an estate of panic installs. A panicked leader is likely to transmit this sensation to his/her team and employees, discouraging them and hindering them from expressing their ideas or from fighting for what they believe in, at the fear that they too, might fail.
Failure is specific to human nature and leaders who did not failed either did not try hard enough or were guided by good luck, which made them feel invincible (Heffernan, 2012). In such situations, when they do fail, their disappointment will be so big that they might not find the resources to get up and repair their mistake, resigning to the idea that they messed up.
Having previously failed in a project or idea as a transformational leader indicates the abilities to tackle with difficulties. This is highly relevant for the followers, who rely on their leader’s competencies to bring them on the right direction, after a failure. Moreover, transformational leadership is known for inspiring others (Kondalkar, 2009). Seeing their leadership fail and getting back up will inspire the followers to also learn how to handle their failures. This will enhance their innovation urge and their appeal for risking, knowing how to act in the case of a potential failure, how to get up and work harder for repairing their failure and for bringing improved results. An essential trait of the transformational leadership is curiosity and Marshall (2011) recommends that leaders should adventure into new ideas, despite their fear of failing, courageously pursuing them.
Marshall (2011) indicates that the fear of failing is like the second nature of success, as it permanently accompanies the hope for succeeding and one never goes without the other when a new idea comes along.
Fearing to fail means not taking chances, and risk-taking is a key trait of transformational leadership (Kindalkar, 2009). If the transformational leader’s response to a failure is not venturing in other risk taking situations, this might influence the quality of the decision making processes. Like this, the transformational leader will only make very safe, risk-free decisions, which is likely to mean no or very few decisions. With this attitude, she or he is likely to transform the organizational behavior into non-involvement, influencing the employees also to restrain themselves from making important decisions, which will lead to their professional stagnation and overall, to the organization’s stagnation.
An important aspect of the value of failing is learning from mistakes. Knowing that one is not infallible and understanding what went wrong are essential aspects of becoming better transformational leaders. This will determine the transformational leaders not to repeat their mistakes, and to approach risky situations differently, while still embracing the risks and pursuing the change, with curiosity and inner motivation that will inspire the employees.
References
Heffernan, M. (2012) Value of failure. If you never fail, you come to believe you are invincible. And that, of course, is the problem. Retrieved from http://www.inc.com/margaret-heffernan/leadership-lessons-petraeus-and-the-value-of-failure.html.
Kondalkar, V., G. (2009) Organization effective and change management. New Delhi: PHI Learning Private Limited.
Marshall, E. (2011) Transformational leadership in nursing. New York: Springer Publishing Company, LLC.
When Leaders Know the Value of Failure. (2010) Retrieved from http://www.15inno.com/2010/11/21/when-leaders-know-the-value-of-failure-inspiration-from-tom-watson/.
