Leadership isn’t about titles, corner offices, or how many people report to you. It’s about influence, impact, and the ability to create positive change. And the truth is, every single person has the ability to lead—whether in their workplace, community, or personal relationships.
That’s exactly why we are creating the Online Transformational Leadership Course—to help individuals unlock their leadership potential, refine their skills, and make a lasting impact. Over the course of this article series, we’ll break down the core principles and skills of transformational leadership, giving you both the insight and the action steps to implement these concepts in your own life. This is based on our book of the same name, our Leadership Skills Inventory-Self assessment and our 160-hour university course on Transformational Leadership.
Let’s start with the foundation: Understanding the power of your influence and learning to observe its impact.
Principle 1: Every individual, in every situation, has the capacity to impact others positively or negatively.
What This Means
Whether you realize it or not, you are constantly influencing those around you. Your words, actions, and even your energy can uplift or discourage, inspire or deflate. The best leaders understand this and become intentional about the impact they create.
Think about a time when a leader—maybe a boss, coach, or mentor—had a major impact on you. Did they inspire confidence? Encourage growth? Or did they leave you feeling undervalued and overlooked? That’s the power of influence in action.
Great leadership starts with awareness—recognizing that everything you do has an effect on others. The question is: Are you making a positive or negative impact?
How to Implement
- Become Self-Aware: Pay attention to how your words and actions affect those around you. Do people leave conversations with you feeling empowered or drained?
- Pause Before You React: Before responding to a challenging situation, ask yourself, “How will my response impact this person?” Choose words and actions that build people up.
- Lead by Example: The easiest way to influence others positively is to be the kind of person you want others to become– respectful, accountable, and driven.
- Check Your Energy: People pick up on your attitude, tone, and presence. Make sure you’re bringing positivity and encouragement, not negativity and frustration.
Principle 2: Observing the impact of our actions helps us understand the effects of positive or negative leadership.
What This Means
Leadership isn’t just about what you do—it’s also about understanding how your actions are received. The best leaders are constantly assessing their impact, adjusting their approach, and learning from every interaction.
The problem? Most people don’t take the time to reflect. They assume their leadership is effective, but they never actually measure whether their actions are helping or hurting. Transformational leaders pay attention, seek feedback, and course-correct when necessary.
How to Implement
- Observe Reactions: Pay attention to body language, tone, and engagement levels when you speak. Are people responsive, or do they shut down?
- Ask for Feedback: Seek honest input from colleagues, mentors, or team members. Ask, “What’s on thing I could do to be a better leader?”
- Reflect Regularly:At the end of each day, take five minutes to review your interactions. Did you uplift or discourage? Did you bring clarity or confusion?
- Adjust Your Approach: If something isn’t working, change it. Great leaders aren’t afraid to evolve.
Final Thoughts: Leadership is a Choice
Transformational leadership starts with awareness—awareness of your impact and awareness of how your actions affect others. The best leaders don’t lead by accident—they lead with intention.
Over the next articles, we’ll continue breaking down key leadership principles, giving you the tools and mindset shifts needed to become a leader who drives real, lasting change.
Are you ready to step into your full leadership potential? Stay with us, and let’s build something great together.
Until next time, Keep Living On Purpose!