I recently attended a conference for women in leadership hosted by the UT System. There was a track of programming designed around the book, “Leadershift” by John C. Maxwell. 

One of the topics from the book centered on transformational leadership and its importance, particularly in the workplace. The text explains how transformational leaders feel things others do not feel. For example, a different world cannot be built by indifferent people. Passion creates energy and tenacity in people. It should fire up leaders and those who join them. 

I would encourage each of us to take a deeper look and determine if we possess the passion to rally others to make positive change. Positive changes, no matter how major or minor, can make a world of difference in the workplace. While we do not possess a magic wand to create a perfect workplace, we can certainly find ways to impact our environments progressively. To do this, the book shares a few values we should consider embracing for transformation:

• Attitude: your attitude colors everything in your life.
• Commitment: it separates doers from dreamers.
• Competence: the shortest path to credibility is competence.
• Forgiveness: forgiveness empowers you to live with a light heart.
• Initiative: you cannot experience success unless you start.
• Personal Growth: people who keep learning always have a future.
• Relationships: the quality of your relationships determines the quality of your life.
• Work Ethic: working hard brings inner satisfaction every day.

Finally, a statement shared at the conference is that “change isn’t always better…but better doesn’t happen without change.” I couldn’t agree with this statement more!