Posted by Charlie Moore on 27 July 2026
How to be a more thoughtful leader
In my three-part series (here and here), I’ve been exploring the core attributes of Transformational Leadership. Whether you are a senior, mid-level or team leader, understanding these four core attributes, can help you lead more effectively. The first three: influence, motivation, and innovation.
To briefly recap, the secret sauce to the attribute of influence is trust and respect. Without it, the other attributes can be less effective. For motivation, it is using both intrinsic (self-motivation) and extrinsic (external motivation), to rally and inspire your team. The third attribute, innovation, requires a leader to create an environment where encouraging the sharing of innovative ideas is welcome and failure is part of the continuous improvement process.
The fourth and final attribute to consider is individualization. This attribute is more than a bookend to the other attributes; it defines the way a leader approaches their team. Individualization requires a leader to know each person’s strengths, as well as where they aren’t strong. It means understanding what motivates them, what is important to them, and what gives them purpose. A leader cannot do any of that without investing the time getting to know their team.
The Clifton Strengths assessment describes “individualization” as the ability to be a “keen observer of other people's strengths, you can draw out the best in each person... While some search for the perfect team "structure" or "process," you know instinctively that the secret to great teams is casting by individual strengths, so that everyone can do a lot of what they do well.”
Two of my favorite questions to ask, whether during an interview or when getting to know a new team member, are:
1. What do you see as your greatest strength (What would you spend most of the workday doing)?
2. What is your most limiting weakness (What is your least favorite thing to do during a workday)?
Those two questions tell a lot about a future team member. For instance, if one of your team leads is hiring a new agent and the agent says their most limiting weakness is they prefer not to document a summary of actions following a customer interaction, that should give you pause before proceeding with the candidate.
Another assessment tool used with my teams is Five Voices. It is a great tool at identifying key leadership traits and helping teams better understand one another.
But the best tool is meeting with your team members one- on- one and spend time discovering who they are, what they love to do, what they don’t like to do, what are their aspirations. The intent is to align their purpose to where they can best contribute to their success and the success of the organization. You don’t need an assessment for that; just your investment of time.
By now you’ve probably figured out these four core attributes that enable Transformational Leadership are not rocket science. Each attribute builds upon the other and together create a collaborative and inviting environment that can foster performance and individual growth, both for the leader and those they lead.
I’d encourage you to check out the prior two articles on this subject. Review what is already working for you and then determine what needs to change in your leadership approach to transform your team to build lasting success.