Innovative, democratic,
transformational and authentic.

Transformational leaders inspire and motivate followers to achieve, and probably exceed, their potential (Bass and Riggio, 2006, p.3).

The recipe has four components. Idealized influence: transformational leaders act in a way that positions them as role models for their followers. Intellectual stimulation: they motivate followers to be creative and innovative, sourcing solutions from the collective thinking of the team. Individualized consideration: the willingness to devote time and effort to each member, so that every follower's needs for achievement and growth are satisfied. Inspirational motivation: creating a vision for success and clarifying the challenges ahead (Bass and Riggio, 2006, pp.6-7).

During my banking career all four were demonstrated. My inspirational motivation was evident when I joined Attijariwafa Bank as a team leader for SME financing. Based on my previous success building loan portfolios from scratch, I inspired my team by telling them my own story and concluding with a single statement: if I was able to do it, you can do it too.

Individualized consideration showed in my approach to team members, where I was keen to hold one-to-one mentoring and coaching sessions, working on weak points only after praising the points that represented a person's strengths. I provided intellectual stimulation by accepting mistakes as part of the work and the learning process. I tried to be a role model by always coming in early and abiding by the organization's rules, which reflects idealized influence. By the end of the year, my team achieved 100% of its target.

Introduced by McGregor in 1960, as cited in Abson (2021, p.33), this theory sets out two views of employees' appetite for work.

My leadership aligns with Theory Y. I believe employees are self-motivated and enjoy their work, so I follow a democratic leadership style built on team collaboration and empowerment, rather than the controlling and directing of Theory X.

This style emphasises self-awareness and being true to yourself. Authentic leaders are honest and just, primarily concerned with their own self-awareness and with being truthful in their interactions with others.

Authentic leaders are therefore persons who have achieved high levels of authenticity: they know who they are, what they believe and value, and they act on those values and beliefs while transparently interacting with others (Abson, 2021, p.68). They can boost their employees' engagement, motivation, commitment and job satisfaction (as cited in Abson, 2021, p.70). By being genuine themselves, they positively influence their followers, leading to enhanced performance and outcomes (Avolio, 2004).

Being authentic and leading by example have been my guiding principles. I firmly believe my values are deeply reflected in my career. I embody the wellness values I promote, striving to be living proof of the success of the programmes I advocate for my clients. I emphasise that there is no substitute for hard work to achieve sustainable healthy weight loss, and I live by it. That alignment fosters trust, and it cultivates a working environment where my team feels valued and empowered.