Transformational Revenue asks: "Should Obama recognize ISIS head Al-Baghdadi as a credible leader?"

CLEVELAND, Nov. 19, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Transformational Labs, the Research Arm of Transformational Revenue (TR), has assessed Abu-Bakr Al-Baghdadi using its 60 point proprietary model of Transformational CEOs to ask the question: "Should Al-Baghdadi be treated as a transformational leader?" Transformational Revenue (TR) is the leading firm delivering science-based transformational leadership optimizers and revenue accelerators that transform companies into market leaders.

The analysis found that al-Baghdadi demonstrates most of the key transformational leader characteristics. TR CEO Jeff Christian, the leading expert on transformational CEOs, states, "Al-Baghdadi is capable of growing almost anything from virtually nothing." Transformational leaders may be fiercely competitive with their rivals, while attending to the needs and concerns of their constituents.

Christian continues, "If al-Baghdadi were a corporate CEO, smart competitors would see him as an asset to the marketplace. The powers that be should validate whether he can be a trusted regional leader. If we treat him as an enemy, he will be one. If he reaches critical mass, he will be a leader that we have to recognize and deal with in any case."

Dr. Tom Janz, a Minnesota I-O Psychology PHD, one of the key founders of Transformational Revenue and is its Chief Scientist. He estimated the content overlap between the recorded and observed behaviors and the transformational assessment constructs, validating the study reported by Christian with the following caveat -- "Although we can't be certain based on a remote behavioral analysis, there was sufficient consistency between the actions documented in the videos and reports from the scene to be at least 60% confident of the diagnosis."

Christian adds, "His behaviors deliver transformational leadership; his results indicate transformational performance. Continually poking him in the eye with airstrikes plays directly into his recruiting strategy and pushes him further away from us as an ally."

The following is a condensed version of the most relevant components of the 60 point model of transformational leadership:

• Honesty, integrity, and likability: In addition to coming across as warm, gracious and charismatic in the videos, al-Baghdadi appears to have the trust of his constituents.
• Transformational leadership qualities: Christian points out that al-Baghdadi has created a brand that connects emotionally with deep seated hopes, anger, and fears shared by his constituents.
• Strategy: Al-Baghdadi thinks strategically and operationally in real time. His strategy stays in the forefront and never varies, and he is able to execute multiple tactics simultaneously that allow the strategy to be realized through the achievement of documentable and sharable objectives.
• Infectious passion: "Transformational leaders are able to speak, communicate, act and behave in a way that makes these objectives real to everybody," explains Christian. "When motivating followers, they focus on big noble causes that drive the corporate mission, and avoid getting tangled up in the weeds of specific policy features and benefits."
• Talent expertise: Janz and Christian agree that like all transformational CEOS, he is a fanatical talent scout. His manipulation of the media is tightly focused around attracting hundreds of recruits a month. "If by gross calendar analysis a CEO isn't spending at least 40% or her/his time on finding, on-boarding, and developing talent, they won't just face stagnant returns, they will fall behind," says Christian.
• High intellectual capacity: "Transformational leaders think on multiple levels," Christian says. "Baghdadi makes rapid decisions by combining his development experiences, his genetic fluid intelligence, with his academic learning, his analysis of people and the actions of his supporters and enemies."

Christian closes with, "We will continue to have big problems dealing with any transformational leader that deploys those skills for political gain. We would be much better off finding out their legitimate goals and exploring the consequences of working with them to promote those goals."

About Transformational Revenue

Transformational Revenue, founded in 2014, helps companies unlock their hidden revenue-building potential. CEO and Founder Jeff Christian has built or helped build more than a 100 transformational companies, among them Jeff Christian & Company and CT Access Partners. A confidante of and adviser to many of the world's top transformational leaders, Christian authored "The Headhunter's Edge," one of the first books written on transformational leadership. In addition, he is a venture capitalist who was named multiple times to Forbes' "The Midas List" of the world's top deal makers. Working with Dr. Tom Janz, who runs Transformational Labs—Transformational Revenue's research arm—Christian combines his knowledge and experience with science to identify transformational leaders and companies and guide them toward maximizing their potential.

In his book "The Headhunter's Edge," Christian explains that transformational CEOs or leaders are driven by three motives: 1) winning, 2) keeping score (profits and losses for a business; land, mindshare, territory, control of soldiers and people for a leader like al-Baghdadi) and 3) managing people and doing right by his constituents.

Dr. Janz published the first academic research and then wrote the book on Behavioral Employment Interviewing. In addition, his articles and book chapters cover the financial impacts of talent decisions, leadership culture assessment, and the measurement of self-awareness via personal WorkStyle.

CONTACT:  Jeff Christian, 216-543-4606

SOURCE Transformational Revenue