Today, the concept of Industrialization 4.0 is very popular. Many entrepreneurs and managers are thinking through their transformation strategies, which, in the face of transformational change, are necessary for the survival of organizations. An important issue in organizational change is the role of the transforming leader. What should it be like in order to make changes and achieve the goal? This article focuses on changing the approach to leadership, the qualities of a leader and how the leader of the future is seen by employees of SMEs in the Republic of Moldova. For this purpose, the author of the article has conducted a detailed study of the conceptual aspects of leadership in a period of change, as well as an empirical study that determines the importance of various factors in a complex model of a transformational manager. In the course of the study, the main skills and traits of leaders are clarified, which makes it possible to implement changes that correspond to the new conditions of activity.