Only
those who do not seek power are qualified to hold it.
Plato
Immense power is acquired by assuring yourself in your secret reveries
that you were born to control events.
Andrew
Carnegie, 1837-1991, American industrialist and philanthropist,
Filch, Power Negotiating, (Addison-Wesley, 1988)
A
rotting fish begins to stink at the head.
Italian Proverb
Image by lumaxart
A Guide toTransformational Leadership
Transformational leadership acts as a catalyst for innovation in organizations and for change in individuals. Discover what its about and how to develop it. This page containsthe following transformational leadership topics:
The
single biggest way to impact an organization is to focus
on transformational leadership. There is almost no limit to
the potential of an organization that recruits good people,
raises them up as leaders and continually develop them.
John
C Maxwell (2001) The 17th Irrefutable Laws of Teamwork,
page 185
A
Short Primer To Transformational Leadership
By Murray Johannsen, Feel free to connect with the author on Linkedin or by email
A
RAVEN saw a Swan and desired to secure for himself
the same beautiful plumage. Supposing that the Swan’s
splendid white color arose from his washing in the
water in which he swam, the Raven left the altars in
the neighborhood where he picked up his living, and
took up residence in the lakes and pools. But cleansing
his feathers as often as he would, he could not change
their color, while through want of food he perished.
Moral
of the Story: To avoid the agony of failure, one must
know what one can transform and what one cannot.
What is Transformational Leadership?
"It (a word) means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less." "The question is," said Alice, "whether you can make words mean so many different things." -- Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass
You can call Alice a transformational leader since she went through transformational journey—one of allegory and metaphor that reflect aspects of real life.
Definitions. There are quite a few different transformational leadership definitions around. If you are slightly confused—join the crowd. In fact, the term has evolved over the years. Originally, “transforming leadership” was popularized by Burns in a best selling book called Leadership (Burns, 1978). Later, Bass used the term transformational leadership, a term that had more legs than transforming leadership.
To understand what it means is another matter since there are quite a few different transformational leadership definitions around. Some of these definitions are presented below:
“Transformational leadership is defined as a leadership approach that causes change in individuals and social systems.”— Wikipedia
Transformational leadership: Motivating people by using energy, enthusiasm, and passion to sell a vision. — businesstermsdictionary.com
“Transformational leadership is a type of leadership style that leads to positive changes in those who follow.” — psychology.about.com
“A leadership style that involves generating a vision for the organization and inspiring followers to meet the challenges that it sets. Transformational leadership depends on the leader's ability to appeal to the higher values and motives of followers and to inspire a feeling of loyalty and trust.” — Encyclopedia.com
“A style of leadership in which the leader identifies the needed change, creates a vision to guide the change through inspiration, and executes the change with the commitment of the members of the group.” — BusinessDictionary.com
According to Bass, transformational leadership includes four key elements: individualized consideration, intellectual stimulation, inspirational motivation, and idealized influence (Bass, 1994).
Common Elements of the Definition
It’s a Leadership Style. Transformational leadership is a leadership style one of many different types of leadership styles.
It Involves Change. Transformational leadership and those who follow it are change oriented. They are not creatures of the status quote. Transformational leaders are men and women of action who understand that “good enough” never is. And what works, could always be made better. That progress is not a dirty word to be resisted in the name of tradition, of order, of the routine. Sometimes they live within the status quo but their minds see what could be changed.
Elements of the Definition Lacking A Consensus
Orientation Toward The Greater Good. Certain writers assume transformational leaders are always good and that the changes they bring about is always positive. From a standpoint of teaching the young, one would want to emphasize the positive. However, this viewpoint excludes many leaders who changed things not always for the better. One example that comes to mind is Adolf Hitler. Hitler was a transformational leader, but one who did not change things for the better.
Source: Deutsches Bundesarchiv (German Federal Archive), Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Germany. Photo taken in September, 1930.
But Hitler is not alone. Just in the last century, there seemed to be quite a few leaders such as Pol Pot, Mao, Stalin that wanted to transform people by killing or “brainwashing” them. And if one goes back into history, there have been numerous kings and generals who conquered and destroyed the conquered.
Type of Influence Used. There is nothing wrong with those using transformational leadership to inspire others. But this is a risky style, it’s much safer to exist in the status quo. We recommend that effective transformational leadership use what works. This means that they can choose from among Nine Spheres of Influence.
Burns, J.M. (1978) Leadership. New York. Harper & Row.
Transformational Leadership In Everyday Life
Parents. One can argue that parents are transformational leaders within a small group called the family. They have the task of turning an extremely selfish entity called a child into a human being. I had a friend say to me once that children are animals, they must be transformed in human beings by good parents.
Coaches. The transformational task of a coach is dual in nature. First, one must install in players the skills and motivation to keep trying despite many set backs. And in some sports such as basketball and soccer, one takes selfish individuals and turns them into team players.
Religious Leaders. A tougher challenge here. They seek to turn the flawed into the moral and the selfish into the ethical.
Entrepreneurs . Almost all the writing focuses an the managerial side of being an entrepreneur. However, they must must also exhibit transformational leadership or their organizations fail to grow. It is as simple, and as complex, as that.
Most
theories of leadership development stress how to be effective within
the status quo—what's called transactional leadership.
A leader using this style can be very influential, but
they change very little. To use a popular expression,
these people are good at “rearranging the deck
chairs on the Titanic", but they can’t keep
the ship from sinking.
Unfortunately,
many organizations run lean on transformational leaders,
the vast majority of the leaders inside organizations
being transactional. Thus we see organizations decline
as there is an increasingly disconnect between “the
way things should be done” and “the way we
do things here.”
Is Transformational Leadership Always Good?
The first thing to understand about transformational leadership—sometimes these leaders do not always make things better—sometimes they can make things worse. Progress is not assured. (The Economist: The Idea of Progress).
Hitler was an extremely effective, charismatic leader who turned a weak democratic state into a strong totalitarian one. He remained an amazing popular leader who retained power until the very end. Few Germans questioned his decisions, goals, methods and the vision of a thousand year Reich. However, that vision brought ruin to Germany and much of Europe.
Take the example of , the First Emperor of China. One can argue the end (unifying China) was admirable. However, to achieve that end, the means used by the Emperor was war—wars which resulted in the death of hundreds of thousands. (Qin Shi Huang, Wikipedia)
For transformational leaders to always make things better, we would have to assume a set of virtues and an ability to make wise decisions. However, it is often the case that they lack an abundance of both wisdom and virtue (Capital Virtues, Second Exodus)
Often, we think of transformational leadership as as only applying to heads of great nations or hugemonous organizations. Its easy to see Great Men or Great Woman and how they succeeded in overcoming Big Problems. But these are not the only types of transformational individuals.
Transformational Leadership Theorists
Transformational
leadership is about implementing new ideas; these individuals
continually change themselves; they stay flexible and
adaptable; and continually improve those around them.
Transformational leaders has been written about for thousands
of years--being both praised (Christ and Buddha) and
cursed (Attila the Hun and Genghis Khan).
The
two theorists most associated with its modern incarnation
in America are Bass and Burns. In many articles and in
his book, Improving Organizational Effectiveness
Through Transformational Leadership, Bass talked
about the fundamental theoretical qualities that define
transformational leadership from it's polar opposite,
transactional leadership.
Burns, James MacGregor
And
before him, James McGregor Burns wrote a Pulitzer Prize
winning book titled Leadership (see below).
He eloquently described qualities transformational leaders
possess in different fields of endeavors ranging from
the military, to business, to politics.
Bass, Bernard
According to Bass, these individuals possess:
Charisma. This
is one of those leadership qualities that is hard to
define; like beauty, you know it when you experience
it. I remember a quote, about a charismatic individual
by the name of Oliver North. One of his men once said
about him, "I would follow him to hell since he
is the only man I know who could get me back."
Vision. This involves
the creation of a compelling picture of the future,
a desired future state that people identify with. By
creating this vision, the leader provides a means for
people to develop commitment, a common goal around
around which to rally, and a way for people to feel
successful.
Intellectual stimulation. Transformational
leaders show new ways of looking at old problems, they
challenge the existing boundaries and the mental prisons
people put themselves into.
Inspiration. To
inspire is difficult, requiring as as it does a decent
understanding of psychology.
Johannsen, Murray
We
take a different approach compared
to Bass who describes what is. Transformational leadership under this apporach requires that one work on the development of Four Core Competencies. These are:
Self-Mastery. Often the greatest barrier to success in not others, not the environment, it is ourself.
The Transformational Mind-set. Action is supported by a set of beliefs or one has mindless impulses.
Influence. Mangers rely on authority, leaders rely on influence. Enough said.
Skills Development. Few know how to build a skill, so they waste countless hours in futile effort. One cannot build a skill by reading about it.
Lists of Transformational Leaders
Transformational leaders have been written about for thousands
of horsebean both praised (Christ and Buddha) and
cursed (Attila the Hun and Genghis Khan). In fact, some of the most famous individuals in history have been transformational in one form or another.
Transformational leaders come in many flavors and on all continents. For example, transformational leadership is a necessary ingredient to turning a small business into a large one. Below you can access a list of famous transformational leaders, some military, many political, and many who have achieved greatness in the area of business. It must be said, however, the few CEO's are transformational. Most like the status quo and want to keep it that way.
Transformational Leadership Example: Queen Elizabeth I of England
There
are similarities between managing a corporation and running
a country. The most obvious difference—countries
are much harder to run.
When
Elizabeth began her reign, England was, to put it mildly,
a mess. Ascending to the throne at a particularly chaotic
time of British history, she was beset by enemies from
without and within. A betting man would have put good odds
on her getting through the first two-years alive.
However,
at the end of her 45 year reign, England had become the
richest and most powerful nation in Europe and was well
on its way to becoming one of the great powers of the modern
age. Bottom line: No Elizabeth—No British Commonwealth.
Example of a Famous Transformational Leadership: Alexander The Great
King of Macedonia, Greece, Egypt, Turkey, Israel, Lebanon, Persia and Afghanistan
A
page listing from the start of his campaign in Asia until
his death. It contains numerous hot links to more detailed
information on key people, events and places during that
period of history.
How
can one so young accomplish so much? By the time Alexander
died in 323 BC, he had not yet reached his 33rd birthday.
Yet, in that short time, he had created an empire that
stretched from Greece to India.
In
an age where tyrants ruled by brute force and fear, he
defied the conventional political wisdom of the time.
Rather than cleaning out the treasury of a conquered
nation and then taxing them them to the max, he built
new cities (often called Alexandria's), libraries; established
mechanisms for communication and commerce; had engineers
build new roads, and had scientists capture new knowledge.
Known
as much for his sound strategy and tactical innovation
in the military arena as his wise statesmanship in the
political sphere, he was the student of Aristotle who
went on to became even greater than his teacher.
Transformational Leadership Theory
Only
one man in a thousand is a leader of men -- the other
999 follow women. -- Groucho
Marx
While much
is written on leadership, much less is written on transformational
leadership. This page contains articles on:
Transformational
Leadership Bibliography. Just when you thought you were
an expert, along comes more articles on transformational
leadership. This page contains a list of 192 books and articles
put together by National Defense University.
Ethics
and Transformational Leadership.
This scholarly article by Bass addresses the issue of whether
transformational leaders
are ethical or must functional ethically to be effective.
Testing
Transformational Leadership Theory Across Cultures. This
study looked at how the Americans and the mainland Chinese
compare according to five factors of transformational leadership.It
turns out that transformational leadership traits are not the
same for the two cultures.
Scholarly Research on Transformational Leadership
Transformational Leadership in Work Groups: The Role of Empowerment, Cohesiveness, and Collective-Efficacy on Perceived Group Performance, Small Group Research June 2002 33: 313-336,
M. Birasnav, S. Rangnekar, A. Dalpati, (2011) "Transformational leadership and human capital benefits: the role of knowledge management", Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 32 Iss: 2, pp.106 - 126. Access the Abstract.
Hsi-Chi Hsiao, Jen-Chia Chang, Ya-Ling Tu (2011) Besides using transformational leadership, what should schools do to achieve innovation? The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher 20:1, pp. 48-60. Access the Journal Article
Dunn, Barbara (2003). A Study Examining the Use of Transformational Leadership Practices for Teacher Development. University of Wisconsin, Research Paper.
Su-Tan LuLee (2011). Transformational Leadership: Leadership in Education. Educause.edu. According to the abstract, " This paper argues that transformational leadership is the most suitable style for leading formal academic institutions structured with the official internal and external hierarchies."
Wang, Gang, Oh, In-Sue, Courtright, Stephen (2011) Transformational Leadership and Performance Across Criteria and Levels: A Meta-Analytic Review of 25 Years of Research.
What has the research been saying on transformational leadership over the last 25 years? Find out by reading this abstract of research conducted on 113 different studies.
Niti Singh and Venkat R. Krishnan, (2008). Self-sacrifice and transformational leadership: mediating role of altruism, Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 29:3 pg. 261 to 274. To explore the mediating role of altruism in the relationship between self-sacrifice and transformational leadership, and to look at the effect of all three on followers' collective identity and perceptions of unit performance.
A leadership book typically teaches you what, but life teaches you how.—Unknown
The sad fact is, experience teaches
little; it's only when sound theory is wrapped within a framework
of experience that we learn. Below are a few classic transformational
leadership books useful in growing your
knowledge base.
James MacGregor Burns (2003). Transforming Leadership, New York: Atlantic Monthly Press.
Twenty-five years after the publication of Leadership,
Burns expands his theories on how leaders cultivate transformational
leadership skills in themselves and in their successors.
He starts
with the explaining the two opposing styles: those who
occupy the position (they arrange the deck chairs on the
Titanic) and those who transform not only their own position, but
those around it (they fix the ship).
Burns draws
on
numerous
examples
from
history, citing meaningful examples from the lives of great political
transformational leaders. Unlike many writers, he possesses
deep insight
into recent psychological approaches and so has a more profound
understanding of transformational leadership.
Burns, James MacGregor, (1982). Leadership, New York: Harper Perennial Modern Classics
Considered a classic by many, the book was the
winner of both a Pulitzer Prize and a National Book Award after
it was published in 1978. It focuses on the many different
types of leadership. Burns argues that the type of leadership
exercised by a general in the military is in many respects different
from that used by an executive in a multinational corporation,
a mayor of city or the head of a religious organization.
Two chapters of the book cover power and purpose
of leadership, three chapters on the origin of leadership, four
chapters are dedicated
to understanding transformational leadership and five chapters
cover transactional leadership. On the change side
of things, he covers heroic, moral, revolutionary and reform
styles of transformational leadership.
He illustrates his points with vivid historical
stories on Joan of Arc, Freud, Gandhi, Mao, the Roosevelt's,
Stalin
and others. He also puts forth his
belief
that great leaders play to mutual need, empathy and growth;
whether one lives
within the status quo or tries to transform it.
• Paperback: 544 pages
Yukl, Gary. (2002) Leadership In Organizations. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Business Press.
Much can be learned by a good book honed by
constant improvement. Originally published in 1981, Yukl's
book is now up to the fifth edition. The book is jammed packed
full
of sound theory on leadership. It contains fifteen chapters,
some of which are listed below:
In his recent
book Primal Leadership, Goleman presents the theory
on why emotional intelligence is an important
foundation
for leader effectiveness.
It makes sense
that leaders are not only be aware and in control of their own
emotions, but also able to influence individuals at an emotional
level. Can you take someone who is feeling "down" and
leave them feeling "up?"
Kouzes, James and Posner, Barry (2007). The
Leadership Challenge, 4th Edition, San Franciso, CA: Jossey-Bass.
By James Kouzes
and Barry Posner
There is a
story of a rather old professor who was adamant about not having
his students
read the first edition on any textbook. It was his belief that
good theory only gets better with age and reprints.
While not a
textbook, The Leadership Challenge continues to get
published and republished since it first came out in 1989.
The book presents
five leadership principles. These five are:
a. Challenge
The Process
b. Inspire
a Shared Vision
c. Model the
Way
d. Enable
Others to Act, and
e. Encourage
The Heart.
While not claiming
to be a book on transformational leadership, these principles lend
themselves to its implementation.
Bass, Bernard, and Riggio (2005). Transformational Leadership, 2nd Edition. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
This is a book
written from the academic side of view--strong on theory and strong
on research. Bass, unlike with Burns, has developed
a very strong reputation as a scholar in the area of transformational
leadership.
Tichy, Noel & Devanna, Mary (1986). The Transformational Leader. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.
By Noel M. Tichy, Mary Anne Devanna
This book takes a different path and focuses on the transformational
leader in the context of the organization. It really goes into the
inside story of how to be a great leader in the world of business.
Transformational Leadership Websites
Leadership development can be a difficult, tough
road to travel. Below are some of the better resources we have
found on different
aspects of transformational leadership.
"Big Dog" makes available a number
of articles that together become an excellent resource for
the self-help inclined. This page references his transformational leadership outline.
Performing successfully as a transformational leadership requires characteristics above and beyond those leaders who function within the status quo. For example, it requires a great deal of courage and quite a lot of wisdom—both of which are commonly in short supply. This can best be symbolized in the Patron Goddess of Ancient Athens: Athena.
