Transformational Leaders

This paper discusses these leaders whose lives are consistent with transformational leadership qualities. Our search for African American transformational leaders has led us to the lives of these three distinguished people, with humble beginnings. First we start with a brief literature review on transformational leadership and then we go to brief reviews of the lives of Dr. Simmons, Ms. Henderson and General Powell.

Transformational Leadership

Yukl (1989) says that transformational leadership is the process of influencing major changes in the attitudes and assumptions of the organization’s mission or objectives. Transformational leaders are change agents. They influence the mission and objectives to make way for a brighter future for the organization. Bass (1990) states that transformational leadership commonly involves the actions of leader’s influence on followers. People in these organizations follow the leader because they so desire. They are motivated to do more than is originally expected because of their feelings of trust, admiration, loyalty, and respect for the leader. They want to go the extra mile because of the deep sense of satisfaction they derive doing so. The leader motivates the subordinates by making them more aware of the importance of values of task outcomes, and by helping subordinates think beyond their own self-interest to the work team and organization, and by activating higher order needs such as creative expression and self- actualization. Transformational leaders have charisma, but this is not the only factor needed to bring about change. They sometimes go down to the trenches with their followers as they also perform the roles of coach, trainer and mentor. (Shani & Lou, 2000)

Transformational leaders do not hesitate to challenge the process by searching

for opportunities, experimenting and taking risks. They do not merely call for changes to

be made. They take the lead initiating and proposing changes. They get their hands...