Are Transformational Leaders Still the Answer?

Changing Cultures: Are Transformational Leaders

Still the Answer?

Changing Cultures: Are Transformational Leaders Still the Answer?

In this paper I am going to explore different leadership styles and the qualities possessed by these leaders. In particular, I’m going to explore the qualities one must possess to become a transformational leader, which is a leader who has the power, influence and charisma to change an organization’s culture. I am going to research the past success of transformational leaders and ultimately decide if they are still the leadership answer for the organizations of today. To help form my theory on this subject I am going to review works written by some of the premier minds in organizational leadership including Bernard M. Bass, Jim Collins, Noel M. Tichy and David O. Ulrich.

In preparing for this project and reading the articles written by the experts, I was surprised to learn that many of these great minds feel that transformational leaders are always the leadership answer. Bernard Bass, in particular, feels that an organization being led without a transformational leader is a prescription for mediocrity (1990). The articles and research I found about transformational leaders were written either in the late 1980’s or early 1990’s, approximately thirty years ago. My secondary investigation is going to focus on what types of leaders are needed in the organizations of today. I am going to propose that although transformational leaders are still a critical part of many organizations, they are not always the answer. In my research I expect to find that the organizations of today need a leader who can build enduring greatness through a blend of personal humility and professional will (Collins, 2001, p.20). A leader Jim Collins (2001) refers to as a Level 5 leader in his Harvard Business Review article entitled “Level 5 Leadership: The Triumph of Humility and Fierce Resolve”. Before I begin my secondary investigation let me first...