Transformational Leadership

Transformational Leadership

Management Principles

March 20, 2013

Shayla Seymour

Theories of Leadership

For hundreds of years, researchers have been exhausted trying to find the difference and similarities of leaders and followers. In many of their findings, they have not discovered a single trait or a combination of traits that fully explain the abilities of a leader. In recent studies, researchers are continuing to try and understand what makes leaders effective.

Today’s high paced, rapid growing world, it is becoming increasingly known the importance of a sustainable, highly-efficient workforce, especially in the business world. In today’s world leaders have discovered that it is their job to inspire and motivate the business’ employee’s to succeed their average input, and go above and beyond to achieve. This style of leadership has had numerous theories; one of them being transformational leadership.

Transformational leadership concept was coined by James Burns. Burns’ has become very popular or famous even and it can be found in many top levels of a corporation, to the leader of a sports team or high school club. This theory was developed to enhance motivation, inspiration, morals, and also performance of the employees. It does this through a variety of mechanisms. Burns’ is in fact the founding father of transformational leadership, a later researcher expanded Burns’ theory, he is known as Bernard Bass. Bass’ theory is more recognized today as Bass’ Transformational Leadership Theory. In this revised theory Bass’ discusses how the way we judge an individual inevitably leads to the performance and results of that individual. In other words it describes how the effects of a leader can have on a follower. Leaders such as this one have a very magnetic appeal and are often have characteristics such as: risk-takers, inspiring, and also daring, along with being critical thinkers. These leaders are often able to gain...