Fitzjarrald – Transformational Leadership

I believe that transformational leadership can be used to instigate change at all levels of education administration and leadership. Transformational leadership is the ability to enhance a follower’s morale and motivation. This type of leadership can be demonstrated in a variety of ways, but always focuses on improving the situation and innate potential of the followers. A leader can best integrate transformational leadership by focusing on four distinct areas: Individualized Consideration, Intellectual Stimulation, Inspirational Motivation, and Idealized Influence.

I like to think of Transformational leadership as a base building form of leadership and development rather than a form of management. This is in stark contrast to two of the styles we have previously examined: servant leadership and the Edwards Deming Model. Servant leadership takes the strengths of the team, and uses them in a system that makes the team better than the sum of its parts. Transformational leadership is focused on the individual, and building the individual team members capacity by inspiring motivation and a continual intellectual stimulation. Edwards Deming focused his model on how to successfully produce a quality product from a management perspective. Transformational leadership is focused on coaching and mentoring followers which allows for educators at all levels to continue to grow and develop. If an administrator integrates the model of transformational leadership they can focus on engaging the staff on a personal level (with relationships) while motivating the staff to become better via intellectual stimulation and modeling.

In my opinion, this is the most impactful method of leadership that we have studied. As I look back at the array of principals that I have worked with, the ones that seem to be the best leaders practiced a type of Transformational leadership. Each education leader needs to take the time to get to know the staff that they are working with and constantly push them (through their own actions) to become better. By modeling the methods that we want to see administrators can purposefully demonstrate the need and importance of their actions.

When specifically looking at technology integration, I feel that this model has the ability to garner large amounts of support for new and emerging technologies. Over the past few months, I have been working with my principal to introduce a new technology into the school infrastructure (mifi units). This initiative has been full of confrontations from the administration and other stakeholders. In our last meeting I decided to present the technology with a focus on motivating the stakeholders, and engaging them on an intellectual level. At the conclusion of the meeting, the stakeholders voted for adoption of the new technology. Transformational leadership can be a powerful tool for administrators and education leaders at all levels.

One Comment

  1. Ryan says:

    Victor I like how you have described the differences between tranformational leadership and the styles of servant leadership and Deming. I would argue it almost impossible to have a transformational leader who is not a servant leader. The two go hand-in-hand.