While I would like to believe I am a transformational leader, there are times I find that I demonstrate the characteristics of the transactional theory in my everyday practice in formal leadership roles. transformational leadership theory, as I understand it as described by James Burns, ‘looks for potential motives in followers, their needs, values, and morals’ and ‘involves attempts by leaders to move individuals to higher standards of moral responsibility’. James Fisher describes the transformational leader as one who is decisive, assertive, and visionary. On the other hand, transactional theory views leadership as a mutual and reciprocating process of exchange between leaders and followers.
This type of leadership may seem to be more ‘managerial’ than ‘leadership’ because it relies on what is reasonable and sensible rather than on charisma and power. I tend to believe that this theory leans more toward the practical aspects of communication, and to the process of distributed leadership, and to facilitating rather than directing. This then leads one to believe that their leadership is demonstrated by Team Leader, a high – high for theories, according to the Blake and Mouton Managerial Grid (1985).
The Essay on Transactional Leader and Transformational Leader
Transactional Leader as the word implies business or exchange. Burns, 1978, opined that a transactional leader is someone who leads though social exchange. It is a process that I simply call trade by batter, you do this for me, and you get that in return. A politician can be a transactional leader when he seeks to exchange one thing for another i.e. making promises and pulling through with the ...
I in vision a team environment in which all team members can reach their highest potential, both as team members and as people. Now I will embark on the leadership theory that the transformational leadership builds on top of transactional leadership. In a real world, and as a leader, there is a strong need to be a knowledge-based environment for our clients or students.
Such an environment requires our school to be a true learning organization where students are engaged in challenging and interesting academic work and where teachers and the administrative staff are collaboratively involved in learning about the most effective instructional strategies and technologies. It is my belief that if you want to improve, you need to grow and you need to create change. To enable this and these changes, you have to be willing to take risks when you believe those risks will lead toward better teaching and more effective learning on the part of the students of the twenty-first century.
