essays on transformational leadership

Transformational Leadership Style: How to Inspire and Motivate

Chioma Ugochukwu

Harvard MME: President, Director of Distribution

BSc (Hons) Biological Science, Harvard University

Chioma Ugochukwu, currently studying Biological Science at Harvard University, serves as the president of the Harvard Foundation for the International Medical Relief of Children.

Learn about our Editorial Process

Saul Mcleod, PhD

Editor-in-Chief for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MRes, PhD, University of Manchester

Saul Mcleod, PhD., is a qualified psychology teacher with over 18 years of experience in further and higher education. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Clinical Psychology.

On This Page:

People who have transformational leadership possess four attributes to varying degrees (Bass, Avolio, & Atwater, 1996).

They are idealized and charismatic (highly liked role models), demonstrate inspirational motivation (optimistic about goal attainment), are intellectually stimulating (encourage critical thinking and problem-solving), and are considerate (show empathy and purpose).

Transformational leadership inspires positive changes in those led and is invested in the success of every single member involved in the process.

Transformational leaders are full of energy, passion, and drive. It’s not a surprise that these qualities can be the things that can make or break an organization.

This kind of leadership is very popular—it can be seen in board rooms, hospitals, schools, and in the entertainment industry. Suddenly, as we look around, transformation seems to be everywhere.

What most people overlook is the time and effort required to fully understand and apply any leadership style, let alone one as dynamic and powerful as transformational leadership.

Transformational leadership style is characteristic of leaders who focus on supervision and organizational goals achieved through a system of rewards and punishments; maintenance of the organizational status quo.

What is transformational leadership?

• Transformational leadership is a leadership model that relies on a team’s encouragement to realize overall success. By raising a team’s morale and self-confidence, the team can then align itself to an overall vision or common purpose.
• This purpose, however, must be established early on for it to be effective. Transformational leadership, when properly applied, can take a struggling or stagnant team, and completely transform it into a productive and dynamic group of individuals.
• This starts by identifying the struggles and strengths of each individual member. Next, it is up to the leader to define a new common goal and guide the members of the team towards this new vision.
• Practically, transformational leadership is used to inspire team members to work together as a single unit, rather than many individual parts. For a stat so dynamic, it is no wonder that many researchers and experts had a hand in its development.

In their seminal work, Transformational Leadership , authors Bass and Riggio explained:

Transformational leaders…are those who stimulate and inspire followers to both achieve extraordinary outcomes and, in the process, develop their own leadership capacity. Transformational leaders help followers grow and develop into leaders by responding to individual followers’ needs by empowering them and by aligning the objectives and goals of the individual followers, the leader, the group, and the larger organization.

Origin and Development

Transformational leadership was started by James V. Downton in 1973. He was the first to coin the term. This was later added to by James Burns in 1978.

Burns was a leadership expert and biographer and proposed that it was only through the strength of the vision and personality that team members could be encouraged to follow.

After agreeing to follow, members then are inspired to change their expectations, perceptions, and are invited to a higher level of morality and motivation.

A few years later, Bernard Bass (1990) added even more to the concept. This is known as “Bass’s Transformational Leadership Theory”. Bass added ways to measure and rank the success of transformational leadership as well as the idea of leaders expressing authentic and focused energy to inspire the other team members to become more like them.

Bass felt that measuring the impact inspires more authentic community. He also explained the psychological mechanisms that are the basis of the theory. According to Bass, the followers of a leader must feel not only trust and admiration, but also loyalty and respect.

These emotions create an environment where the followers are willing to work harder than they originally thought they were capable. This is because transformational leaders offer followers something beyond self-gain—an inspirational mission and self-identity.

Even though it dates to the 70’s, Bass’s model looks much more like transformational leadership today. The basis of the transformational leadership style never changes, only the environment in which it must be applied. Therefore, it can apply in every industry, especially team-focused work environments.

Components of Transformational Leadership Style

Bass also suggested that there were four primary elements to transformational leadership style (also known as the “four I”s”): idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individual consideration.

Each of these four components is valuable to the leadership style and helps to transform its followers into better, more productive people. When these factors are combined, they help transformational leaders radically change the course of their following.

1. Idealized Influence / Charismatic

Idealized influence describes leaders who have charisma, are curious, and deliver messages with simplicity and tact. These leaders are exemplary role models and are readily trusted and respected by all members of the team.

Charisma is one of the essential pieces of this characteristic. Charisma is essential because it is how leaders can rally their followers around a shared vision. Charisma is most often expressed by their ability to listen actively to each team member and focus on the present moment.

Charismatic leaders give praise to individual members of the team with each success, and they are the first to take responsibility when things go wrong. They also provide constructive feedback to each individual team member. Intended influence is also represented through their curiosity.

Curiosity, not intelligence, is the driving force behind the success of these leaders. It is their job to find innovative solutions to problems and create new and dynamic paths for a team to follow.

Displays of charisma make others want to be more like that person, and as a role model, members will strive to mimic this leader.

2. Inspirational Motivation

Inspirational motivation describes leaders that are motivating and willing to commit to a vision. They encourage team members to also commit to this vision by raising team spirit, fostering community and a sense of purpose.

To do this, there must be simplicity in communication. This means their communication style must be best suited to the needs of the team. Leaders speak clearly and concisely to easily articulate their vision to the members.

This provides structure and order so that members can execute tasks without confusion. Leaders articulate a clear plan for the future and communicate expectations in the beginning before the work starts. Leaders must also express their messages with a sense of authority, in order for members to respect their thoughts and trust in their vision.

Along with this, leaders must be upbeat and positive, bringing energy to a room with their enthusiasm. As a visionary, transformational leaders use these skills to look toward future goals and have the foresight to see the small obstacles that may hinder this vision.

They recognize the smallest things that can turn into larger issues. Leaders have intuition towards the things that help to push their team and goals forward. These actions begin to instill trust in their followers and confidence in their leader.

3. Intellectual Stimulation

Intellectual stimulation describes leaders who encourage their members to think outside the box and be innovative. Stimulating followers promote critical thinking and problem-solving skills in order to improve the group or organization as a whole.

This challenges the normal beliefs of a group and encourages the team to perform better than they ever thought originally possible. Encouraging innovation involves each team member in the decision-making process and fosters a sense of importance and a stake in the organization’s over-all success.

The important thing about this is a leader must not criticize the thoughts or opinions of the members. Premature shutting down of ideas can create a climate of distrust and hurt.

Leaders must, therefore gently change the way followers problem-solve and brainstorm new and innovative ways to achieve their teams” goals. In short, leaders must recognize that there are many ways to achieve a goal, and no ordinary path to innovation.

Being a transformational leader requires risk-taking, creativity, curiosity, and openness to new ideas from each individual member.

4. Individual Consideration

Individual consideration is the degree to which a leader attends to each follower’s personal needs. Transformational leadership encourages members by focusing on the way each person effects the overall goal.

This means recognizing and valuing the motivations, desires, and needs of individual members. Upon recognizing the motivation behind the drive of the individual, leaders then provide opportunities for customized training.

This allows team members to grow and learn in an environment they feel comfortable in. Engaging individuals requires emotional intelligence.

Emotional intelligence includes showing genuine compassion, empathizing with the needs of individuals, and encouraging the on-going personal growth of individuals. When a leader takes into account the emotions of their followers, they then learn how to best engage with them.

Emotionally intelligent leaders connect with members, and build a bond based in trust. Leaders act as mentors, or a coach and are willing and open to listening to their followers’ concerns.

Examples of transformational leaders

Transformational leaders are all around us. Because of their marked positive impact on productivity and success, they are at the top of each of their individual industries.

Below are 5 examples of transformational leaders, their stories, and ways that you can begin to apply this leadership style to your own team.

Oprah Winfrey: Media Mogul

Oprah Winfrey was the host and producer of The Oprah Winfrey Show from 1986 to 2011. It is one of the highest rated talk shows in American history, so it is no surprise that Winfrey quickly became one of the richest women in the 20th century.

Winfrey was the continent’s first black multi-billionaire and was among Time Magazine’s most influential people for 6 years straight. Winfrey’s amazing communication skills, beginnings in poverty, and charismatic persona have enabled her to connect with people from every background and inspired people everywhere to dream big.

Amazon boss Jeff Bezos

In 1994, Jeff Bezos took the first step to creating the world’s first online bookstore. Bezos spearheaded the first initiative to create an online eBook reader, where digital eBooks could be stored in an eLibrary for later consumption.

This was introduced as the Kindle. Kindle sales, in addition to multiproduct sales, have contributed to Amazon’s current market value of 1.14 trillion as of April 2020.

Nike Corporation

Nike is one of the most famous footwear companies of the 20th century. With their slogan, “Just Do It,” it is one of the most obvious examples of transformational leadership and motivation.

Nike connected with customers through this focused marketing and created exclusive membership opportunities. By motivating its entire customer base to be the best, most healthy versions of themselves, Nike increased its product development cycle, quickly responding to changes in trends and customer feedback.

This resulted in Nike’s stock price increased from less than $50 to nearly 100 dollars in two years.

Netflix’s Reed Hastings

Reed Hastings founded Netflix in 1997, with a handful of team members. The subscription-based video streaming service offers popular movies and TV shows as well as original content.

When it first launched, despite its large competitor, Blockbuster, Hastings had a grand vision of Netflix replacing this company. He came up with the novel idea of user-friendly streaming that became the starting point of this dream’s actualization. Today, Netflix has nearly 200 million subscribers world-wide and is the largest online streaming service.

Apple’s Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs is one of the best examples of transformational leadership in the 21st century. From wearing pairs of the same clothing each day for increased productivity, to designing the break-through idea of the iCloud, Steve Jobs was the brain behind the success of Apple.

With Steve Jobs’ legacy guiding the company, the company shifted from product-based identification to more services and brand loyalty services. Apple is a 2 trillion-dollar company today, and in the next few years, this is only expected to expand.

What are the effects of transformational leadership?

Transformational leaders are those who inspire their members to achieve beyond their presumed potential. In the same way, these transformed members then go on to become leaders in their own right.

Transformational leaders’ personalized response empowers individuals and helps them to develop their potential. The effects of transformational leadership have a lasting and positive impact.

Research evidence from Psychology Today reported that teams led by transformational leaders have higher levels of performance and report overall high satisfaction than teams led by other styles.

Members develop positive psychological states and find greater meaning in their work. In addition, they also learn to think positively about themselves and the tasks that they are meant to complete.

This results in decreased burnout, social loafing, and increased individual motivation.

Leadership expert Ronald Riggio suggests that this is because of transformational leaders’ unflinching belief that each and every member brings unique talents and skills to a team, and that the voice of each member is important.

He also suggests that the leaders’ strong belief in the vision of the team has a significant impact on the overwhelmingly positive results of the leadership style. By creating a common goal, or vision, leaders enhance the quality of their relationships and create environments that are fair, respectful, and supportive.

It is important to recognize that while this leadership style is extremely effective, there are some team members who will not respond as favorably to transformational leadership. Leaders must adjust their efforts as needed in order to meet their goals.

Implications for managers

While it is important to look at the success and growth of companies and entrepreneurs, it is important to recognize that most of these companies and people did not start out successful.

It is important to recognize that these people and companies were mentored and guided by a transformational leader. The stories here show that this leadership style can help to transform you, your team, and your mission.

What can you do to become a more transformational leader? One of the critical ways to start is by having belief. You must believe in the vision and path you have created, so that you can inspire others to believe in your vision as well. Being charismatic, motivating, and focusing on each individual team member can help you accomplish this through transformative leadership.

Yukl (1994) draws some tips for transformational leadership:

• Develop a challenging and attractive vision, together with the employees.
• Tie the vision to a strategy for its achievement.
• Develop the vision, specify and translate it to actions.
• Express confidence, decisiveness and optimism about the vision and its implementation.
• Realize the vision through small planned steps and small successes in the path for its full implementation.

Bass, B. M. (1985) Leadership and Performance beyond Expectations. Free Press, New York.

Bass, B. M. (1990) From transactional to transformational leadership: Learning to share the vision. Organizational Dynamics 18, 19-31.

Bass, B. M. and Avolio, B. J. (1989). Manual for the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire. Consulting Psychologists Press, Palo Alto.

Bass, B. M. and Avolio, B. J. (1994) Improving Organizational Effectiveness through Transformational Leadership. Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, CA.

Bass, B. M., Avolio, B. J., & Atwater, L. (1996). The transformational and transactional leadership of men and women. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 45 , 5–34

Bass, B. M., & Riggio, R. E. (2006). Transformational leadership.

Burns, J. M. (1978). Leadership. NY: Harper & Row.

Downton, J. V. (1973). Rebel leadership: Commitment and charisma in a revolutionary process. New York: Free Press.

Yukl, G.(1999). An evaluation of conceptual weaknesses in transformational and charismatic leadership theories. Leadership Quarterly, 10, 285-305; http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1048-9843(99)00013-2

Further Information

• Leithwood, K., & Jantzi, D. (2005). Transformational leadership. The essentials of school leadership, 31-43.
• Bass, B. M. (1999). Two decades of research and development in transformational leadership. European journal of work and organizational psychology, 8(1), 9-32.
• Bass, B. M., & Avolio, B. J. (1993). Transformational leadership and organizational culture. Public administration quarterly, 112-121.
• Bass, B. M., & Steidlmeier, P. (1999). Ethics, character, and authentic transformational leadership behavior. The leadership quarterly, 10(2), 181-217.

Transformational leadership is a leadership style where leaders inspire, motivate, and stimulate their followers intellectually to work towards a shared and valued goal. These leaders encourage innovation, creativity, and personal development among their team members, fostering an environment of trust, respect, and admiration. They aim to transform their followers’ individual and collective consciousness to achieve organizational success.

Which leadership style can resemble transformational leadership because these leaders inspire enthusiasm in their teams and are energetic in motivating others to move forward?

Charismatic leadership style can closely resemble transformational leadership as charismatic leaders inspire enthusiasm and motivate others towards their goals. They use their personal charm and appeal to inspire, energize, and encourage their teams to move forward.

What is Transformational Leadership? (Examples + How-To)

You're on a quest to become a better leader, and you've stumbled upon a term that keeps popping up: transformational leadership. You're in the right place to find out what it means, why it matters, and how it could change your life and the lives of those you lead.

Transformational Leadership is a leadership style where the leader inspires and motivates team members to exceed expectations, fosters an environment of trust and respect, and ultimately drives positive organizational change.

Don't just skim the surface; let's get into the nitty-gritty of transformational leadership. We'll uncover its roots, its impact, organizational effectiveness, and even its criticisms.

What is Transformational Leadership?

Transformational Leadership is a term that gets tossed around a lot, especially when people talk about great leaders who've made a real difference. But what does it actually mean?

Imagine you're in a boat and everyone's rowing. But there's a catch: You're not getting anywhere because everyone's rowing in different directions. A great transformational leader steps in and not only aligns everyone to row in the same direction but also makes them want to row harder and faster.

In simpler terms, a good transformational leaders' leader isn't just a boss; they're more like a mentor or coach.

Transformational Leadership is when you, the leader, motivate and inspire your team to exceed usual expectations and performance levels. You achieve this through various ways: communicating a compelling vision, fostering creativity, and building strong, respectful relationships with team members.

Importantly, transformational organizational leadership is not about directing or controlling. It's about nurturing growth—in both individuals and organizations.

The History of Transformational Leadership

You now know what transformational leadership is, but where did it come from? The concept of transformational leadership isn't as new as you might think; it has roots that date back to the late 20th century.

The term was first introduced in a presidential address by sociologist James V. Downton in 1973. But the concept really gained traction when James MacGregor Burns penned his seminal book "Leadership" in 1978.

Burns drew a line between transactional leaders , those who operate on an exchange basis like "do this for me, and I'll give you that," and transformational leaders , who ignite the internal motivations of their team members to exceed expectations.

Burns argued that effective transformational leaders create a more ethical and empowering environment.

The 1980s brought more meat to the bones of transformational leadership theory. Researchers like Bernard M. Bass expanded upon Burns' ideas.

Bass introduced the concept of Charismatic Leadership , which is a component of transformational leadership. He said that transformational leaders often have strong sense of charisma, but charisma alone isn't enough. You also need to empower your team, listen to them, and encourage their personal growth.

By now, you're starting to see how this leadership style has evolved over time. Knowing its history gives you a richer understanding of why it's so impactful today.

And as you'll find out, transformational leadership is not just a theory but a practice that has been embraced across diverse settings—from businesses to politics and education.

The Four 'I's of Transformational Leadership

You're probably thinking, "Okay, transformational leadership sounds great, but what makes it tick?" Experts usually break it down into four key components, often referred to as the Four 'I's.

First up is Idealized Influence . This is all about being a role model. You set high standards for ethical behavior and show dedication. When your team sees you walking the walk, they're more likely to trust you and follow your lead.

Second is Inspirational Motivation . Imagine you're a coach giving a halftime speech. You're uplifting your team, filling them with energy and enthusiasm for the tasks ahead. You set exciting visions for the future and show how everyone plays a vital part in reaching that vision.

The third 'I' stands for Intellectual Stimulation . Here, you're not just giving orders; you're encouraging your team to think creatively and solve problems. Imagine a teacher who doesn't just want the correct answer but challenges students to explain how they got there.

Last but not least, is Individualized Consideration . This means you're tuned into each team member's needs and potential for growth. It's like a gardener knowing exactly how much water, sunlight, and nutrients each type of plant in the garden needs. You provide coaching, give feedback, and open doors for individual consideration and opportunities that will help them grow.

Together, these four components make the transformational leadership style what it is—a holistic approach to guiding a team to reach and exceed their potential.

Transformational Leadership vs Other Leadership Styles

By now, you're getting a pretty good grip on what transformational leadership entails. But how does it stack up against other leadership styles? After all, it's not the only game in town.

You might have heard of Authoritarian Leadership , where the leader calls all the shots and expects the team to follow without question. It's like a strict parent dictating every move their child makes.

Transformational leadership, in contrast, gives room for creative thinking and individual growth. Instead of telling you what to do, a transformational leader guides you in discovering the best course of action for yourself.

Then there's Laissez-Faire Leadership , a style of organizational structure where the leader takes a hands-off approach. Picture a laid-back supervisor who lets the team figure things out on their own.

While this approach can foster independence, it often lacks the motivational spark that transformational leadership provides.

Don't forget about Transactional Leadership , which we touched on earlier. This management style is more about give-and-take. It's like a business deal: "You complete this task, you get a reward."

While transactional leadership can be effective, it doesn't aim to transform or inspire on a deeper level.

Transformational leadership has its own unique flavor. It combines the best of different worlds: it's motivating but not controlling, structured but not rigid, and inspirational without being unrealistic.

Examples of Transformational Leaders

1) Nelson Mandela

First, let's talk about Nelson Mandela. He led South Africa out of apartheid and into a new era of racial equality and democracy.

Mandela didn't just give orders; he inspired a nation. His leadership wasn't about transactions; it was about transformative change.

He exemplifies Idealized Influence , one of the Four 'I's we talked about earlier, by being a moral compass for his followers.

2) Oprah Winfrey

Next up is Oprah Winfrey. She broke multiple barriers in her career, and her impact extends beyond television to education and philanthropy.

Oprah is a fantastic example of Inspirational Motivation . She has the unique ability to connect with people, inspiring them to take action and make positive changes in their lives.

3) Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, transformed the way we interact with technology. He pushed for innovative designs and user-friendly interfaces, changing our relationship with computers, smartphones, and tablets.

Jobs exemplifies Intellectual Stimulation by encouraging his team to think differently and challenge the status quo.

4) Malala Yousafzai

Malala Yousafzai stood up for girls' education in Pakistan, despite facing life-threatening dangers. Her courage and advocacy have inspired a global movement.

Malala represents Inspirational Motivation and Idealized Influence by standing up for what she believes in and motivating others to do the same.

5) Richard Branson

The founder of the Virgin Group, Richard Branson, is known for his adventurous spirit and willingness to take risks. He has created a culture that fosters innovation and creativity across various industries, from music to air travel.

Branson illustrates Intellectual Stimulation by continually encouraging new ideas and approaches.

6) Angela Merkel

Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany for over a decade, was a stabilizing force in European politics. She managed multiple crises, from the financial downturn to the refugee situation, with a balanced and humane approach.

Merkel shows Individualized Consideration by focusing on long-term solutions that consider the well-being of all parties involved.

7) Tony Dungy

Tony Dungy, former NFL coach, transformed the Indianapolis Colts into a Super Bowl-winning team. More importantly, he did it while emphasizing the importance of character and moral integrity.

Dungy is a prime example of Idealized Influence because he led by example, setting a standard for both sportsmanship and leadership.

The Psychology Behind Transformational Leadership

You might be wondering, "What's the secret sauce that makes transformational leadership so effective?" Well, it's not just about actions; it's also about the psychological impact on the team.

Firstly, this leadership style taps into Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs . Remember Maslow? He's the guy who said we have a pyramid of needs , from basic survival up to self-actualization. Transformational leaders aim for the top. They're not just offering you a paycheck (survival); they're helping you fulfill your potential ( self-actualization ).

Second, there's the concept of Emotional Intelligence , or EQ. Transformational leaders usually score high in EQ. They're tuned into their own emotions and can read the room, sensing the team's mood and adjusting their approach accordingly.

Lastly, let's talk about Intrinsic Motivation . This means you're doing something because you genuinely want to, not because you're getting a reward or avoiding a penalty. Transformational leaders excel at firing up this kind of motivation. They inspire you to give your best not for external rewards and punishments, but because you're committed to the vision and the team.

So, the psychology of transformational leadership is a mix of meeting higher-level needs, emotional intelligence, and intrinsic motivation. It's a compelling blend that not only gets results but also fosters a positive, engaged, and loyal team.

How to Cultivate Transformational Leadership Skills

By now, you've got a solid understanding of what transformational leadership is and why it works so well. You've even seen it in action through real-world examples and psychological frameworks. But here's the kicker: you can develop these skills, too. Let's break it down step by step.

First on the list is Self-Awareness . Before you can lead others, you need to know yourself . Take some time to reflect on your strengths and weaknesses. There are tools like the SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) that can help. Knowing where you stand enables you to be a more effective leader.

Second, work on Communication Skills . Effective communication is more than just talking; it's about listening, too. If you can clearly articulate your vision and also pay attention to what others are saying, you're on the right track.

Last but not least, cultivate Empathy . This means putting yourself in someone else's shoes and understanding their perspective. Empathy allows you to connect on a deeper level, making it easier to inspire and motivate your team. It turns out, being a good leader is also about being a good human.

So there you have it—three achievable steps to hone your transformational leadership skills. And guess what? As you develop these skills, you'll not only become a better leader but also a better teammate, friend, and overall person.

Applications of Transformational Leadership

You've read about how transformational leadership works and how to cultivate the skills it requires. But where does this leadership style really shine? Let's unpack its applications in various fields, showing you that it's not a one-size-fits-all kind of deal.

In the Business World , transformational leadership helps companies adapt and innovate. Whether it's a tech startup or a century-old manufacturing firm, this leadership style can invigorate a company's culture. Leaders inspire employees to be proactive, solve problems creatively, and feel a stronger commitment to their roles.

Workplace Scenario: Improving Productivity in a Sales Team

• Identify the Issue : The sales team is not meeting its targets.
• Open Dialogue : The manager arranges a meeting to understand the challenges faced by the team. This is a form of Individualized Consideration .
• Clear Vision : The manager outlines a new sales strategy, which focuses on relationship-building with clients rather than just meeting quotas. This falls under Inspirational Motivation .
• Skill Development : The manager organizes training sessions to improve customer communication skills, tapping into Intellectual Stimulation .
• Celebrate Wins : Small victories, like landing a big client or successfully implementing a new sales tactic, are celebrated, reinforcing Idealized Influence .

Now, imagine a Healthcare Setting . Medical professionals often face high stress and life-or-death situations. A transformational leader in this space focuses on team well-being, encourages continued education, and fosters an environment where everyone feels valued. This can lead to improved patient care and job satisfaction.

Hospital Scenario: Reducing Stress and Improving Patient Care

• Identify the Issue : The nursing staff is stressed due to high patient load, leading to decreased patient satisfaction.
• Foster Team Cohesion : The head nurse organizes team-building activities aimed at reducing stress and improving collaboration. This is an application of Idealized Influence .
• Streamline Processes : The head nurse introduces a new roster system that distributes workload more evenly, embodying Inspirational Motivation .
• Education and Upskilling : Workshops are arranged to train nurses in stress management techniques and advanced patient care methods, encouraging Intellectual Stimulation .
• Personal Attention : The head nurse holds regular one-on-one meetings with each nurse to discuss challenges and offer solutions, showcasing Individualized Consideration .

Let's not forget Education . Teachers and administrators can significantly benefit from applying transformational leadership principles. By inspiring both educators and students to strive for higher standards and increased performance, learning environments become more enriching and productive.

Classroom Scenario: Boosting Student Engagement in History Class

• Identify the Issue : Students find history boring and are disengaged during class.
• Vision and Inspiration : The teacher decides to tie historical events to current social issues, making it more relatable and exciting. This is an example of Inspirational Motivation .
• Involve the Students : The teacher includes students in the lesson planning, asking them to pick current events that interest them. This exemplifies Individualized Consideration .
• Empower and Educate : The teacher breaks the class into small groups and asks them to research and present their chosen topic, fostering critical thinking and teamwork.
• Feedback Loop : After the presentations, the teacher praises individual and group efforts and gives constructive feedback, reinforcing Idealized Influence and Intellectual Stimulation .

And it doesn't stop there; transformational leadership can be applied in Non-Profits , Community Organizations , and even in Home Settings . It's that versatile. You see, this transformational leadership characteristics and style is more than just a management tactic; it's a strategy for enhancing collective effort and well-being, regardless of the context.

So there you have it—a broad look at where transformational leadership can be effectively applied. No matter the field, the core principles hold true: inspire, engage, and bring out the best in everyone.

Criticisms of Transformational Leadership

Alright, we've talked a lot about the good stuff, but nothing is perfect, right? Transformational leadership also has its fair share of challenges and criticisms. It's crucial to be aware of these to get a well-rounded understanding.

First off, there's the Hero Syndrome . Sometimes, transformational leaders are put on such a high pedestal that they become viewed as irreplaceable . This can lead to problems like lack of accountability or an over-reliance on a single individual for the group's success. It's vital to remember that even great leaders have limitations.

Then there's the issue of Manipulation . Because transformational leaders are so good at inspiring people, they could potentially use their influence for personal gain rather than the collective good. This could lead to ethical dilemmas, where the line between motivation and manipulation gets blurry.

Finally, let's talk about Sustainability . Can a leader keep up the high levels of enthusiasm and vision indefinitely? Burnout is a real concern. Additionally, once a leader has successfully transformed an organization or team, what comes next? Continuous transformation isn't always feasible or desirable.

So yes, while transformational leadership has numerous benefits, it also comes with its set of challenges. But don't fret; understanding these potential pitfalls prepares you to navigate them effectively.

The Future of Transformational Leadership

So, where is transformational leadership headed? In a world that's changing faster than ever, this style of leadership seems more relevant than ever. Let's explore some future trends and how they might shape or be shaped by transformational leadership.

First, we've got the Digital Age . Technology is revolutionizing how we work and communicate. Transformational leaders will need to adapt by fostering digital literacy and creating an environment where innovation thrives. Embracing tech tools can facilitate better communication, real-time feedback, and more efficient ways to inspire a remote workforce.

Second, there's an increasing focus on Diversity and Inclusion . Future transformational leaders will need to be well-versed in managing diverse teams . It's no longer just about being a great leader; it's about understanding different cultural perspectives and working towards inclusive growth. These leaders can act as bridges, uniting varied talents to achieve common goals.

Lastly, we have the Gig Economy . More people are opting for freelance or part-time roles . Traditional leadership models may struggle in such a setup, but transformational leaders could excel. They're skilled at quickly building rapport and aligning even short-term team members with a larger vision.

The world is evolving, and so are the challenges and opportunities that leaders face. The transformational leadership style, with its adaptability and focus on genuine connection, seems well-suited to navigate these changes. Whether you're an aspiring leader or already in a leadership role, understanding this future landscape empowers you to stay ahead of the curve.

From the very origins of transformational leadership, tracing back to James MacGregor Burns, all the way to its practical applications and future relevance, you've journeyed through a comprehensive understanding of this leadership style. You've even seen it in action across different settings like classrooms, workplaces, and hospitals.

While transformational leadership isn't the only game in town, its focus on genuine relationships, inspiration, and growth makes it incredibly relevant for today's challenges. It's a style that adapts well to change, making it a strong fit for our ever-evolving world.

Now, you're not just familiar with transformational leadership; you have the tools to implement it. Whether you’re an aspiring leader or already steering the ship, the principles you've learned can help you become more effective, empathetic, and yes, more transformational leader.

Related posts:

• 45+ Transformational Leaders (Examples + Quiz)
• Skinner’s Box Experiment (Behaviorism Study)
• 121+ Strengths Examples for Job Interviews
• Kurt Lewin Biography - Contributions To Psychology
• Fallacy of Composition (27 Examples + Definition)

Reference this article:

About The Author

Free Personality Test

Free Memory Test

Free IQ Test

PracticalPie.com is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Follow Us On:

Youtube Facebook Instagram X/Twitter

Psychology Resources

Developmental

Personality

Relationships

Psychologists

Serial Killers

Psychology Tests

Personality Quiz

Memory Test

Depression test

Type A/B Personality Test

© PracticalPsychology. All rights reserved

Privacy Policy | Terms of Use

• Bipolar Disorder
• Therapy Center
• When To See a Therapist
• Types of Therapy
• Best Online Therapy
• Best Couples Therapy
• Best Family Therapy
• Managing Stress
• Sleep and Dreaming
• Understanding Emotions
• Self-Improvement
• Healthy Relationships
• Student Resources
• Personality Types
• Guided Meditations
• Verywell Mind Insights
• 2023 Verywell Mind 25
• Mental Health in the Classroom
• Editorial Process
• Meet Our Review Board
• Crisis Support

How Transformational Leadership Can Inspire Others

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital.

• Key Components
• Transformational Traits
• Transformational vs. Transactional
• Potential Pitfalls

Are You a Transformational Leader?

Transformational leadership is a  leadership style that can inspire positive changes in those who follow. Transformational leaders are generally energetic, enthusiastic, and passionate. Not only are these leaders concerned and involved in the process, but they are also focused on helping every member of the group succeed.

Transformational leaders take control of situations by conveying a clear vision of the group's goals. These leaders have a marked passion for the work and an ability to make the rest of the group feel recharged and energized.

Transformational leaders focus on helping members of the group support one another and provide them with the support, guidance, and inspiration they need to work hard, perform well, and stay loyal to the group. The primary goals of transformational leadership are to inspire growth, promote loyalty, and instill confidence in group members.

This article discusses the characteristics of transformational leadership and its effects on groups.

History of Transformational Leadership

The concept of transformational leadership was initially introduced by leadership expert and presidential biographer James MacGregor Burns. According to Burns, transformational leadership can be seen when "leaders and followers make each other advance to a higher level of moral and motivation."

Through the strength of their vision and personality, transformational leaders are able to inspire followers to change expectations, perceptions, and motivations to work towards common goals.

Later, researcher Bernard M. Bass expanded upon Burns's original ideas to develop what is today referred to as Bass’s Transformational Leadership Theory. According to Bass, transformational leadership can be defined based on the impact that it has on followers. Transformational leaders, Bass suggested, garner trust, respect, and admiration from their followers.

Components of Transformational Leadership

Bass also suggested that there were four different components of transformational leadership. The four main elements of transformational leadership are:

• Intellectual stimulation: Transformational leaders not only challenge the status quo; they also encourage creativity among followers. The leader encourages followers to explore new ways of doing things and new opportunities to learn.
• Individualized consideration: Transformational leadership also involves supporting and encouraging individual followers. To foster supportive relationships, transformational leaders keep lines of communication open so that followers feel free to share ideas and so that leaders can offer immediate recognition of the unique contributions of each follower.
• Inspirational motivation: Transformational leaders have a clear vision that they can articulate to followers. These leaders can also help followers experience the same passion and motivation to fulfill these goals.
• Idealized influence: The transformational leader serves as a role model for followers. Because followers trust and respect the leader, they emulate this individual and internalize their ideals.

Groups led by this type of leader tend to be both successful and loyal. They give a lot to the team and care deeply about the group's ability to accomplish its goals. Turnover tends to be relatively low as transformational leaders can inspire a great deal of commitment in their followers.

Transformational Leadership Traits

So what are some typical signs of a transformational leader? Common characteristics of transformational leaders include:

• Able to encourage others to communicate and participate
• Active listening skills
• Adaptability
• Authenticity and genuineness
• Emotionally intelligent
• Inspirational
• Open-mindedness
• Proactive problem-solvers
• Self-awareness
• Willingness to take responsibility
• Willingness to take well-informed risks

While each leader is different, transformational leadership is characterized by a number of key traits. Five of the main qualities of a transformational leader are authenticity, self-awareness, humility, collaboration, and interdependence.

Examples of Transformational Leadership

Recognizable figures who are often cited as examples of transformational leadership include:

• Barack Obama : The former U.S. President was known for his transformational approach to running his administration, as well as his unifying, motivating, and hopeful communication style.
• Nelson Mandela : The former President of South Africa was famous for serving as a source of authentic inspiration.
• Oprah Winfrey : The media mogul is famous for her charismatic, visionary, and inspirational leadership style.
• Steve Jobs : Jobs was famous for his visionary leadership that transformed Apple into a leader in the technology industry.

Effects of Transformational Leadership

In their classic text, Transformational Leadership , authors Bass and Riggio explained that these leaders inspire people to achieve extraordinary results. Group members are not just encouraged to participate; they are also inspired to become leaders themselves.

Transformational leaders can accomplish this by being responsive and empowering. The individual's goals become better aligned with the purposes of the entire group so that each group member's success furthers the organization's goals.

Researchers have found that this style of leadership can have a positive effect on the group. Some of these effects include:

• Better performance : Those led by transformational individuals have better performance and are more satisfied than those in groups with different types of leaders.
• Better well-being : Employees who identified a higher level of transformational leadership in their employers also reported higher levels of well-being. The effect stayed significant even after researchers controlled for factors linked to well-being, such as job strain, education, and age.
• Sense of empowerment : This is attributed to the fact that transformational leaders believe that their followers can do their best, leading group members to feel inspired and empowered.

How to Become a More Transformational Leader

Becoming a more transformational leader may provide many benefits. Researchers believe that such results can help companies develop leadership training programs that can be used to teach transformational leadership skills.

Acquiring communication skills such as resolving workplace conflicts and recognizing employees' needs are important parts of transformational leadership. Such programs can serve as essential parts of health promotion efforts in the workplace to help improve employee well-being.

What can you do to become a more transformational leader? Leadership experts suggest that a robust and positive future vision plays a critical role. Not only is it essential to believe in this vision yourself, but you've also got to inspire others to buy into your vision as well.

You can also develop your transformational skills by being:

• Trustworthy

Transformational Leadership vs. Transactional Leadership

Transformational leadership is often contrasted with transactional leadership , which is a style that is essentially the opposite of transformational. In the transactional approach, leaders motivate their subordinates through the use of rewards and punishment.

While the transformational approach focuses on communication, inspiration, and positive reinforcement, transactional leaders supervise, monitor performance, and create routines to maximize efficiency. While the transactional approach can be effective in some situations, it does not foster loyalty, innovation, or creativity.

Motivates using rewards and punishments

Focused on compliance

Tends to focus on short-term goals

Uses extrinsic rewards (pay, promotions, etc.)

Motivates using enthusiasm and charismatic inspiration

Focused on commitment

More focused on long-term success

Uses intrinsic rewards (esteem, pride, etc.)

Potential Pitfalls of Transformational Leadership

While transformational leadership is often viewed as one of the best approaches to leadership, that doesn't mean that it is necessarily right for every situation. For example, when group members need more guidance and direction, it can be more effective to utilize a more transactional approach.

The transactional style can help improve group cohesion and commitment, but it can also contribute to burnout when group members feel constantly pressured to give up all of their time and effort to support the goals of the group.

In situations where a lot of creativity and innovation are important to success, a transformational style is often a beneficial approach. But if the focus is on achieving a prescribed set of short-term goals, taking a more transactional approach might lead to less chaos and better results.

Try our fast and free quiz to find out if you tend towards transformational leadership or one of the other styles.

The transformational style of leadership can be highly effective when used appropriately, but it might not necessarily be the best choice for every situation. In some cases, groups may require a more managerial or autocratic style that involves closer control and greater direction, particularly in situations where group member are unskilled and need a lot of oversight.

One way to improve your own leadership skills is to assess your own current leadership style and think about ways in which your strengths can benefit the group you are leading. By evaluating your own skills, you will be better able to play to your strengths and work on improving your areas of weakness.

Allen GP, Moore WM, Moser LR, Neill KK, Sambamoorthi U, Bell HS. The role of servant leadership and transformational leadership in academic pharmacy .  Am J Pharm Educ . 2016;80(7):113. doi:10.5688/ajpe807113

Choi SL, Goh CF, Adam MB, Tan OK. Transformational leadership, empowerment, and job satisfaction: the mediating role of employee empowerment .  Hum Resour Health . 2016;14(1):73. doi:10.1186/s12960-016-0171-2

Psychology Today. Are you a transformational leader ?

Jacobs C; Pfaff H; Lehner B, et al. The influence of transformational leadership on employee well-being: Results rrom a survey of companies in the information and communication technology sector in Germany. J Occup Environ Med . 2013;55(7):772-8.​ doi:10.1097/JOM.0b013e3182972ee5

Bass, B. M. & Riggio, R. E. Transformational Leadership . Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc; 2008.

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Bettmann/Getty Images

By Colin Baker Leaders Staff

Colin Baker

Leadership and Business Writer

Colin Baker is a business writer for Leaders Media. He has a background in as a television journalism, working as...

Learn about our editorial policy

Updated Jan 5, 2023

Reviewed by Hannah L. Miller

Hannah L. Miller

Senior Editor

Hannah L. Miller, MA, is the senior editor for Leaders Media. Since graduating with her Master of Arts in 2015,...

What Is Transformational Leadership?

What is transformational leadership, who developed the transformational leadership model, what are the 4 identifying factors of transformational leadership, top attributes of transformational leaders, benefits of practicing transformational leadership, 5 ways to be a transformational leader, best examples of transformational leaders, frequently asked questions about transformational leadership, transformational leaders are clear about the vision for their lives.

Leadership is not something that takes a “one-size-fits-all” approach. In fact, there are many different leadership styles people may choose to use, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. However, one particular leadership style—transformational leadership—is one of the most effective at bringing about lasting change.

You likely already know about several people who have practiced transformational leadership. For example, Henry Ford was a transformational leader who not only made the automobile more affordable through innovation but raised wages , cut down working hours, and provided health benefits.

Ford was not alone in his transformational leadership style. Others such as civil rights movement leader Martin Luther King Jr., advertising legend David Ogilvy, and technology magnate Steve Jobs , demonstrated the powerful effect transformational leadership has. Over time, leaders who guide their followers this way have become synonymous with innovation, progress, and modernity .

As you learn about transformational leadership, you’ll understand what skills and strengths you need to inspire others to change the world. You’ll also learn from some of the best examples of transformational leaders throughout history.

Key Takeaways

• People who follow transformational leaders report higher levels of well-being.
• Transformational leadership is a driving force behind many of the positive changes in the world.
• Transformational leaders need to have a positive vision of the future.
• Anyone can become a transformational leader.
• Servant leadership goes hand-in-hand with transformational leadership.

Transformational leadership is a leadership style that empowers people to accomplish positive change through big vision, inspiration, and a call to action. Leaders enable change by emotionally connecting with their audience and inspiring them to achieve something greater than themselves. By communicating a positive vision of the future , they motivate and encourage their followers to keep pushing forward. The end result is collective action that leads to innovation, massive transformation, and the betterment of society.

During the 1970s and 1980s, scholars began solidifying the transformational leadership theory. Sociologist James V. Downton coined the term “transformational leadership” in Rebel Leadership: Commitment and Charisma in the Revolutionary Process . Afterward, the idea attracted attention from James MacGregor Burns and Bernard M. Bass , two additional key players in the development of this leadership style.

Burns analyzed political figures such as Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy to identify the characteristics, traits, personalities, and goals of transformational leaders. One of his biggest contributions to the study was qualifying transformational leaders as people who also transform their followers into leaders. However, Bass focused more heavily on the impact transformational leaders have on their followers through The Four I’s listed below.

• Idealized Influence: The leader serves as a role model for others to follow . They also demonstrate established organizational values, setting an example so followers understand expectations. Leaders who have connected with followers through respect and trust can create this influence easily.
• Inspiring Leadership : A transformational leader can passionately communicate an exciting vision of the future, inspiring people to action . The leader can also encourage followers to keep pursuing the overall objective no matter what challenges or obstacles they may face.
• Intellectual Stimulation: Transformational leaders always support followers’ learning, growth, and development. They firmly believe that it is their duty to help others become the best version of themselves.
• Individualized Consideration: When a transformational leader acts, they don’t just do it to large groups. Instead, they work with individuals, showing concern for their progress as a person. These leaders act as a mentor or coach who is genuinely interested in working with each person in the group.

Over the last 50 years, leadership experts have identified several traits that transformational leaders share. The following list is just some of those leadership qualities , though leaders may exhibit other valuable traits and leadership skills.

A person practices transformational leadership when they:

• Clearly define a collective vision and shared mission .
• Unite people through a common cause.
• Emotionally connect with their followers.
• Lead with influence rather than authority.
• Ensure that team culture is ethical.
• Serve as an example for those they guide.
• Change their approach when circumstances necessitate it.
• Establish organizational values.
• Practice innovative leadership .
• Motivate and inspire others to take action.
• Eliminate self-interest and practice servant leadership .
• Create positive outcomes.

Transformational leadership isn’t just some buzzword employed by PR departments. It has real, lasting effects. Many people can benefit from this leadership style, including leaders themselves. The following are just some of the benefits.

• More Hope and Courage: At times, the world can be a depressing place. A transformational leader lifts up those around them, inspiring them to have hope and courage during the toughest moments. They motivate followers to act for the good of everyone.
• Real Change: Transformational leadership produces real change in the world. Just look at the incredible amount of good Martin Luther King Jr. did in such a short amount of time. A transformational leader like King is a changemaker. They usher in a new era of doing things differently.
• Strong Bonds Formed: Transformational leaders display high emotional intelligence and motivate people by emotionally resonating with them. This means that the bonds are typically very strong between them and their followers. Those who follow them respect and love them deeply.
• Improved Well-Being: Additionally, transformational leadership can have a positive impact on a person’s health and outlook. According to a survey of over 300 employees, workers who had a transformational leader reported that they experienced higher levels of well-being.
• More Feelings of Safety: When someone works with a transformational leader, they receive added support. This leads to what one recent study called an added feeling of “psychological safety” since followers could talk openly about mistakes without fear of receiving criticism or reprimands. 
• Reduced Stress: Another benefit includes experiencing reduced stress. One study found that in an environment with transformational leadership, there was less conflict and lower stress, leading to more productivity and effectiveness.

1. Create a Positive Vision and Mission

Whether it’s for a business or simply for your own life, creating a vision and mission are two important aspects of the transformational leadership style. Be precise in your vision statement and communicate it with others. You can start with why , defining the purpose behind your vision so others will know why their work matters . As you center all your actions around your vision and mission, people will see your sincerity.

2. Inspire and Motivate Change

Transformational leaders prompt collective action by motivating people to bring about personal or organizational change . These types of leaders articulate a problem by resonating with the emotions of others who identify with it. The leader then paints an inspiring picture of what the future could look like, then presents a clear action plan. This is followed by an invitation to join the leader in enacting that change.

3. Practice Servant Leadership

Being a servant leader often coincides with being a transformational leader. This is because servant leadership is often the mentality and heart that motivates transformative experiences. Having a growth mindset and guiding positive change are top qualities shared by these leadership styles. Additionally, both build trusting communities around causes that serve others, rather than the leader.

4. Set an Example

Many people will only listen to a transformational leader if that leader practices what they preach. Ensure that you are living the philosophy you are sharing. Show people how to create the change you want them to create. It’s far easier for people to act when they have a blueprint they can follow. Otherwise, your message can come across as empty words.

5. Think of Solutions

Anyone can talk for hours about problems, but transformational leaders seek to solve them. It takes someone with a transformational mindset to come up with creative and effective solutions that will get results and change the world. People are naturally drawn to those who present solutions because they offer a remedy to a perceived ill.

Martin Luther King Jr.

“Not everybody can be famous but everybody can be great, because greatness is determined by service.”

Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the most influential leaders in American history. As a leader during the civil rights movement, MLK fought for the rights of people who had long been oppressed. His leadership provided a positive vision of the future, encouraging people to fight for a better tomorrow alongside him. King’s message was one of love and fair treatment for all, believing everyone could make a difference no matter their station in life.

Mother Teresa

“Small things done with great love will change the world.”

Mother Teresa devoted her life to caring for sick and impoverished people who were often overlooked. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 thanks to her selfless work all over the world. Mother Teresa believed that one could help the world by easing others’ suffering. She was willing to give up personal comfort to show kindness and compassion for unhoused people, addicts, the poverty-stricken, and more. In this, she provided an example others could follow, establishing a blueprint of how to help heal the world one person at a time.

Richard Branson  

“There is no greater thing you can do with your life and your work than follow your passions—in a way that serves the world and you.”

Richard Branson is one of today’s most well-known transformational leaders. In 1972, he launched Virgin Records. Since then, the Virgin brand has been involved in exploring and evolving a wide variety of industries. One reason Branson is a well-loved leader is his charismatic, passionate personality that inspires customers and employees alike. Additionally, he is an environmentalist who is heavily involved in finding creative solutions for sustainable living.

Reed Hastings

“Be brutally honest about the short-term and optimistic and confident about the long-term.”

The CEO and co-founder of Netflix communicates and fulfills his company’s long-term vision of being the leading source of global entertainment. As a transformational leader, Reed Hastings saw room for improving DVD rentals by making movies and TV shows more accessible. Furthermore, Netflix continues to refine its streaming service and creates its own in-house content. As a result, the company continues to pave the way for online entertainment.

“When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor.”

Though no stranger to recent controversy, Elon Musk remains a leader with a clear vision for the future. Elon Musk’s leadership style is one that prioritizes solving problems no matter how significant they may appear. Whether it be more affordable space travel or popularizing electric vehicles, Musk doesn’t let the enormity of a problem keep him from tackling it. He has shown a determination to find solutions and make them a reality, inspiring many people to follow his every move.

What is the difference between transformational leadership and transactional leadership?

Transactional leadership is the opposite of transformational leadership. It’s a leadership style that uses the promise of rewards and the threat of punishment to motivate people. On the other hand, transformational leadership motivates through inspiration, positivity, and inner growth.

What are the downsides of transformational leadership?

While a transformational leader inspires changes by communicating big-picture ideas , they are typically less skilled with details and processes. Because of this, they often need logistical minds on the team who can carry out the planning and implementation of objectives.

Additionally, since transformational leaders generally have high levels of extroversion, charisma, and influence, they can potentially lead through unintentional manipulation. These leaders can benefit from having someone hold them accountable through insightful, balanced perspectives.

Who are the most famous transformational leaders?

There have been numerous transformational leaders throughout history. In addition to the ones listed above, people like Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela, Abraham Lincoln, Jackie Robinson, Mahatma Gandhi, Thomas Jefferson, and Susan B. Anthony are great examples of transformational leaders.

What type of people are transformational leaders?

Transformational leaders are people with a big vision of changing the world for the better. They are innovators and artists—people who engage in first principles thinking . They also might be a little rebellious and willing to take risks. These leaders are not interested in the status quo and choose to strike out on their own to change things.

Anyone can incorporate this leadership style into the way they lead. All you need is a big vision, effective communication skills , and a desire to connect along with the strength to motivate and inspire others, even during tough times.

To practice transformational leadership, you need to have a strong sense of self and know who you are. Otherwise, you’ll struggle to communicate your vision, inspire others, or stick to your outlook on the future. 

To create an uplifting vision, follow these steps:

• Start by asking deep questions about life and the world.
• Focus on one issue that is still afflicting the world.
• Create a vision statement.
• Make a plan for casting that vision to others.
• Reverse engineer that vision to make it a reality.
• Stay clear of distractions.
• Gain an understanding that your vision will grow and mature over time.

You can begin this journey of changing the world by reading the following article:

How to Create a Vision for Your Life: A Must for Leaders

Leaders Media has established sourcing guidelines and relies on relevant, and credible sources for the data, facts, and expert insights and analysis we reference. You can learn more about our mission, ethics, and how we cite sources in our editorial policy .

• “Mother Teresa.”  Biography , 28 Apr. 2017, https://www.biography.com/religious-figure/mother-teresa.
• “Roosevelt: The Soldier of Freedom.”  Google Books , https://books.google.com/books/about/Roosevelt_the_Soldier_of_Freedom.html?id=Q2UNeiY_ZvsC.
• Leadership Legacy Program . http://www.ila-net.org/LeadershipLegacy/bernie_bass.html.
• History.com Editors. (2020, April 29). Ford factory workers get 40-hour week . HISTORY. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/ford-factory-workers-get-40-hour-week
• “Transformational leadership and employee knowledge sharing: explore the mediating roles of psychological safety and team efficacy.” https://www.researchgate.net/publication/337107765_Transformational_leadership_and_employee_knowledge_sharing_explore_the_mediating_roles_of_psychological_safety_and_team_efficacy
• “THE INFLUENCE OF TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP, INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION, AND ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT ON ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS.” https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342091626_THE_INFLUENCE_OF_TRANSFORMATIONAL_LEADERSHIP_INTERPERSONAL_COMMUNICATION_AND_ORGANIZATIONAL_CONFLICT_ON_ORGANIZATIONAL_EFFECTIVENESS

Search Leaders.com

• Environment
• Information Science
• Social Issues
• Argumentative
• Cause and Effect
• Classification
• Compare and Contrast
• Descriptive
• Exemplification
• Informative
• Controversial
• Exploratory
• What Is an Essay
• Length of an Essay
• Generate Ideas
• Types of Essays
• Structuring an Essay
• Outline For Essay
• Essay Introduction
• Thesis Statement
• Body of an Essay
• Writing a Conclusion
• Essay Writing Tips
• Drafting an Essay
• Revision Process
• Fix a Broken Essay
• Format of an Essay
• Essay Examples
• Essay Checklist
• Essay Writing Service
• Pay for Research Paper
• Write My Research Paper
• Write My Essay
• Custom Essay Writing Service
• Admission Essay Writing Service
• Pay for Essay
• Academic Ghostwriting
• Write My Book Report
• Case Study Writing Service
• Dissertation Writing Service
• Coursework Writing Service
• Lab Report Writing Service
• Do My Assignment
• Buy College Papers
• Capstone Project Writing Service
• Buy Research Paper
• Custom Essays for Sale

Can’t find a perfect paper?

• Free Essay Samples
• Corporations

Transformational Leadership

Updated 23 January 2024

Subject Corporations ,  Experience

Downloads 28

Category Business ,  Economics ,  Life

Topic Company

Transformational Leadership and Employee Motivation

Transformational leadership has been associated with positive organizational outcomes on different levels. In the employee context, for example, research evidence has on numerous occasions shown a strong positive link between this leadership style and employee motivation. While many other factors come into play in the performance of an organization, the leadership style also plays a significant role. In determining the exact impact of this leadership approach to the performance of organizations, it is important to analyse different research studies paying attention to the specific outcomes achieved on the organizational level. In that regard, this paper presents an analysis of researches and studies on the subject of transformational leadership in the context of the three broad topics of employee motivation, organizational performance, and organizational effectiveness.

Transformational leadership is a leadership style in which the leader focuses on inspiring his or her followers to achieve set objectives (Rawat, 2015). This leadership style has four dimensions which are inspirational motivation (IM), intellectual stimulation (IS), individual consideration (IC), and idealized influence (II) (Ahmad et al., 2014; Shelley et al, 2011). Aunjum et al. (2017) present a qualitative research study in which they collect data in the context of the four dimensions presented above in the Pakistan banking sector.

Impact of Transformational Leadership on Employee Motivation

Idealized influence.

The analysis of the results in the Idealized Influence (II) dimension shows that 45% of the improvement in employee motivation in the sector resulted from idealized influence. From table 1 below, it is seen that the beta (β) value for transformational leadership is 0.746. This implies that a unit change in idealized influence would result in a positive 0.83 unit change in employee motivation (Aunjum et al., 2017).

Table 1: Impact of idealized influence on employee motivation (Aunjum et al., 2017)

Inspirational Motivation

In the Inspirational Motivation dimension, table 2 below presents a beta (β) value of 0.619. This implies that a 1 unit incremental change in IM would result in almost 62% positive change in employee motivation (Aunjum et al., 2017).

Table 2: Impact of inspirational motivation on employee motivation (Aunjum et al., 2017)

Intellectual Stimulation

The results in this dimension as per the table below presented by Aunjum et al. (2017) reveal that a unit positive change in intellectual stimulation dimension would result in a 69% appreciation in the level of motivation in employees.

Table 3: Impact of intellectual stimulation on employee motivation (Aunjum et al., 2017)

Individualized Consideration

The overall employee motivation in the IC context appreciates by 83% in response to a unit positive change in transformational leadership within the studied organizations.

Table 4: Impact of individualized consideration on employee motivation (Aunjum et al., 2017)

The study shows that there is a strong correlation between the four dimensions of transformational leadership and employee motivation. However, the study focuses on one sector. This implies that for these results to achieve a high level of confidence, a comparison of different sectors must be presented. In that regard, Lizette et al. (2016) present a qualitative study in which respondents for the questionnaire are drawn from the EMEA sales unit in the Volvo group. The study leads to an observation that transformational leadership has an overall positive impact on employees' motivation. In addition, the above findings are corroborated by findings presented by Ahmad et al. (2014) in the telecommunication sector context where they find over 50% positive change in a unit change in all of the four dimensions of transformational leadership. Finally, in a research study evaluating how employees perceive different leadership styles, Alghazo and Al-Anazi find that 73.33% of employees hold the opinion that transformational leadership would motivate them more than other forms of leadership. The agreement between data from the different studies thus shows that transformational leadership has a strong positive correlation with employee motivation.

Impact of Transformational Leadership on Employees and Organizational Performance

Orabi (2016) presents a survey in which the aim is to establish the relationship between transformational leadership and organizational performance. Transformational leadership is linked to performance in terms of its four dimensions, thus resulting in four dimension-specific hypotheses and one general hypothesis. The survey involved 213 respondents from three banks. The table below shows the results obtained after testing the hypotheses using a multiple regression analysis:

Table 5: Regression results (Orabi, 2016)

The values p=0.00 indicate that the variable is statistically significant. From the table above, it is thus evident that there is a statistically significant and positive correlation between organizational performance and inspirational motivation (IM), intellectual stimulation (IS), and individual consideration (IC). This implies that a positive change in these three factors leads to a positive change in organizational performance. Since the p-value for idealized influence is greater than 0.05, idealized influence does not have any significant implication on organizational performance. The table below thus shows the actual relationship between the different elements of transformational leadership and organizational performance.

Table 6: Conclusions from the regression analysis (Orabi, 2016)

The general result of this study is supported by findings presented by Strukan et al. (2017) and Garcia-Morales et al. (2008). Strukan et al. (2017) divide organizational performance variables into financial performance and new product development. And the findings show a strong positive correlation between the application of transformational leadership and specific outcomes such as profitability and the expansion of market shares through newly developed products. However, organizational performance is dependent on employees and it is thus important to analyse the impact of transformational leadership on the performance of individual employees. In that regard, research results presented by Mbithi et al. (2016) in the context of employees in a higher learning institution setting show a positive correlation between transformational leadership and the level of commitment, job satisfaction, and organizational citizenship behaviour. Presenting the analysis in terms of employees' performance is important to the organizational performance results presented by Orabi (2016) since it provides a direct explanation of why the positive correlation between transformational leadership and organizational performance is observed (Iscan et al., 2014).

Impact of Transformational Leadership on Organizational Effectiveness

In establishing the relationship between transformational leadership and organizational effectiveness, Tahsildari et al. (2014) present a comprehensive survey of literature on the subject. The literature presented categorizes approaches for determining the effectiveness of organizations into three groups: goal approach, systems approach, and process approach. In the context of the goal approach, the effectiveness of an organization is determined by the extent to which it meets its objectives. The systems approach, on the other hand, is concerned with the ability of an organization to access resources that are not in abundant supply. Finally, the process approach is concerned with how the organization functions and includes factors such as employee satisfaction and work environment. In the survey, a wide range of research studies shows a strong connection between transformational leadership and the level of innovativeness in employees. This innovativeness is then shown to have a positive impact on the attainment of goals, the effectiveness of organizational systems, and the efficiency in internal processes.

Cavazotte et al. (2013), on the other hand, present an empirical study in which indicators of organizational effectiveness such as self-efficacy, follower identification with leader, and task performance are considered. The relationship between all these factors was statistically significant (p<0.001). In addition, positive beta (β) values were obtained, showing that the effectiveness indicators were positively correlated with transformational leadership. The figure below shows the model used in the analysis and how each factor is associated with transformational leadership in the context of the four variables which are vision, idealism, inspirational motivation, and intellectual stimulation. The fact that most of the path coefficients are above 0.3, except that between altruism and transformational leadership, is an indication that the model adequately predicts the organizational effectiveness achieved through the application of transformational leadership (Cavazotte et al., 2013).

Figure 1: An analytical model linking transformational leadership factors to organizational effectiveness measures (Cavazotte et al., 2013)

Summary of the Findings

The analysis of the researches and surveys covering the impact of transformational leadership on employee motivation, organizational performance, and organizational effectiveness reveals that the leadership style is positively correlated with all three organizational factors. Successful organizations perform well in employee motivation, organizational performance, and organizational effectiveness. The positive correlation between these factors and transformational leadership would thus imply that less successful organizations apply transformational leadership to a lesser extent than their more successful counterparts. The table below, presented in a research study by Jandaghi et al. (2009), shows that less successful companies have lower mean scores in all four dimensions of transformational leadership. The findings support the findings of the results of the analysis presented herein, which conclude that there is a positive impact of transformational leadership in all the presented organizational factors.

Table 7: The mean scores of successful and unsuccessful companies in terms of the dimensions of transformational leadership (Jandaghi et al., 2009)

Ahmad, F., Abbas, T., Latif, S. & Rasheed, A. 2014, ‘Impact of Transformational Leadership on Employee Motivation in Telecommunication Sector’, Journal of Management Policies and Practices, Vol. 2(2), pp. 11-25

Alghazo, A. M. & Al-Anazi, M. A 2016, ‘The Impact of Leadership Style on Employee’s Motivation’, International Journal of Economics and Business Administration, Vol. 2(5), pp. 37-44

Aunjum, A. H., Abbas, G., & Sajid, M 2017, ‘Transformational Leadership and Employee Motivation in Banking Sector of Pakistan’, Advances in Economics and Business, Vol. 5(9), pp. 487-494

Cavzotte, F., Moreno, V. & Bernardo, J 2013, ‘Transformational Leaders and Work Performance: The Mediating Roles of Identification and Self-Efficacy’, Brazilian Administration Review, Vol. 10(4), pp. 491-512

Garcia-Morales, V. J., Javier, F. & Verdu-Jover, A. J 2008, ‘The Effects of Transformational Leadership on Organizational Performance through Knowledge and Innovation’, British Journal of Management, Vol. 19 (2008), pp. 299-319

Iscan, O. F., Ersari, G. & Naktiyok, A 2014, ‘Effect of Leadership Style on Perceived Organizational Performance and Innovation: The Role of Transformational Leadership Beyond the Impact of Transactional Leadership - An Application among Turkish SMEs’, Procedia – Social and Behavioural Sciences,

Vol. 150(2014), pp. 881-889

Jandaghi, G., Matin, H. Z. & Farjami, A, 2009, ‘Comparing Transformational Leadership in Successful and Unsuccessful Companies’, The Journal of International Social Research, Vol. 2(6), pp. 357-372

Jiang, W., Zhao, X. & Ni, J 2017, The Impact of Transformational Leadership on Employee Sustainable Performance: The Mediating Role of Organizational Citizenship Behaviour’, Sustainability, Vol. 9(1567), pp. 1-17

Lizette, Eriksson, F., & Johnson, C 2016, Transformational Leadership Effect on Motivation and Trust: A Case Study of Volvo Sales Region EMEA, Malardalen University, Sweden

Mbithi, A. M., K’Obonyo, P., & Awino, Z 2016, ‘Transformational Leadership, Employee Outcomes, and Performance in Universities in Kenya’, DBA Africa Management Review, Vol. 6(2), pp. 1-20

Orabi, T. G. A 2016, ‘The Impact of Transformational Leadership Style on Organizational Performance: Evidence From Jordan’, International Journal of Human Resource Studies, Vol. 6(2), pp. 89-102

Rawat, S. R 2015, ‘Impact of Transformational Leadership Over Employee Morale and Motivation’, Indian Journal of Science and Technology, Vol. 8(S6), pp. 25-34

Shelley, D., Dionne, F. J., Yammarino, L. E., & Spangler, A. W 2011, ‘Transformational Leadership and Team Performance’, Journal of Organizational Change Management, Vol. 17(2), pp. 177-193

Strukan, E., Nikolic, M. & Sefic, S 2017, ‘Impact of Transformational Leadership on Business Performance’, Technical Gazette, Vol. 24(2), pp. 435-444

Tahsildari, H., Hashim, M. T. & Wan, W. N 2014, ‘The Influence of Transformational Leadership on Organizational Effectiveness through Employees’ Innovative Behaviour’, Journal of Economics and Sustainable Development, Vol. 5(24), pp. 225-236

Deadline is approaching?

Wait no more. Let us write you an essay from scratch

Related Essays

Related topics.

Find Out the Cost of Your Paper

Type your email

By clicking “Submit”, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy policy. Sometimes you will receive account related emails.

• Knowledge Cache
• The Groove Expedition™

Transformational Leadership (Behind the Essay)

Blog / October 13, 2016

We recently published an essay: “Transformational Leadership Theory: A Great Place to Begin.”  This blog post shares the story behind the essay, to include how you can use the essay as a catalyst for your further development as a leader.

As the title conveys, we believe this theory is a great place to begin for people who are taking steps to get serious about leadership. That goes for the new practitioner as well as the person who has been leading for years. We believe leaders develop and become more effective to the degree that they thoughtfully weave together practice and theory, experience and new knowledge. With that in mind, we recommend you read the article with the intention of weaving the concepts of the theory into your ongoing leadership practice.

WHY WE WROTE THE ESSAY

The impetus for writing the essay was a week-long leadership class that we helped design and teach. Transformational Leadership Theory was central to the course, and we needed a succinct reading assignment that conveyed the essence of the theory.

Students in the course–most of whom are seasoned leaders already–read the essay and write their own “transformational leadership philosophy” paper.  In this paper, students describe their three most important leadership tenets, a story from their life that shows how that belief was forged, and then make connections to Transformational Leadership Theory. The paper builds over the week-long course and includes a series of storytelling exercises and a short verbal presentation.

A LEADER DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE

The process of reading the essay and writing the papers was an incredibly positive learning experience for the professionals in the course. But you don’t need to be in a course to achieve this development. Here is one way to leverage this process on your own (or with others):

• Read the Transformational Leadership essay.
• Reflect on your life and your practice of leadership. What are the three leadership tenets (or principles) that best describe how you lead and/or what you believe about leadership?  These three tenets, together, describe your personal philosophy of leadership.  State them and briefly define them.
• Using a personal story, convey how each tenet was forged in your life experiences. In other words, ground the tenets in real stories from your life. The more real, the more personal, the better. If you don’t feel emotion and a sense of conviction, keep digging.
• Finally, connect each tenet to Transformational Leadership Theory. Where does it fit on the Full Range Leadership model? What specific component of the theory supports your thinking?

Finish by asking yourself two questions:

• How am I currently doing with living out my tenets?
• How can I be more intentional about practicing my tenets in the future?

You can make this even more impactful by doing it in a small group–with other people who are equally committed to growing and becoming all that they can be as leaders.

The process of writing the essay was really rewarding to me. I learned a great deal and emerged more inspired about leadership than when I started. The closing paragraph of the essay, which summarizes the essence of Transformational Leadership Theory, also conveys the essence of what I believe about leadership. You will also find those ideas woven into the DNA of the Cornwall Leadership Institute.

In closing, I want to express gratitude to a number of people.  First, to the students in the inaugural leadership course using this essay. Second, to several people who gave me feedback along the way and helped make the final product much better than it otherwise would have been: Lisa Maria Noudehou, Pete Kilner, and Everett Spain. Finally, to Bruce Avolio who bent over backwards to help me better understand the theory that he co-created. Thank you all. Your generosity is inspiring and much appreciated.

Click here to Read the Essay

Share this:

Discover more from cornwall leadership institute.

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Type your email…

Continue reading

Essay on Transformational Leadership

Transformational leadership is a leadership style that aims at motivating followers to achieve their full potential and exceed their expectations. Leaders who adopt this style focus on developing a shared vision, empowering their team members, and encouraging them to embrace change and innovation. Transformational leaders use their enthusiasm and positive energy to create a sense of purpose and commitment among their followers.

A transformational leader is inspirational, empowering, innovative, and charismatic. Transformational leaders inspire and empower their team members by delegating responsibility. They encourage creativity by promoting new ideas and approaches. In the Video, the couch is innovative. He blindfolds Wesley to ensure he does not see how far he crawls (workoutnaturally, 2011). He also motivates Brock to push beyond his limit and empowers him by psyching him as he crawls across the field and reminding him not to give up.

Transformational style of leadership faces several hardships. For example, there may be a need for more alignment between the leader’s vision and the organization’s goals. The style also requires a significant investment of time and energy. Transformational leaders often require high commitment and dedication from their team members. Transformational leadership and transformative leaders can influence people and change in various ways. One of them is building trust with their team members by demonstrating integrity and empathy, which creates a sense of belonging within the group. By providing support, and opportunities for growth and development, the leaders motivate and empower their team members to achieve their full potential.

I agree with the results of my self-assessment survey. The survey pinpoints my strengths and weakness, which enlightened me on putting more effort into improving my transformational leadership. I can improve my skills as a transformational leader by being empathetic, showing compassion, and being aware of my emotions and those of my team members. I can also encourage teamwork and collaboration by creating a culture that values cooperation.

There are several instances people have influenced change. Some include a relative to John A. Stokes who asked, “how big is a follow jail?” when they were threatened that their parents would be fired and sent to jail (Katie Gould, 2014). NAACP lawyers contributed to change when they responded to the crisis by going to Farmville to assess the resolve (Katie Gould, 2014). The parents also influenced change when they supported the students “1000 students and parents attended a mass meeting in Farmville” (Hickman & Cuoto). Spotswood Robinson also influenced change when he asked them to sign the petition if they were ready to back the students.

Barbara John’s role as a leader continued after she launched the strike. She later participated in the Montgomery bus boycott, and her legacy as a leader continued to influence later events in the civil rights movement, even after she had passed away. She continues to inspire people to fight for a more just and equal society, and her contributions to the movement are still recognized today.

Barbara Johns took several actions to influence the actions of others. One of her actions was speaking out publicly at the auditorium, which motivated students to stick together and air their grievances (Hickman & Cuoto). This shows how she is entitled to lead people and does as she asks them to do. Barbara Johns exhibited transformative behavior by empowering others, building coalitions, and leading by example. Her leadership and activism inspired others to join the fight for civil rights. The behaviors that Barbara Johns uses to provoke and initiate social change are still relevant and applicable today. While the specifics of social justice may have changed over time, the principles and strategies used to effect change have largely remained the same.

Hickman, G. R., & Cuoto, R. A. (n.d.).  Conceptual perspectives on leading change chapter 1

workoutnaturally. (2011, July 16).  Motivational Coach Teaches How to Overcome Our Limits!  [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaEgT0hVuS0

Katie Gould. (2014, March 26).  Barbara Johns Civil Rights Leader  [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5wthZhF3Jk

Cite This Work

To export a reference to this article please select a referencing style below:

Related Essays

Navigating entrepreneurship vs. intrapreneurship, malcolm baldrige national quality award paper, an analysis of how corporate governance impacts capital structure decisions, course project deliverable: description of the microsoft organization, gdp growth for europe, operations management of amazon company, popular essay topics.

• American Dream
• Artificial Intelligence
• Black Lives Matter
• Bullying Essay
• Career Goals Essay
• Causes of the Civil War
• Child Abusing
• Civil Rights Movement
• Community Service
• Cultural Identity
• Cyber Bullying
• Death Penalty
• Depression Essay
• Domestic Violence
• Freedom of Speech
• Global Warming
• Gun Control
• Human Trafficking
• I Believe Essay
• Immigration
• Importance of Education
• Israel and Palestine Conflict
• Leadership Essay
• Legalizing Marijuanas
• Mental Health
• National Honor Society
• Police Brutality
• Pollution Essay
• Racism Essay
• Romeo and Juliet
• Same Sex Marriages
• Social Media
• The Great Gatsby
• The Yellow Wallpaper
• Time Management
• To Kill a Mockingbird
• Violent Video Games
• What Makes You Unique
• Why I Want to Be a Nurse
• Send us an e-mail

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

• Publications
• Account settings

Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .

• Advanced Search
• Journal List
• PMC10537672

The Impact of Transformational Leadership in the Nursing Work Environment and Patients’ Outcomes: A Systematic Review

Line miray kazin ystaas.

1 Department of Health Sciences, School of Life and Health Sciences, University of Nicosia, Nicosia 1700, Cyprus

Monica Nikitara

Savoula ghobrial, evangelos latzourakis, giannis polychronis, costas s. constantinou.

2 Department of Basic and Clinical Sciences, Medical School, University of Nicosia, Nicosia 1700, Cyprus

Associated Data

The articles’ data supporting this systematic review are from previously reported studies and datasets, which have been cited. The processed data are available in Table 2 and in the reference list. Further information can be requested from the corresponding author.

Background: With the increasingly demanding healthcare environment, patient safety issues are only becoming more complex. This urges nursing leaders to adapt and master effective leadership; particularly, transformational leadership (TFL) is shown to scientifically be the most successfully recognized leadership style in healthcare, focusing on relationship building while putting followers in power and emphasizing values and vision. Aim: To examine how transformational leadership affects nurses’ job environment and nursing care provided to the patients and patients’ outcomes. Design: A systematic literature review was conducted. From 71 reviewed, 23 studies were included (studies included questionnaire surveys and one interview, extracting barriers and facilitators, and analyzing using qualitative synthesis). Result: TFL indirectly and directly positively affects nurses’ work environment through mediators, including structural empowerment, organizational commitment, and job satisfaction. Nurses perceived that managers’ TFL behavior did not attain excellence in any of the included organizations, highlighting the necessity for additional leadership training to enhance the patient safety culture related to the non-reporting of errors and to mitigate the blame culture within the nursing environment. Conclusion: Bringing more focus to leadership education in nursing can make future nursing leaders more effective, which will cultivate efficient teamwork, a quality nursing work environment, and, ultimately, safe and efficient patient outcomes. This study was not registered.

1. Introduction

Patient harm caused by errors in healthcare is the leading origin of morbidity and mortality internationally [ 1 ]. Researchers are linking adverse patient safety outcomes to a lack of effective leadership, while relational leadership styles, like transformational leadership, continue to be associated with reduced adverse patient outcomes [ 2 , 3 ]. Nursing is dynamic and requires inspiring and engaging leaders and role models. However, the development of nurse leaders is challenging for the nursing profession.

Currently, nurses face a burnout epidemic rooted mainly in the work environment influenced by excessive workloads and a lack of organizational support and leadership [ 4 ]. Maben et al. (2022) reported that nurses globally face a heightened vulnerability to mental health issues and suicide, surpassing other occupational groups, while the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the existing challenges in their work environment, further intensifying the already demanding conditions [ 5 ]. The engagement in emotional labor within the nursing profession exposes practitioners to a notable susceptibility to experiencing burnout, moral distress, and compassion fatigue. Prior to the onset of the pandemic, the international cadre of nurses was already confronting considerable hurdles, encompassing prolonged duty durations, rotation schedules, inadequate staffing, and periodically arduous situations [ 5 , 6 , 7 ]. Throughout the pandemic, nurses encountered a range of stress-inducing factors, including managing heightened public expectations and pressure, adapting to new work responsibilities, facing elevated mortality rates, dealing with the infectious nature of COVID-19, experiencing psychosocial stress, confronting the scarcity of personal protective equipment, handling demanding job requirements, and contending with inadequate psychological support [ 8 ]. At the same time, scholars have found poor working conditions for nurses and inadequate staffing to predict adverse patient outcomes based on the low-quality nursing job atmosphere and the absence of appropriate leadership styles [ 9 , 10 ].

Safety issues in care, such as adverse events, medication errors, falls, and surgery mistakes, have plagued healthcare systems internationally for decades. Several investigations have acknowledged healthcare environments as high-risk with a lack of safety culture, causing long-delayed discharge, disability, or even death [ 2 , 11 ]. Inherently, the nursing profession and current healthcare climate are chaotic, and a positive safety culture has been proven to come from a creditable and visible leader who supports patient safety behaviors [ 12 ]. It is important to recognize that nurses have the highest patient interaction, making nurse leaders central catalysts to positively influencing patient safety culture to reach safer patient outcomes [ 13 , 14 ].

The quality of the nursing work environment is an indicator of nurse satisfaction. A leader who involves staff fosters teamwork, rewards good performance, and encourages motivation can impact the quality of work life [ 15 , 16 ]. The leadership style describes how the leader interacts with others and can be categorized into two main styles: task-oriented and relational [ 17 ]. Historically, leadership theories started with the Great Man Theory during the Industrial Revolution with strong hierarchical leader-centric decision making, focusing on command-and-control, productivity, and seeing the organization as linear, operating like a machine [ 18 ]. This leadership style model in healthcare is no longer sustainable, as proven by a lack of change and persisting patient safety issues. Researchers have found that healthcare innovation requires nonlinear and emergent social processes that result in improved organizational outcomes [ 19 ]. In recent years, the two relational styles, transformational and transactional leadership, have been explored through nursing literature and have become high profile in general healthcare research.

Transformational leadership is composed of four key components. Firstly, “idealized influence” involves the leader behaving as a robust role model toward followers, demonstrating a work ethic and strong values while preaching the organization’s vision, thereby winning the staff’s trust and confidence [ 20 ]. The second type of behavior is referred to as “inspirational motivation”. It includes creating a compelling and inspiring vision for the future and communicating it to followers through emotionally charged speeches, vivid imagery, and captivating symbols. This encourages followers to strive to reach this shared vision, thus creating a deeper level of commitment and higher performance [ 17 ]. The third type of behavior is called “intellectual stimulation”. Intellectual stimulation encourages followers to think outside the box and consider different approaches to everyday issues, enabling them to devise innovative solutions to these problems [ 21 ]. The final category of behaviors is “individualized consideration”, including coaching, helping followers achieve goals, and providing a supportive climate. By carefully listening, leaders can help fulfill those needs [ 22 ]. For instance, some followers might require explicit guidance regarding how to get a job done, while others require the provision of needed resources so they can figure out the solution on their own. Nonetheless, TFL’s four behaviors construct a transformational leader if performed consistently and are found to bring respect and admiration by followers [ 23 ].

1.1. Rational

Healthcare systems are globally facing a crisis, with nurse shortage being a perennial issue. Nurses have the highest patient interaction, making nurse leaders central catalysts in positively influencing patient safety culture to reach safer patient outcomes [ 13 ]. At the same time, negative nursing work environments cultivate dissatisfied nurses who are likely to suffer from emotional exhaustion or burnout because of ineffective leadership [ 14 ]. Amidst these challenges, there is growing recognition of the potential impact of transformational leadership in healthcare settings.

Transformational leadership is characterized by its focus on relationship-building, empowering followers, and emphasizing shared values and vision. This leadership style has been found to positively affect various industries and sectors, including healthcare. However, there remains a gap in knowledge regarding its specific effectiveness in healthcare settings. A comprehensive analysis of the potential benefits of transformational leadership in the healthcare context is warranted. This systematic review aims to address this gap by investigating the effectiveness of transformational leadership and its potential to create better working environments, ultimately leading to improved patient outcomes. We have identified a crucial area of inquiry that has not been thoroughly examined in the existing literature—a systematic review that delves into the relationship between transformational leadership and its effects on both the working environment and patient outcomes. We have identified a single literature review from the preceding decade (2002–2012) that focused on the efficacy of transformational leadership in relation to both work environments and patient outcomes [ 24 ]. Considering this, our current investigation is oriented towards delving into scholarly works spanning the subsequent decade (2012–2022), with the intention of comprehensively examining the evolving discourse on this subject matter. By exploring and synthesizing the current body of knowledge on this topic, our study will contribute valuable insights to the field, allowing healthcare organizations to better understand the impact of transformational leadership and make informed decisions regarding their leadership practices.

The significance of this research lies in its potential to shed light on a promising approach to address the pressing challenges faced by healthcare systems—nurse shortage and dissatisfaction—through effective leadership strategies. By providing evidence-based insights, this review seeks to guide healthcare leaders in adopting transformational leadership practices to create a positive work environment for nurses, reducing emotional exhaustion and burnout, and ultimately enhancing patient care and safety.

In conclusion, the dearth of research on the relationship between transformational leadership, work environment, and patient outcomes in healthcare settings highlights the necessity of this review. By examining the effectiveness of transformational leadership and its potential impact on nurses’ well-being and patient outcomes, our study aims to fill this critical gap in knowledge and contribute to the advancement of healthcare leadership practices.

1.2. Objective and Research Question

Having delineated the rationale and imperative for conducting this systematic review, our primary aim was to search, retrieve, and critically evaluate all pertinent studies centered around the concept of transformational leadership, with a particular focus on its efficacy in fostering an improved working environment for nurses and influencing patient outcomes comprehensively and systematically.

Our aim was to synthesize and analyze studies, and therefore, we used the PICo framework for studies to determine a research question. PICo is the simplest of the frameworks to use for qualitative questions; it stands for Population, Interest, and Context and can be used to find a range of primary literature. The Population in our study is nurses; the Interest is transformational leadership, working environments, and patient outcomes; and the Context is hospitals. Based on the PICo framework, we formulated our research question as follows: “What is the impact of transformational leadership on staff nurse work environments and patient outcomes?”

2. Methodology

To effectively accomplish our aim and investigate our research question, we utilized a systematic review approach following the guidelines outlined in the PRISMA 2020 statement [ 25 ]. The PRISMA 2020 checklist is available in Appendix A . In the subsequent subsections, we provide a comprehensive overview of our methodology.

2.1. Eligibility Criteria

Each of the chosen studies incorporated in this systematic review had to fulfill specific inclusion criteria, as outlined in Table 1 provided below.

Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria.

2.2. Information Sources and Search Strategy

We used the following databases to choose the articles: MEDLINE, CINAHL, and SCIENCE DIRECT. The search approach employed the Boolean operator OR between the keywords nurse, working environments, patients’ outcomes, and transformational leadership and comparable MeSH phrases. To refine the search, phrases with diverse meanings were joined using the Boolean operator AND. The search approach used on the EBSCO platform for the aforementioned databases is described in Table 2 We limited the search to journal articles in English with the full text available. However, numerous studies were rejected as they referred to other leadership styles than transformational leadership in addition to other healthcare settings than a nursing work environment.

Search approach.

* The asterisk in Ebsco platform wildcard in search finds words with a common root.

2.3. Selection of Studies Process

Two researchers (the first two authors) conducted independent searches, retrievals, and selections of studies, initially based on three primary criteria: (a) the presence of primary research, (b) the inclusion of transformational leadership as a topic, and (c) relevance to nursing care. Subsequently, additional criteria, such as peer-reviewed articles published in journals or conference proceedings, as well as the publication date, were employed for further refinement. Upon completing the initial selection process, the two researchers engaged in discussions and compiled a list of prospective articles. This list was shared with four other researchers, who collectively determined the final articles to be included in the review, making any necessary additions or removals as deemed appropriate.

2.4. Data Collection Process

The data from the selected studies were independently collected by two researchers. They extracted the components, items, statements, or competencies that had achieved consensus among experts during the final round of each study. Specifically, the following data from each study were extracted: title of the study, authors’ names, publication year, study design, tools, sample characteristics, and summary of main findings and results. Subsequently, the researchers thoroughly reviewed the extracted data multiple times and proceeded to code and identify overarching themes.

2.5. Synthesis Methods

The data were synthesized by content analysis, and the findings were categorized into themes. After carefully examining the results and findings section of a chosen article, an initial set of codes was created. These codes underwent further improvement as more articles were analyzed. Each line of text was assigned a code, and a code tree was utilized to identify emerging themes. From the interpreted meanings, sub-themes were derived and combined. These sub-themes underwent further analysis and were eventually condensed into a single overarching theme. Content analysis can aid in the identification and summarization of submerging key elements within a large body of data during the review process [ 26 ]. The themes of the effectiveness of TFL in the nursing environment were organized according to the content analysis suggested by Zhang and Wildemuth (2009) [ 27 ].

To ensure the validity of the results, a two-level quality assurance process was implemented. The authors of this paper independently followed the review procedure, including coding, categorization, revisiting the studies, and refining the codes and categories. Subsequently, they convened, engaged in discussions, refined the analysis, and finalized the results.

This review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA statement ( Figure 1 ) [ 25 ], which provides a set of guidelines for conducting reviews and meta-analyses in a comprehensive and systematic manner.

PRISMA flowchart with the search strategy of the systematic review.

3.1. Studies Selection

The initial search process resulted in 71 articles related to transformational leadership. There were no duplications ( Figure 1 ), and therefore, 71 articles were included for advance screening. Fourteen (14) articles did not relate to nurses’ work environment and were omitted. Two researchers thoroughly reviewed the remaining 57 articles independently. From this process, 34 articles were excluded as they did not satisfy the criteria for inclusion. The final number of articles that met the criteria for inclusion was twenty-three (23).

3.2. Studies Characteristics

These 23 articles were conducted in various countries and assessed the effect of transformational leadership in a nursing clinical work environment. Most of the studies included a multifactor leadership questionnaire to evaluate nurses’ perceived effectiveness of transformational leadership (1–10, 13, 14, 16, 18, 19, 22, 23). Further information about the articles, such as author, year, tool, methodology, sample, and main results, is described in Table 3 below.

Articles Description.

3.3. Study Assessment

The quality of the articles included in this review was checked by the Joanna Briggs Institute Qualitative Assessment and Review Instrument Critical Appraisal Checklist. The Joanna Briggs checklist evaluates the methodological quality of a study while determining the possibility of an indication of bias in its conduct, design, and analysis. As can be seen from Table 3 , there were 21 cross-sectional studies (1–11, 13–19, 21–23), 1 descriptive–correlational study (12), and 1 qualitative study (20).

All the included studies largely adhered to the Joanna Briggs criteria, providing comprehensive and detailed descriptions of their respective methodologies and procedures Table 4 , Table 5 and Table 6 . However, it was observed that two of the cross-sectional studies did not explicitly outline any specific strategies to address the stated confounding factors. Nevertheless, as Dekkers et al. (2019) argue, confounding is not dichotomous but rather a continuum where varying degrees of confounding influence can exist [ 28 ]. Furthermore, in accordance with the Joanna Briggs guidelines, the qualitative study failed to disclose the researcher’s cultural or theoretical standpoint, as well as the potential influence of the researcher on the research process. It is worth noting that such omissions are common in qualitative studies, where the focus is on understanding the subjectivity of the participants and allowing their perspectives to emerge naturally.

JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for Analytical Cross-Sectional Studies.

Risk of Bias Assessed by the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Qualitative Study Results.

JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for Studies Reporting Prevalence Data Results.

3.4. Results of Synthesis

Two major themes emerged, effectively addressing the research questions. Within each theme, several categories were identified, shedding light on the multifaceted nature of the topic under investigation. The themes and their corresponding categories were as follows.

Theme 1: Staff nurses’ work environment:

• Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment;
• Reduce Nurse Retention;
• Nurses’ Empowerment and Autonomy;
• Nurses’ Compliance with Safety Measures.

Theme 2: Patients’ outcomes:

• Patient Safety Culture;
• Reporting Adverse Events.

3.4.1. Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment

Various studies that investigated the mechanism of TFL detected its strong influence on employee attitudes and behaviors in nursing. Nurses’ work attitudes are reflected in their levels of job satisfaction and organizational commitment [ 29 , 30 ]. It was clear from the literature that TFL frequently positively influenced nurses’ work environment by indirectly increasing job satisfaction [ 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 ]. Employees’ positive perception of jobs and organization is revealed through job satisfaction [ 30 ]. Researchers link TFL and empowerment to the establishment of self-determination and competency, which is proven to impact job satisfaction, suggesting the direct relationship between nurse empowerment and nurse job satisfaction, enhancing the quality of the nurses’ work environment [ 9 , 32 ].

There is also evidence to construct a strong link between organizational commitment and job satisfaction. Interestingly, the statistics showed that nursing staff committed to their organization with a strong sense of loyalty and dependence also had higher levels of job satisfaction [ 29 , 33 ]. Further, higher levels of organizational commitment and job satisfaction were also associated with increased health status in the nurses [ 33 ]. More specifically, TFL was related to more excellent supervisor support, increasing job satisfaction among the nurses, and resulting in more significant organizational commitment [ 29 ]. In a study examining the effectiveness of TFL in the environment of elderly care, TFL was found to effectively strengthen the nursing staff’s sense of belonging to the organization, reducing their burnout. The clan culture established through TFL effectively influenced organizational commitment and job satisfaction, where the atmosphere of a home culture created within their work environment promoted the intrinsic values of nursing staff while improving cohesion between the nurses and the quality of care [ 33 ]. However, TFL was found to have a direct positive effect on organizational commitment [ 33 , 35 ].

3.4.2. Reducing Intention to Leave the Job/Organization

Studies also found that TFL can reduce the nurses’ intent to leave the job, which is closely related to the previous category, as job dissatisfaction can be the primary precursor of nurses’ intent to leave [ 29 ]. The literature generally highlights that the TFL style shapes employees’ perceptions and feelings around their nursing managers and affects their desire and obligation to maintain the intent to stay in their organization [ 36 ]. A recent cross-sectional study examining 645 nurses working during the COVID-19 pandemic found that a supportive workplace culture can construct an adaptive mechanism through which transformational leaders can improve retention [ 37 ]. Additionally, the literature found TFL to decrease emotional exhaustion amongst nurses by encouraging a spiritual climate, indicating that a positive spiritual climate facilitated through TFL can reduce burnout and decrease nursing staff’s intent to leave [ 31 ]. However, there was insufficient evidence proving a direct correlation between TFL and staff nurses’ decision to stay or leave their job [ 33 , 35 ], but it was suggested that TFL has the potential (but not the primary factor) to slow down attrition and retain nurses by improving job satisfaction and organizational commitment, creating a positive work environment and increasing nurses’ probability of staying [ 35 ]. TFL seems to not act directly on job satisfaction or intent to stay but rather create a multifaceted positive work environment leading to a quality nursing environment. Consequently, it was reported that TFL indirectly influenced willingness to stay by positively influencing staff organizational commitment and job satisfaction [ 29 , 33 , 35 ].

3.4.3. Nurses’ Empowerment and Autonomy

Literature highlights that the TFL style within nursing can give staff nurses increased autonomy through empowerment strategies and meaningful participation in decision-making [ 30 , 31 , 36 ]. In turn, TFL-facilitated empowerment has been proven to increase employee commitment within their units by delegating power to nurses, leading to increased authority within their work environment [ 30 , 36 ]. Empowerment through decision-making involvement via removing formal organizational barriers has been found to reduce powerlessness in the nurse work environment, reducing job burnout and increasing job satisfaction [ 30 ]. RN-MD collaboration and teamwork within and across units were thought to be necessary for the nurse’s autonomy [ 38 ]. Further, the literature relates to the concept that a well-functioning patient safety climate requires nurses with autonomy to deal with problems regarding patient safety while proposing specific solutions and getting support and encouragement from organizations to facilitate patient safety-based innovations [ 39 ].

TFL and transactional leadership behaviors were found to affect empowerment amongst the nursing staff positively. However, TFL behaviors allowed nursing managers to reach even higher levels of success without congruence and reward, embedding empowerment into the clinical environment [ 40 ]. Some studies also identified the empowerment subscale, autonomy, as the statistically significant predictor of commitment, indicating that managers can engage nurses in appropriate decision making about patient care and safety in their work environment [ 30 , 36 ]. Management that does not accept decision-making participation dissembles empowerment, which frustrates and makes staff dependent on an authoritarian structure [ 36 ].

3.4.4. Nurses’ Compliance with Safety Measures

Lievens and Vlerick (2014) found a strong association between TFL and nurse safety compliance [ 41 ]. The more transformational the leader was perceived, the more the nursing staff participated and complied with patient safety practices. Further, staff nurses’ structural empowerment also experienced a significant correlation with the degree to which they perceived nursing managers’ (NMs) TFL behaviors [ 36 , 40 ]. Research also suggested that when nurses perceived their TFL to facilitate an innovative work climate, they automatically contributed to developing innovation behaviors [ 39 ]. Previously mentioned research suggested that nurses need to feel a part of their work environment. However, countries where staff are hesitant to challenge authority create a reluctance to change, and compliance can breed a lack of stimulation [ 31 ]. It was reported that nurse managers should be trained to challenge nurses to resolve problems and specialize their competence to foster innovation and grow talents and creativity [ 36 ].

Lievens and Vlerick (2014), in their cross-sectional study which included 145 nurses, also found intellectual stimulation to strongly impact knowledge-related characteristics, suggesting an indirect link between safety performance and TFL through skills and ability demands, where the more knowledge-related job characteristics were perceived, the more nurses complied with safety rules [ 41 ]. Skill utilization or intellectual stimulation was further found to be the strongest single predictor of work engagement, compared to TFL, where nurses appreciated opportunities for personal development, learning new things, and achieving something meaningful, encouraging work engagement [ 2 , 42 ].

Patients’ outcomes:

The literature shows a positive relationship between TFL and the improvement of patient safety climate and culture, emphasizing that nursing managers are key to developing a safety climate and maintaining a culture of patient safety, preventing adverse events.

3.4.5. Increase Patient Safety Culture

There was a significant prevalence of findings reporting TFL to facilitate patient safety either directly [ 2 , 9 , 38 , 42 ] or indirectly [ 32 , 39 , 41 ]. Seljemo et al. (2020), in their cross-sectional study, questioned 156 nurses; Ree and Wiig (2019), also in a cross-sectional design study, questioned 139 nurses and found TFL to be the strongest predictor of patient safety culture and overall perception of patient safety compared to job demands and resources [ 2 , 42 ]. This was suggested to result from TFL having a positive direct effect on the psychosocial work environment. Further evidence also links TFL directly to quality patient outcomes, reducing the possibility of adverse patient outcomes and increasing the quality of care [ 9 ].

Patient safety culture includes themes such as teamwork within units, managers’ support, organizational learning, overall perceptions of safety, feedback and communication openness about the error, frequency of events reported, staffing, handoffs and transitions, and non-punitive response to errors. “Teamwork within units” generally had a common positive perception amongst the nurses, indicating collaboration within their units as effective within TFL [ 38 , 43 , 44 ]. Anselmann and Mulder (2020) asked 183 geriatric nurses in their cross-sectional study, and they support the above, finding that TFL has a positive impact on team performance when a safe climate is fostered [ 45 ]. Even though nurses found cohesion within their units, literature revealed a common theme of insufficient “teamwork between units”, indicating that each unit had an independent culture [ 38 , 43 , 44 ]. Further, a generally weak perception of the effectiveness of RN-MD collaboration was also observed [ 38 , 43 ].

Researchers stressed the necessity of having efficient teamwork between units and on a multi-professional level to create an effective patient safety culture [ 9 ]. Another reoccurring subdimension, “feedback and rewarding”, was also identified as a weak component of TFL in relation to patient safety culture, illustrating a lack of adaptation and implementation of TLF behavior [ 9 , 43 , 46 ]. The TFL nursing manager generally seemed to conduct insufficient work around feedback and rewards, resulting in staff nurses not being encouraged and ensuring that medical errors were prevented and learned from [ 43 , 46 ].

3.4.6. Reporting Adverse Events

Adverse events can result in patient disability or death, prolong the time necessary to provide care, and increase healthcare costs and patient dissatisfaction [ 47 ]. However, a part of the literature showed that when TFL and transactional leadership were compared, reporting errors without blame and discussing errors openly were the two initiatives that transactional leadership implemented better than TFL [ 40 , 48 ]. A significant finding in the literature was the reoccurring theme of weak patient safety culture in relation to “non-punctual reporting of adverse events” in hospitals with TFL, where staff nurses rarely reported occurring medical errors to their NMs [ 34 , 44 , 46 , 48 , 49 ]. In a Finnish study, one in four nurses showed to not have reported one or more medication errors using their units’ adverse event registration system [ 46 ]. Tekingündüz et al. (2021), in a cross-sectional study with 150 participating nurses, also found a significant weakness in their organization’s patient safety culture, where 52.7% of the nurses did not report any adverse events in the last 12 months, 31.3% reported 1–2 adverse events while 10% reported 3–5 adverse events [ 49 ]. Further, in a qualitative study, the eleven nurse manager participants expressed the importance of nursing staff reporting the occurrence of adverse events to detect why each event happened and identify patient safety risks and solutions [ 50 ]. There was evidence to suggest that nurses reported that the occurrence of errors only sometimes led to a positive change, whereas at other times, it did not lead to any change, and errors were repeated [ 38 ]. The literature explained blame culture and fear in the nurse’s work environment as a factor distancing them from punctuative reporting of medical errors [ 46 , 49 , 50 ]. It was suggested by researchers that nursing staff were not encouraged to report and discuss adverse events openly and blame-free [ 48 , 49 , 50 ]. This involves handling adverse reports by nursing managers without making nursing staff feel guilty.

Managers reported that a culture where it is recognized that everyone makes mistakes is imperial, while it was observed that nurses tended to report other colleagues’ mistakes compared to their own [ 50 ]. Further, nursing managers noticed that nursing staff may blame themselves for a patient safety incident where they feel ashamed and worry about their colleague’s perception of them [ 49 ]. These perceptions were confirmed by nursing staff in another study, expressing their tendency to avoid reporting due to fear of punishment, humiliation, damage to reputation, disciplinary action by a licensing board, malpractice lawsuits, and limited follow-up after reporting loss of job [ 48 ]. Tekingündüz et al. (2021) also found the defect in reporting medical errors to be rooted in nurse’s fear of punishment and lack of confidentiality [ 49 ]. Generally, fear was perceived as a major reason for not reporting adverse events, and nursing managers saw this as a barrier to the effectiveness of their leadership and the attempt to develop their operational models to improve patient safety [ 46 , 49 , 50 ]. However, visionary leadership styles such as TFL correlate positively with both incident reporting and patient safety outcomes. Additionally, TFL is linked to improved patient safety, including reduced mortality rates, fewer medication errors, lower incidences of pneumonia and urinary tract infections, and fewer patient falls, attributed to the leaders’ approach of using errors as chances to enhance processes and promoting the reporting of near misses and adverse events [ 17 , 51 ].

Interestingly, a part of the literature showed that when TFL and transactional leadership were compared, reporting errors without blame and discussing errors openly were the two initiatives that transactional leadership implemented better than TFL [ 40 , 48 ]. These findings confirm the weakness around reporting adverse events and blame culture within TFL units.

4. Discussion

This review has collectively reviewed literature that has examined the effectiveness of transformational leadership (TFL) in a nursing work environment and patients’ outcomes. TFL has a complex, interconnected effect on nurses’ intrinsic environment and patient outcomes.

Nurses’ Work Environment:

The literature revealed substantial evidence that TFL can significantly enhance nurses’ psychosocial work environment by indirectly increasing job satisfaction. Three significant mediators between TFL and job satisfaction were nurse empowerment, organizational commitment, and spiritual climate, which altogether were thought to prevent retention in nursing [ 29 , 30 , 31 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 37 ]. Simultaneously, TFL was not the primary factor in job satisfaction but instead a facilitator and constructor of structural empowerment, organizational commitment, and spiritual climate. It is, therefore, evident that the literature revealed a positive domino effect that transformational leaders in nursing can generate. Generally, the literature revealed a strongly positive relationship between TFL and workplace culture in nursing [ 33 , 37 ]. Specific TFL attributes created an inclusive and supportive work environment, either directly or indirectly enhancing the nurses’ work environment and decreasing the risk of nurse burnout [ 37 , 52 ]. Nurses continuously reported managers’ support as a particularly important resource in their work environment, where establishing a high-quality relationship with their leaders was seen as imperial for patient safety culture [ 38 , 42 ].

The correlation observed between supportive leadership and favorable patient safety outcomes underscores the significance of Transformational Leaders (TFLs) possessing a comprehensive grasp of patient safety protocols, as well as recognizing the pivotal role played by bedside nurses in advancing improved safety outcomes. [ 17 ]. More specifically, managers’ support was also found to reinforce innovative behavior [ 39 ], increase job satisfaction [ 35 , 37 ], and even be the primary factor in a positive work environment, compared to TFL [ 29 ]. Conversely, the literature also described managers’ support as a core transformational behavior, where the more transformational the leader was perceived, the more the staff nurses experienced individual support in their clinical environment [ 29 , 42 , 46 ]. As concluded by the literature, TFL is not the primary factor but rather a mediator to job satisfaction, which was determined as an essential nursing outcome, shadowing quality work environment and may be an effective retention strategy in nursing. Previous studies confirm that safety outcomes are improved when workplace empowerment takes place in a positive nurse–leader relationship based on trust and respect, where they, together, work toward a patient safety culture [ 53 ].

Therefore, incorporating transformational leadership in nursing has numerous implications, with a direct and positive impact on job satisfaction. By nurturing a sense of purpose, providing support and empowerment, and promoting individual growth, transformational leaders create a fulfilling work environment that motivates nurses to excel. As nurses experience greater job satisfaction, patient care quality also improves, resulting in cooperative success for healthcare organizations, nursing staff, and the patients they serve.

Patients’ Outcomes:

The connection between supportive leadership and positive patient safety outcomes points to the importance of the TFL’s understanding of patient safety processes and the role of bedside nurses in promoting better safety outcomes [ 38 ]. However, several researchers reported not having a visible leader [ 43 ], which is documented as essential for patient safety changes to occur [ 53 ].

Researchers are linking negative patient safety outcomes to a lack of effective leadership, while relational leadership styles like transformational leadership continue to be associated with reduced adverse patient outcomes [ 17 ]. However, TFL nursing managers were repeatedly reported by the staff nurses only to communicate errors and problems after the adverse event, waiting for the event before resolving problems and taking proactive action [ 36 , 50 ]. Literature highlights that organizations that have successfully created a non-blame culture have better patient safety outcomes because the staff are encouraged to report errors, unsafe practices, and adverse events, perceiving safety around seeking help and assistance without threat [ 54 ]. Therefore, avoiding a blame culture and developing a reporting system serves as a proactive approach to identifying and mitigating risks, ultimately preventing errors and recurring mistakes, which, when left unaddressed, can result in significant social and economic burdens due to fatalities and preventable incidents [ 51 ] Additionally, developing a safety culture through managers’ interdisciplinary walkabout safety rounds has been associated with safety outcomes [ 17 ].

Transformational leadership in nursing has far-reaching implications for patient outcomes and care quality. By fostering a collaborative and patient-centered approach, empowering nursing staff, encouraging continuous learning, and promoting a culture of excellence, transformational leaders enhance the overall care experience for patients. Ultimately, the positive impact of transformational leadership on patient outcomes establishes it as a key factor in ensuring the delivery of high-quality healthcare services in nursing settings.

This literature review enriches nursing practice and research in a time where nursing leaders are sought to have an important and prominent role in healthcare policy development and improvement. Increased demand and complexity of patient care require effective and competent leadership skills and an understanding of TFL’s function in the current healthcare environment. Even though literature has constructed the idea of the nexus between patient safety and leadership, patient safety outcomes are unlikely to improve without facilitating and fostering the professional growth of future leaders. Additionally, factors influencing organizational job satisfaction and organizational commitment are significantly under the influence of TF nurse leaders. Therefore, healthcare organizations and the educational sector should invest in leadership training and curriculum to implement it further into nursing to support and ensure safe, quality work environments for both nurses and patients.

5. Limitations of the Study

This literature review predominantly incorporated quantitative research methodologies, which, in certain instances, can present challenges in contextualizing a phenomenon comprehensively, as the data may not always possess the robustness required to elucidate intricate issues. Additionally, it should be noted that the review’s scope was confined to studies published exclusively in the English language, with no inclusion of relevant content from the grey literature beyond the stipulated publication sources, and unpublished dissertations were also omitted from consideration. Consequently, it is essential to acknowledge that this review may not provide a fully representative overview of all pertinent scholarship within the field.

6. Conclusions

Despite the global recognition and attempted implementation of TFL in healthcare, the statistics still show that TFL is yet to be mastered within nursing. The strong relationship between TFL, structural empowerment, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment signify that an improved quality work environment may be the most essential element to enhance job effectiveness and patient safety in nursing. TFL is a vital facilitator that could help healthcare to improve job satisfaction and reduce adverse events. Evidence suggests that nursing managers who possess effective TFL attributes are likely to influence their nursing staff’s satisfaction and mitigate the risk of burnout by establishing a supportive and inclusive work environment directly or indirectly. Focusing on the adoption of a blame-free culture through effective leadership is likely to break down barriers to safety culture, which has resulted in poor patient care worldwide. Patient safety outcomes rely on a well-established patient safety culture, which is most influenced by the bedside nurse, either directly or indirectly. With effective leadership engagement and education, emerging nursing leaders can be supported while the nursing team can be empowered to make the necessary changes to reach levels of excellence within their units. It is important to comprehend that leaders are not just in executive and senior positions but include any part of the healthcare team that is influential to patient care. Effective TFL engagement has the potential to enhance patient safety, where it is conveyed that all healthcare workers, from executive to bedside nurses, participate in a positive safety culture.

PRISMA 2020 Checklist.

From: Page MJ, McKenzie JE, Bossuyt PM, Boutron I, Hoffmann TC, Mulrow CD, et al. The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ 2021;372:n71. doi: 10.1136/bmj.n71. For more information, visit: http://www.prisma-statement.org/ , access on 26 March 2023.

Funding Statement

This research received no external funding.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, search, coding, and drafting, L.M.K.Y. and M.N.; search and quality assurance, coding, and feedback, S.G., E.L., G.P. and C.S.C. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Institutional Review Board Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Data availability statement, public involvement statement.

No public involvement in any aspect of this research.

Guidelines and Standards Statement

This manuscript was drafted against the PRISMA 2020 Statement. A complete checklist is found in Appendix A of the manuscript.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Disclaimer/Publisher’s Note: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content.

• SUGGESTED TOPICS
• The Magazine
• Newsletters
• Managing Yourself
• Managing Teams
• Work-life Balance
• The Big Idea
• Data & Visuals
• Reading Lists
• Case Selections
• HBR Learning
• Topic Feeds
• Account Settings
• Email Preferences

6 Common Leadership Styles — and How to Decide Which to Use When

• Rebecca Knight

Being a great leader means recognizing that different circumstances call for different approaches.

Research suggests that the most effective leaders adapt their style to different circumstances — be it a change in setting, a shift in organizational dynamics, or a turn in the business cycle. But what if you feel like you’re not equipped to take on a new and different leadership style — let alone more than one? In this article, the author outlines the six leadership styles Daniel Goleman first introduced in his 2000 HBR article, “Leadership That Gets Results,” and explains when to use each one. The good news is that personality is not destiny. Even if you’re naturally introverted or you tend to be driven by data and analysis rather than emotion, you can still learn how to adapt different leadership styles to organize, motivate, and direct your team.

Much has been written about common leadership styles and how to identify the right style for you, whether it’s transactional or transformational, bureaucratic or laissez-faire. But according to Daniel Goleman, a psychologist best known for his work on emotional intelligence, “Being a great leader means recognizing that different circumstances may call for different approaches.”

• RK Rebecca Knight is a journalist who writes about all things related to the changing nature of careers and the workplace. Her essays and reported stories have been featured in The Boston Globe, Business Insider, The New York Times, BBC, and The Christian Science Monitor. She was shortlisted as a Reuters Institute Fellow at Oxford University in 2023. Earlier in her career, she spent a decade as an editor and reporter at the Financial Times in New York, London, and Boston.

Partner Center

• Undergraduate
• High School
• Architecture
• American History
• Asian History
• Antique Literature
• American Literature
• Asian Literature
• Classic English Literature
• World Literature
• Creative Writing
• Linguistics
• Criminal Justice
• Legal Issues
• Anthropology
• Archaeology
• Political Science
• World Affairs
• African-American Studies
• East European Studies
• Latin-American Studies
• Native-American Studies
• West European Studies
• Family and Consumer Science
• Social Issues
• Women and Gender Studies
• Social Work
• Natural Sciences
• Pharmacology
• Earth science
• Agriculture
• Agricultural Studies
• Computer Science
• IT Management
• Mathematics
• Investments
• Engineering and Technology
• Engineering
• Aeronautics
• Medicine and Health
• Alternative Medicine
• Communications and Media
• Advertising
• Communication Strategies
• Public Relations
• Educational Theories
• Teacher's Career
• Chicago/Turabian
• Company Analysis
• Education Theories
• Shakespeare
• Canadian Studies
• Food Safety
• Relation of Global Warming and Extreme Weather Condition
• Movie Review
• Admission Essay
• Annotated Bibliography
• Application Essay
• Article Critique
• Article Review
• Article Writing
• Book Review
• Business Plan
• Business Proposal
• Capstone Project
• Cover Letter
• Creative Essay
• Dissertation
• Dissertation - Abstract
• Dissertation - Conclusion
• Dissertation - Discussion
• Dissertation - Hypothesis
• Dissertation - Introduction
• Dissertation - Literature
• Dissertation - Methodology
• Dissertation - Results
• GCSE Coursework
• Grant Proposal
• Marketing Plan
• Multiple Choice Quiz
• Personal Statement

Power Point Presentation

• Power Point Presentation With Speaker Notes
• Questionnaire
• Reaction Paper
• Research Paper
• Research Proposal
• SWOT analysis
• Thesis Paper
• Online Quiz
• Literature Review
• Movie Analysis
• Statistics problem
• Math Problem
• All papers examples
• How It Works
• Money Back Policy
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• We Are Hiring

Transformational Leadership and Related Theories, Essay Example

Pages: 4

Words: 1187

Hire a Writer for Custom Essay

Use 10% Off Discount: "custom10" in 1 Click 👇

You are free to use it as an inspiration or a source for your own work.

Introduction

Transformational leadership and related theories are in the focus of the current review. Developed by theorists in the 1980-s, the main assumption of transformational leadership is that leaders’ behavior have an impact on the organization’s performance. The author of the current essay would like to review how the theory developed, and how it can be used to improve the performance of health care organizations.

Theoretical Review

Before analyzing the theory of transformational leadership, it is important to clarify the definition of leadership itself. Chemers (1997) defines leadership as “a process of social influence by which an individual enlists the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a task or mission”.

The distinction between transactional and transformational leadership was developed by Bass (1991). According to the author, the main difference is that transactional leaders follow existing rules and norms to respond to emerging problems, while transformational leaders change the organization’s culture and refocus the vision, mission, while creating shared norms that increase follower engagement. Therefore, transformational leadership is an approach that initiates and facilitates change within the organization. Leaders who engage in transformational leadership are the facilitators of change.

The theory developed even further in 2008, when the elements of transformational leadership were defined (Bass & Bass, 2008). The four elements of this leadership approach are individualized consideration, intellectual stimulation, inspirational motivation, and idealized influence (4I-s). Based on the list, the main focus of transformational leadership has shifted towards the interaction between the leader and the rest of the organization. All the above elements are able to facilitate change in various ways. Individual consideration, for example, is based on the leader considering followers’ needs and aligning the organization’s mission and vision with them. Intellectual stimulation is a way of challenging assumptions, and accommodating followers’ ideas. This approach respects diversity, while involving all members of the organization in developing strategies, missions, and visions. Inspirational motivation is based on clearly articulating the vision and creating a connection between organizational goals and desired outcomes. By giving tasks a meaning and purpose, the leader can increase follower commitment. Likewise, idealized influence is based on communicating high ethical behavior patterns, such as trust and respect. By showing an example of expected behavior, the leader can positively influence the organization’s culture.

Yukl (1999) focused on the individual behavior patterns of transformational leadership, and created a research to identify the most prevalent factor loadings. Based on the research, transformational leaders treat all members of the organization as an individual, emphasize mutual trust, has a high level of commitment to ethical principles, engages in guidance and coaching of members, encourages collaboration to gain insight to problems from various perspectives, and questions the traditional assumptions.

Application

Hall et al. (2012) states that the four I-s of transformational leadership result in performance beyond expectations. Therefore, improving an organization’s transformational leadership factors would result in organizational culture change that would have  a positive impact on the entire firm. The process of transformation is something that is currently researched by authors in order to determine a framework to apply transformational leaderships to initiate change. According to Hall et al. (2012, p. 2), for leaders, making the most out of the four Is will “help “transform” their associates into better, more productive and successful individuals. The main ideas represented by transformational leadership are based on changing the organization to gain more commitment to achieve goals, improve the organization’s culture, and align it with individual values and principles.

Bass (1991, p. 21) highlights one important benefit of transformational leadership over transactional leadership: “managers who behave like transformational leaders are more likely to be seen by their colleagues and employees as satisfying and effective leaders than are those who behave like transactional leaders”. Transformational leaders have a charisma, which provides a vision for the organization and followers, so they can relate to it. Therefore, as Bass (1991) puts it, transformational leaders can create success by motivating and engaging followers. At the same time there are different aspects of transformational leadership that positively impact the organization, discussed by Bass (1991). Corporate image improves, due to the entire organization being committed to a higher level mission and working towards it together. There are also positive implications of transformational leadership to recruiting, selection, and promotion. Organizational learning and knowledge development through effective training is another important benefit of applying transformational leadership.

Health Care and Transformational Leadership

Govier (2009) states that change is one of the constants of health care management. Indeed, there is a need for dealing with organizational, regulatory, demographic, and practice changes every day. As Govier (2009, p. 20) states: “When we follow our internal compass as nurses, clinical leadership will be authentic and transformational”. Therefore, transformational leadership is not only beneficial in health care organizations to deal with performance issues and making the entire unit more effective, but can also help health care managers deal with change, and moving towards new goals and priorities. It can help improve the health care performance indicators: patient satisfaction, absenteeism rates, number of complaints, drug errors, and staff turnover. Through influencing and inspiring other people, nursing and health care managers can increase commitment, reduce turnover, and improve the overall performance of the organization, by applying transformational approaches to leadership. As the author (Govier, 2009, p. 22) confirms, the ability of transformational leaders has a positive impact on staffing, as well: “people who embrace the principles of such leadership have staff with higher levels of satisfaction, motivation and performance, as well as lower levels of stress and burnout”. Further, transformational leadership can help organizations respond  and adapt to changes within and outside of the unit, and adjust policies in a way that it is relevant to followers’  needs (individual consideration).

The above review of transformational leadership and related theories has provided an insight into improving organizational effectiveness, increasing employee commitment, and responding to change. As transformational leadership is not based on one’s personality traits, it can be learned. The four I-s of transformational leadership can help nursing leaders engage better with all stakeholders, develop missions and visions that followers can relate to, adjust processes to improve organizational performance, and effectively deal with challenges originating from change within the operating environment, society, or regulatory bodies. By being able to proactively deal with organizational challenges, leaders can become more effective, and create a higher level of collaboration with followers. Therefore, transformational leadership is highly relevant to health care management. Applying the principles of this leadership approach to training, collaboration, coaching, performance review, employee empowerment, and vision development would certainly benefit not only the health care unit, but the entire organization, as well.

Bass, B. M. (1991). From transactional to transformational leadership: Learning to share the vision. Organizational dynamics ,  18 (3), 19-31.

Bass, B. M., & Bass, R. (2008).  The Bass handbook of leadership: Theory, research, and managerial applications . Simon and Schuster.

Chemers, M. M. (1997) An integrative theory of leadership . Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers. London

Govier, I., Nash, S. (2009) Examining transformational approaches to effective leadership in healthcare settings. Nursing Times ; 105: 18

Hall, J., Johnson, S., Wysocki, A., & Kepner, K. (2008). Transformational leadership: The transformation of managers and associates.

Yukl, G. (1999). An evaluative essay on current conceptions of effective leadership.  European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology ,  8 (1), 33-48.

Stuck with your Essay?

Get in touch with one of our experts for instant help!

Strategic Panning for Sutter Davis Hospital in California, Power Point Presentation Example

Transformational Leadership Is the Most Suitable Approach, Essay Example

Time is precious

don’t waste it!

Plagiarism-free guarantee

Privacy guarantee

Secure checkout

Money back guarantee

Related Essay Samples & Examples

Voting as a civic responsibility, essay example.

Pages: 1

Words: 287

Utilitarianism and Its Applications, Essay Example

Words: 356

The Age-Related Changes of the Older Person, Essay Example

Pages: 2

Words: 448

The Problems ESOL Teachers Face, Essay Example

Pages: 8

Words: 2293

Should English Be the Primary Language? Essay Example

Words: 999

The Term “Social Construction of Reality”, Essay Example

Words: 371

ESSAY SAUCE

FOR STUDENTS : ALL THE INGREDIENTS OF A GOOD ESSAY

Essay: Transformational leadership

Essay details and download:.

• Subject area(s): Business essays
• Reading time: 9 minutes
• Price: Free download
• Published: 21 June 2012*
• File format: Text
• Words: 2,419 (approx)
• Number of pages: 10 (approx)

Text preview of this essay:

This page of the essay has 2,419 words. Download the full version above.

Transformational leadership

Executive Summary

Transformational leadership has rapidly become the approach of choice for much of the research and application of leadership theory. In many ways, transformational leadership has captured the imagination of scholars, of noted practitioners, and of students of leadership. Research on transformational leadership and related charismatic approaches has grown exponentially.

Why such interest in transformational leadership? Perhaps it is because transformational leadership, with its emphasis on intrinsic motivation and on the positive development of followers, represents a more appealing view of leadership compared to the seemingly “cold,” social exchange process of transactional leadership. Perhaps it is because transformational leadership provides a better fit for leading today’s complex work groups and organizations, where followers not only seek an inspirational leader to help guide them through an uncertain environment but where to followers also want to be challenged and to feel empowered, if they are to be loyal, high performers.

The purpose of this report is to explore transformational leadership critically and how an organization is enhanced by understanding and practicing transformational leadership. First, this study addresses the history of theories of leadership and how modern leadership theory has evolved, nothing in particular the progression from trait theories which suggest that leaders possess particular traits which facilitate their development and also the beliefs of style theorists, most of whom advocate more democratic approach to leadership rather than what they term an autocratic style. This study then reference the Transformational Leadership construct as developed by Burns (1978) and extended by Bass (1985). The context in which this leadership paradigm has evolved is examined to determine relevant socio-cultural factors which may facilitate the development of this type of leadership.

1. Introduction

A new paradigm of leadership has captured widespread attention. James MacGregor Burns (1978) conceptualized leadership as either transactional or transformational. Transactional leaders are those who lead through social exchange. As Burns (1978) notes, politicians, for example, led by “exchanging one thing for another: jobs for votes, or subsidies for campaign contributions” (p.4).

Inthe same way, transactional business leaders offer financial rewards for productivity or deny rewards for lack of productivity. Transformational leaders, on the other hand, are those who stimulate and inspire followers to both achieve extraordinary outcomes and, in the process, develop their own leadership capacity. Transformational leader help followers grow and develop into leaders by responding to individual followers needs by empowering them and by aligning the objectives and goals of the individual followers, the leader, the group, and the larger organization. More evidence has accumulated to demonstrate that transformational leadership can move followers to exceed performance, as well as lead to high levels of follower satisfaction and commitment to the group and organization (Bass, 1985, 1998a).

Transformational leadership has been popular research topic for the last two decades. Research on this topic has produced ample evidence that transformational leadership enhances employee attitudes and performance (Bass, 1999, Lowe et al., 1996). Studies on transformational leadership have, however, focused on objective performance measures such as sales volume, profit margin, and stock product performance (Geyer and Steyer, 1998; Howell and Avolio, 1993), in addition to employees satisfaction and commitment to their organizations (Hater and Bass; Barling et al. 2000). There is no study that addressed transformational leadership with regard to service quality.

2. Literature Review

2.1 historical background of transformational leadership.

Historians, political scientists and sociologists have long recognized leadership that went beyond the notion of a social exchange between the leader and followers. Weber’s (1924/1947) examination of charisma epitomized such study. However, both psychology and economics supported contingent reinforcement-offering a reward or compensation for a desired behaviour-as the underlying concept for the study of leadership. Leadership was seen primarily as an exchange relationship (e.g., Homans, 1950). Research exemplified by Podsakoff and Schirescheim (1985), as well as much of the research with the Full Range of Leadership (FRL) model (Avolio& Bass, 1991) to be described subsequently, indicated that contingent reward is reasonably effective under most circumstances. In addition, active management-by-exception (corrective leadership for failure of a follower to comply) is more varied in effects, and passive management-by-exception (“if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it”) is contraindicated as an effective act of leadership, for, as Levinson (1980) suggested, if you limit of a follower to rewards with carrots for compliance or punishment with a stick for failure to comply with agreed-on work to be done by the follower, the follower will continue to feel like a jackass. Leadership must also address the follower’s sense of self-worth to engage the follower in true commitment and involvement in the effort at hand. This is what transformational leadership adds to the transactional exchange.

In recent years, the transformational leadership construct has become a popular topic in leadership literature (Avolio and Howell, 1992; Bass, 1985; Hater and Bass, 1988). The original transformational leadership notion is presented below (Den Hartog et al., 1997; Hinkin and Tracey, 1999):

• Idealized influence or charisma: The leader provides vision and a sense of mission, instils, pride, gains respect, trust and increases optimism. Such a leader excites and inspires subordinates. This dimension is a measure of the extent of follower’s admirations and respect for the leader.
• Inspirational motivation: The leader acts as a model for subordinates, communicates a vision and uses symbols to focus efforts. The dimension is a measure of the leader’s ability to engender confidence in the leader’s vision and values.
• Individual consideration: The leader coaches and mentors, provides continuous feedback and links organizational members needs to the organizations mission. Individual consideration is a measure of the extent to which the leader cares about the individual followers concerns and developmental needs.
• Intellectual stimulation: the leader stimulates followers to rethink old ways of doing things and to reassess their old values and beliefs. This dimension is concerned with the degree to which followers are provided with interesting and challenging tasks and encouraged to solve problems in their own way.

Transformational leadership has much in common with charismatic leadership, but charisma is only part of transformational leadership. More modern conceptions of charismatic leadership take a much broader perspective (e.g., conger & Kanungo, 1998; House & Shamir, 1993 ), however, and have much in common with transformational leadership.

2.2 Transformational Leadership

According to Bass (1985), transformation leaders are those leaders who elicit “superior performance”, or performance “beyond normal exceptions”, from those they lead (as cited in Krishnan, 2001, p.126 ). Bass (1985) proposed four factors characteristic of transformational leaders. Idealised influence reflects the leader’s ability to engender the trust and respect of their followers. Through idealised influence, transformational leaders become role models for their subordinates, and provide both vision and a sense of mission to the group (Humphreys and Einstein, 2003). . Through inspirational motivation, the transformational leader inspires subordinates to “try harder” for the benefit of the organisation (Kelloway and Barling, 2000, p. 358) .

Most leaders profile includes both transformational and transactional leadership. The attitudes and behaviour of Otto von Bismarck, whose efforts led to the unification of Germany in 1871, illustrate how transformational and transactional leadership can be directive or participative, democratic or authoritative (Avolio& Bass, 1991).

Strong assertions have been made in leadership literature regarding the beneficial effect of transformational leadership on subordinates. A number of studies have suggested that transformational leadership has a profound positive influence on subordinates effort and satisfaction (Bass and Avolio, 1990; Bycio et al., 1995; Howell and Frost, 1989; Kirkpatrick and Locke, 1996; Parry, 2000) . This positive influence has been observed in a variety of contexts including that of health care (Gellis, 2001), commerce (Podsakoff et al., 1990), military (Yammarino and Bass, 1990), and education (Hoover, 1991).

From a subordinate development point of view, the intellectual stimulation dimension of transformational leadership in particular has been associated with challenging subordinates to be creative, think critically and independently and find novel ways of solving problems while seeking a wide range of opinions before deciding upon solutions (Bass, 1998). Further, individualized consideration has been viewed as a vehicle for developing subordinates confidence to tackle problems (Bass, 1985).

2.3 Pseudo Leaders

Transformational leadership may be socialized or personalized. Socialized leadership is based on egalitarian behaviour, serves collective interests, and develops and empowers other. Socialized leaders tend to be altruistic and to use legitimate established channels of authority (Howell & House, 1992; McClelland, 1975). Eleanor Roosevelt was the epitome of socialized leadership. Personalized leadership is based on personal dominance and authoritarian behaviour, is self-aggrandizing, serves the self-interest, and is exploitative of others (McClelland, 1975). ). Personalized leaders rely heavily on manipulation, threat, and punishment, and show disregard for both the established institutional procedures and for the rights and the feelings of others. They are impulsively aggressive, narcissistic, and impetuous (Howell & House, 1992). Personalized leaders rely heavily on manipulation, threat, and punishment, and show disregard for both the established institutional procedures and for the rights and the feelings of others. They are impulsively aggressive, narcissistic, and impetuous (Howell & House, 1992). Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin were such leaders.

The dynamics of transformational leadership may look the same whether beneficial or harmful to followers (Bass, 1985), but the truly transformational leader is socialized in orientation and values as well as morally uplifting. By contrast, the pseudo-transformational leader is personalized in orientation and values, and caters in the long run to his or her self-interests. Generally, such leaders leave behind a legacy of destruction, as opposed to a stronger community to build future success.

Truly transformational leaders transcend their own self-interests for one of two reasons: utilitarian or moral principles. If utilitarian, their objective is to (a) benefit the organization, society, the group, the attachment to the social group of which one is a member, the collective of individual members, and/or (b) to meet the challenges of the task or mission. If a matter of moral principles, the objective is to do the right thing – to do what fits principles of morality, responsibility, sense of discipline, and/or respect for authority, customs, rules, and traditions of a society. There is belief in the social responsibility of the leader and the organization.

Pseudo-transformational leaders are self-oriented, self-aggrandizing, exploitative, and narcissistic. Power-oriented pseudo-transformational leaders openly preach distorted utilitarian and crooked moral principles. Both Hitler and Stalin enslaved and murdered millions who they declared to be enemies of the state. The labour provided was cheap, and both leaders regarded the imprisonments and deaths as deserved.

Transformational Leadership at South West Airlines

(Source: Avolio& Bass, 2002)

Over the past 20 years, Southwest Airlines has shown the best results in the U.S. airline industry. Their success may be attributed to several things. The CEO and founder Herb Kelleher has placed emphasis on humour in the organisation. He would like to build relationships with passengers and give them “an experience.” The business strategy is based on simplicity, efficiency, and effectiveness. Employees are helpful to one another. Most important is the CEO’s commitment to maintaining a quality workforce.

Although other airlines report record profits, the obvious question is what is so different about this airline versus all the rest, who limped through the 1980s barely surviving, if in fact they did survive. The big airline like Eastern that were far better positioned to take advantage of the deregulation mania in the 1980s and early 1990s found themselves out of business, whereas little old Southwest chugged along toward increasing levels of profitability.

Some may attribute Southwest’s success to its dynamic CEO and founder Herb Kellehre, who has been honoured as the most admired CEO in the USA by his employees. Herb would attribute it to other factors, such as the people who work for Southwest Airlines. Both seem to admire each other, as evidenced perhaps by Southwest Airlines turnover rate, which is the lowest in the U.S. airline industry.

When Southwest first began operations, Kelleher established several basic tenets to run the business. First, he focused on building relationships with customers and making flying “an experience.” Southwest was one of the first companies in the world to highlight the importance of having a sense of humour in terms of developing its customer relationships. Similar to Ben and Jerry’s ice cream company and Sun Microsystems, humour was considered a key corporate value, and in fact was measured as one of the core components in Southwest Airlines job interviews. For example, Southwest is one of the few airlines where a flight attendant will sing the pre-flight instructions as rap song. They also have a CEO who recently settled a large legal suit with a competitor by challenging the other CEO to arm wrestle with a winner-take-all outcome. Herb lost, but as he said at the arm wrestling event, so did all of the lawyers!

A second component of the business strategy is to keep things simple. All Southwest pilots currently fly 737s. With this strategy, they are able to cut maintenance and training expenses. Also, there are only a few job classifications and everyone is expected to join in and help each other to keep the planes flying. The sole restriction is that only the pilot is allowed to fly the plane, at least most of the time.

Related to simplicity, Southwest Airlines uses a very simple ticketing and reservation system. There are no frills. Also, due to the lack of boundaries in the company regarding this being “your” job versus “mine,” Southwest is able to turn planes around 25% faster than competitors, thus keeping more planes in the air at any point in time. There are more planes in the air at less cost. Southwest achieves high levels of efficiency because all employees are willing to help clean the planes to get them off the gate, even Herb Kelleher, who often can be found down with the maintenance crew cleaning planes, and/or helping the baggage handlers.

Herb initially defined Southwest Airlines as being a competitor with buses, trains, and cars instead of other airlines. Specifically, he wanted it to be cheaper to fly Southwest than it would be to drive or take public transportation. Consequently, the choice becomes a “no brainer” for the customer. Would you rather drive 500 miles or take a plane in less time and for less money?

Finally, and perhaps one of the more important components in retaining a high-quality workforce, is the intense commitment that this CEO continually demonstrates to people. He frequently becomes involved in helping out employees personally. He reaches down and gets to know the people who work in his company, so they will understand what he truly values and believes in. And when asked what he feels toward his employees, he said, “I really love these people.” He didn’t say like, respect, trust, care, and so forth, he said he loved them. And for most people working for his airline they seem to believe what Herb said is true, because they apparently love him too.

...(download the rest of the essay above)

About this essay:

If you use part of this page in your own work, you need to provide a citation, as follows:

Essay Sauce, Transformational leadership . Available from:<https://www.essaysauce.com/business-essays/transformational-leadership/> [Accessed 19-04-24].

These Business essays have been submitted to us by students in order to help you with your studies.

* This essay may have been previously published on Essay.uk.com at an earlier date.

Essay Categories:

• Accounting essays
• Architecture essays
• Business essays
• Computer science essays
• Criminology essays
• Economics essays
• Education essays
• Engineering essays
• English language essays
• Environmental studies essays
• Essay examples
• Finance essays
• Geography essays
• Health essays
• History essays
• Hospitality and tourism essays
• Human rights essays
• Information technology essays
• International relations
• Leadership essays
• Linguistics essays
• Literature essays
• Management essays
• Marketing essays
• Mathematics essays
• Media essays
• Medicine essays
• Military essays
• Miscellaneous essays
• Music Essays
• Nursing essays
• Philosophy essays
• Photography and arts essays
• Politics essays
• Project management essays
• Psychology essays
• Religious studies and theology essays
• Sample essays
• Science essays
• Social work essays
• Sociology essays
• Sports essays
• Types of essay
• Zoology essays

Transformational Leadership Style: Benefits for Women Essay

Introduction, transformational leadership, relevance of transformational leadership in the current society, women and transformational leadership, the implication to the future of female leaders, list of references.

Leadership is one of the most important factors in the history of humankind. The history of leadership can be traced back to the origin of humanity. Man has always cherished the art of leadership. According to Garner (2000, p. 7), leadership is always viewed as an inborn quality of a person.

It is the ability of an individual to offer guidance and direction to others. This scholar says that leadership though can be learned through a process of induction or general classroom session, it is a trait that some individuals are naturally born with. He however states that this does not mean that all leaders are born.

For a long time, leadership has been a preserve for men. In many societies across the world, men have always been considered as the heads of various organizations, from such small set-ups like homes, to religious groupings and even kingdoms and empires.

Women have been considered as weaker sex, always expected to be at home to care for children. The society viewed women as people who are not in a position to make concrete decision that would help the society forge ahead. Banutu (2004, p. 145) says that this was attributed to the kind of society that people lived in.

By then, the wellbeing of the society depended on the ability of that society to fight successfully in battles that were very common. This scholar notes that communities would fight for the grazing ground, settlements and even wealth. A leader would be expected to be at the frontline of the battles, directing the worriers on how to attack the enemies. Success of a leader would be determined by how frequent he would win the battles.

Naturally, women are physically weak. This was the genesis of the society’s view that women cannot manage leadership. Yukongdi (2010, p. 171) says that because women were physically weak and could not go to the battlefields, they could not offer advice on how well the society could best attack and win battles and come back with wealth because they lacked experience.

This made the society despise them even further. The more they were pushed away from leadership, the more they became irrelevant in the same, and the more they became convinced that they could not make any worthy leaders.

The First and the Second World Wars however, marked the difference of this notion. When the men went to fight in foreign countries, they left women to take care of the families. At first, women thought that their new role as heads of families was a bit weird. They were not used to it.

However, as time went by, they became accustomed to it and realized that they could make as good heads of the family, just as men. The situation at the battlefields enhanced their leadership capacities. A good number of men who went to the battlefields were killed, forcing their wives to permanently take the leadership positions. It is from this moment that women considered the fact that they could equally make good leaders, just as their male counterparts.

The mid of 19 th century was a real revolution on leadership. Women were increasingly getting into leadership position at an increasingly faster rate. Education also played an important role in this. The society, especially the western countries came to appreciate the need to take women to school. Having realized the important role they played during the world wars, the society welcomed the need to offer the girl-child good education, just as the boys.

This provided the environment for the female society members to show their prowess in leadership. Although the society is yet to accept fully women as people who can make good leaders, they have softened their stand on this position. This paper seeks to evaluate critically the notion that transformational leadership style is particularly beneficial for women because it is not a markedly masculine style.

Transformational leadership involves the leader igniting the followers through motivation and enthusiasm. It is the type of leadership where the leader brings hope and vision to the followers, making them feel that they can achieve the task and get the best of the expected results. According to Armstrong (2001, p. 46), transformational leadership refers to that leadership style where the leader brings the best out of the followers through speech and actions.

Talking alone is not enough to make one a transformational leader. This scholar insists that the speech must be followed by an example. The leader would only be in a position to show other the vision by doing those things that demonstrate the same. This argument is supported by Blumenthal (2005, p. 57) who says that hypocrisy has no place in transformational leadership.

In transformational leadership, a leader would come out strongly to bring in new ideas of doing things. It is about bringing in positive change to society that is, in a way that people will least expect. It is about being creative and innovative. This is why the actions of the leader and the words must match for such a leader to be relevant. This is the reason why hypocrites cannot make good leaders.

Transformational leadership is one of the most recent forms of leadership. This is a type of leadership, always considered to constitute democratic leadership, where the leader makes the followers feel that they can achieve, that they are the best, a leadership style that Spears (2009, p. 12) describes is the ability to make people burn with the desire to achieve even the toughest of the task.

This scholar further describes transformational leadership as the ability of the leader to impart a positive attitude on the followers, and the feeling that they, through actions of courage and hard work, can only achieve success

In the current society, transformational leadership has been considered the most relevant form of leadership. It has come out clearly those archaic forms of leaderships like dictatorship has no place in the current society. Within the family level, to the organizational and even national and international levels, democracy is gaining popularity and transformational leadership that is shaping everything. Within the family set-ups, it is no longer a one-man show.

Both partners in the family must embrace the importance of sharing in ideas. It is only through this that peace would prevail. In an organizational level, the leader must embrace the culture of consultation with other members of the group for the organization to achieve its objectives within the shortest period possible.

Steve Jobs, the late co-founder of Apple Inc was fired from this firm when he became too dictatorial on the employees of this firm. The policies that he was proposing were transformational, and the fact that he would insist that nothing was impossible, was very encouraging. However, he only missed one aspect of transformational leadership, a fact that destroyed all the positive aspects that he had.

He failed to make his followers see his vision. The employees did not imagine that what he was saying was possible, and instead of making them believe through speech and example, he used threats and coercion. These are complete opposites of features of transformational leadership.

However, when he was recalled to the firm several years after, he had completely transformed into a transformational leader. He made his followers clearly see his vision. He made them believe that they could be the best in the industry (Deci & Ryan 1985, p. 67). He actually transformed their attitude to success: that success is what you make it, and it would not come on a silver platter, not even in a single day.

This is what transformed Apple. This leadership style is what made Apple to beat Microsoft in profits and in revenue in the financial year of 2010. This leadership style made this company to be named as the one of the most innovative firms in the world, when they introduced the iMacs and the iPhones.

This type of leadership is the driving force that has held together this firm to be a success even today, a couple of years since this great leader’s demise. This is a clear indication that the current society largely relies on this type of leadership to create a turn around to those organizations that are underperforming, and to propel further those that either are doing well or are averagely performing.

Transformational leadership is one of the best forms of leadership that women can employ to achieve the desired objectives. From the comprehensive definition of transformational leadership done above, it is clear that transformational leadership entails imparting hope among the followers through speech and actions.

For a very long time, leadership has been a preserve for men. Even in the current enlightened world where people believe that both genders are equal and that leadership should not be based narrowly on gender but on personal attributes of an individual, many people (both men and women) are still not convinced that women can make as good leaders as men, or even better. As Avolio and Yammarino (2008, p. 89) observe some societies still hold women with very low esteem.

This sentiment is reiterated by Bass (1990, p. 63) who says that Saudi Arabia in specific, still consider women as people who cannot make decision on their own. This scholar points out to the fact that this society prohibits women from driving a car. The law also states that women cannot travel out of the country without the permission of their mahrams (husbands or close male relatives) unless they are above 49 years.

The clause that allowed female members of the society above 49 years to travel without such permission was introduced just recently due to international pressure (Spears 1998, p. 89). In such circumstance, a mother would be forced to ask for permission from her son in order to make such decision as travelling abroad. In such a society, it would be a dream to think of a women being a leader.

However, things are changing very first even in this society. The King recently appointed a woman to serve in his cabinet. Only transformational leadership can help this woman serve in the cabinet and adequately lead the ministry that has almost over 90 percent of the top ranking officers being men. This woman can help transform the attitude of the society towards women. She can help bring the society to the understanding that women can make good leaders by employing the principles of transformational leadership.

The first principle of transformational leadership is intellectual stimulation. This principle is not masculine in any nature. This principle tries to challenge status quo and encourages creativity among the followers. This principle would help challenge the status quo of this country where men dominate all-important sectors of the economy.

This principle emphasizes on the importance of the leader making a turn-around on the way things are done and brings in new methods, which would enhance increased productivity of the followers. This principle would beneficial to such a woman in ensuring that the society does not only trust her leadership prowess, but also extends this trust to other women of this society to make this country accept the clarion call that men and women are equal in all respects (Banutu-Gomez 2004, p. 150).

The other principle of this type of leadership is individualized consideration. This principle holds that each individual is unique in one way or the other. As a leader, it is important to ensure that all the followers are given individualized attention. A leader should be open to all, and listen to the followers as individuals, always responding to their needs in as unique a manner as are the individuals themselves (Bardes, Mayer, & Piccolo 2008, p. 187).

This principle of transformational leadership is very important to a woman because this way, this female leader would be showing the followers that she has their interest at heart, and that the actions that she would take as a leader, would be guided by the desires of the followers.

This principle would also allow such a leader express herself to the followers, a fact that would facilitate mutual understanding in the organization. She would be able to elaborate the strategic goals and objectives of the organization to the followers, and get their feelings on the strategies employed by the management in achieving this goal.

Their contribution would be of great help in ensuring harmony in the firm and ensuring that all the followers’ goals are aligned to that of the organization. This principle would also endear the leader to the followers, by making them feel cherished by the management. Bird (197, p. 34) says that this is a very important tool of leadership, especially to a woman.

That in itself is a security. Women may be vulnerable to such unethical practices as coup, or conspiracy to sabotage her efforts by other members of the organization who might be eying the post. However, when this policy is employed, such a leader would be sure of protection from the masses. This scholar says that with the masses, a leader would be safe.

The third principle is inspirational motivation. This principle holds that a leader should have a clear vision for the organization. The principle also stipulates that the leader should be in a position to stipulate clearly this vision to the followers in such a way that it would arouse the desire in the followers to see its realization. A leader should have policies that when implemented, would bear fruits that would help transform the organization.

A female leader can adopt this principle to develop ideas that would result in positive results when implemented. Margret Thatcher, the first female prime minister of Britain used this principle to transform positively this country. Boroski and Greif (2009, p. 19) observed that when Thatcher took over power, a number of people were skeptical about her ability to lead this nation. However, she was able to prove them wrong when she came with very vision as to where she wanted this country to be by the end of her term as the prime minister.

This saw her gain the trust of not only the lawmakers and the cabinet, but also the entire nation. Hannay (2009, p. 72) describes Thatcher as a transformational leader who re-engineered almost every aspect of the Great Britain, from the economy, to the political front and even the social front.

She came to power when the economy was dwindling, and made a turnaround to make this country become one of the most prosperous European nations of that time. Through this vision, and her ability to make followers share in her vision, she won three successive terms, leaving a legendary political career that is unmatched in all the European countries practicing democracy in the since the nineteenth century. Simply put, she remains an enigma, admired by all who knew her or have come to hear of her.

Another such visionary female leader was Condoleezza Rice, the first black female Secretary of states for the United States. Her ability to articulate her vision to others leaves no doubt that transformational leadership is the best form of leadership that women should employ.

The last principle of transformational leadership is idealized influence. It has always been said that a leader should be a role model. A leader should always be the figure that everyone would want to associate with. It is always very difficult to represent an ideal world. Bass (1985, p. 71) says that ideal world only exists in the mind.

This scholar argues that although human being can always try to make perfect, his or her actions to be as close as possible to that viewed as ideal, being the ideal person is not possible. As long as a person has the eyes to desire and a tongue to talk, he or she can always demand for the right. Inasmuch as Wren (1995, p. 43) agrees with this statement in parts, this scholar says that ideal, as a condition or situation, starts and ends in the mind.

It starts by a person imagining how an ideal person should be and end when the mind is convinced that the person has behaved in a manner that was expected of him or her. As a leader therefore, it is important to set the standards of an ideal person within the limits that are reachable. Make the individuals have their ideal person in their mind to the capacity that is reachable, and live up to the expectations. In an organization, the manager is the leader of the organization that everyone would want to emulate.

His or her actions, whether managerial or otherwise, should live up to the expectations of the congregations. This principle, according to Volckmann (2009, p. 2), is where women would beat men when it comes to being an ideal person. This sentiments are supported by Yukl (1989, p. 289) who says that women are always better placed to suppressed their desires than men do.

A woman would be in a position to restrain from tempting action even if they have very strong desires, thereby being seen as ideal persons, unlike men. The weakest nature of man that has made him not be seen as ideal is the inability to resist sexual desires (Annette & Clifford 2010, p. 6).

It is very rare to hear cases of women in managerial positions being charged in courts of law for assaulting their juniors sexually or otherwise. However, the cases of this nature concerning men are numerous, from simple operations managers or any other imaginable junior level managers, to the chief executives of international bodies and even presidents. Put in simple words, transformational leadership is the best type of leadership that women can use to lead organizations and various other institutions.

It is a fact that the societies are getting more and more liberalized. It is clear from what is happening now, that the even such societies that still deny women power will be liberated from the male chauvinism and that everyone will be judged on the basis of merit and content other than on gender. It is also evident that transformational leadership is gaining popularity amongst various societies in the world.

Many organization, both commercial and not for profit organization are also embracing the principles of transformational leadership as the best way to reach out for everyone in the organization and gear them towards achieving goals and objectives of the organization (Hofstede 2005, p. 46). The future is clearly coming out as a time men will not have the immunity they have had as they will have to prove their potential before everyone and face the risk of being eliminated from leadership position if he fails to.

It is a fact that the future is beckoning a new hope to the society. It is a fact that women stand a better chance being regarded as transformational leaders as opposed to men. As such, they are more likely to replace men as the future leaders of the world both in the corporate world and in the political forums. Unless men change in many of the areas of weaknesses noted above, they should brace themselves to take over the role that was previously for women when it comes to leadership.

Transformation leadership is one of the types of leaderships that have come out strongly as very appropriate in the current democratic world. It is evident that many societies are accepting the fact that women can also be leaders. This trend is common in various societies across the world.

Given this factor, and the fact that women are getting as good educational background as men, it is clear that men must be ready for the challenge that would be posed by women as formidable force in the leadership positions. Transformational leadership is the vehicle through which women would use in ensuring that they get to the leadership positions.

Annette, B & Clifford, P 2010, “The need for awareness of servant leadership in business schools”, Academic Leadership , Vol. 8, no. 2, pp 1-6.

Armstrong, S 2001, “Are you a “transformational” coach? Journal of Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, Vol. 72, no. 3, pp 44-47.

Avolio, B & Yammarino, F 2008, Transformational and charismatic leadership: The road ahead . Emerald Group Publishing Limited, United Kingdom.

Banutu-Gomez, M 2004, “Great leaders teach exemplary followership and serve as servant leaders”, Journal of American Academy of Business, Vol. 4, no. 1, pp 143-151.

Bardes, M, Mayer, D & Piccolo, R 2008, “Do servant-leaders help satisfy follower needs? An organizational justice perspective”, European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, Vol. 17, no. 2, pp 180-197.

Bass, B 1985, Leadership and performance beyond expectations , Free Press, New York.

Bass, B 1990, Stogdill’s handbook of leadership: theory, research and managerial applications, Free Press, New York.

Bird, A 1977, “Team structure and success as related to cohesiveness and leadership”, Journal of Social Psychology , Vol. 103, no. 2, pp 217-223.

Blumenthal, K 2005, “Let Me Play: The story of Title IX, the law that changed the future of girls in America”, Athenaeum Books for Young Readers, Vol. 3, no. 4, pp 31-40.

Boroski, E & Greif, T 2009, “Servant leaders in community colleges: Their values, beliefs, and implications”, Review of Business Research , Vol. 9, no. 4, pp 113-120.

Deci, E & Ryan, R 1985, Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior, Plenum Press, New York.

Garner, H & Laskin, E 2000, “Leading minds an anatomy of leadership” , Business Book Review, Vol.13, no. 1, pp 1-7.

Hannay, M 2009, “The cross-cultural leader: The application of servant leadership theory in the international context”, Journal of International Business & Cultural Studies, Vol. 1, no. 3, pp 1-12.

Hofstede, G 2005, Culture’s consequences: International differences in work-related values , Sage, London.

Spears, L 2009, “Servant leadership cultivate 10 characteristics”, Leadership Excellence, Vol. 20, no. 22, pp 24-31.

Spears, L 1998, The power of servant leadership , Berrett-Koehler, San Francisco.

Volckmann, R 2009, “Leadership coaching tip: Responsibility, accountability and leadership”, Integral Leadership Review, Vol. 9, no. 5, pp 1-3.

Wren, J 1995, Leaders Companion Insights on Leadership, The Free Press, New York.

Yukl, G 1989, Managerial leadership: A review of theory and research, Journal of Management, Vol. 15, no. 2, pp 251-289.

Yukongdi, V 2010, “A study of Thai employees’ preferred leadership style”, Asia Pacific Business Review, Vol. 16, no. 1, pp 161-181.

• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2020, January 27). Transformational Leadership Style: Benefits for Women. https://ivypanda.com/essays/managerial-leadership-essay/

"Transformational Leadership Style: Benefits for Women." IvyPanda , 27 Jan. 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/managerial-leadership-essay/.

IvyPanda . (2020) 'Transformational Leadership Style: Benefits for Women'. 27 January.

IvyPanda . 2020. "Transformational Leadership Style: Benefits for Women." January 27, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/managerial-leadership-essay/.

1. IvyPanda . "Transformational Leadership Style: Benefits for Women." January 27, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/managerial-leadership-essay/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Transformational Leadership Style: Benefits for Women." January 27, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/managerial-leadership-essay/.

• Transformational Leadership and Business Change
• Transformational and Transactional Leadership
• Transformational Leadership Essay
• Charismatic and Transformational Approaches
• Transformational Leadership Theory and Personality
• The Application of Transformational Leadership in the UAE
• Transformational Leaders Influence on Performance
• The Websites on Transformational and Women Leadership
• Transformational Leadership and Management Skills
• Transformational Leadership in Entrepreneurial Management
• Human Resource Management: Origins and Alternative Modules
• Leadership within a Medical Facility
• Human Resource Management Policies
• BMW Key Strategic Issues Analysis
• Current Changes and Challenges in Hospital/Physician Relations