Transformational Leadership Then and Now
Of the 35+ leadership theories in current circulation, transformational leadership is the one nearest and dearest to my heart due to its focus on leadership ethics. But transformational leadership is also the most misunderstood theory, because many fail to realize that it’s not just about having a charismatic leader or an altruistic vision statement. Most leadership scholars consider James McGregor Burns to be the originator of transformational leadership, stemming from his authorship of the classic Leadership (1978). Burns actually used…