Transformational Leadership and schools

Introduction

Northouse (2013) talks about the popularity of transformational leadership as a new leadership approach. Transformational leadership is a process that transforms and changes the followers. In transformational leadership, the leader focuses on motivating the followers in order to achieve their long-term goals. Being inspired and motivated can help the followers to achieve more success. Transformational leadership also focuses on establishing values and ethics at the workplace to create an environment that is more satisfying for the followers. The element of charisma also is very important and effective in this process.

Kouzes & Posner (2007) introduce transformational leadership as a leadership style that inspires people and according to Burns (2003) transformational leadership occurs when, in their interactions, people “raise one another to higher levels of motivation and morality. Their purpose, which might have started out as separate but related, as in the case of transactional leadership, become fused…. But transforming leadership ultimately becomes moral in that raises the level of human conduct and ethical aspiration of both the leader and the led, and thus it has a transforming effect on both” (Burns, Transforming leadership, 2003).

In this research we will analyze the transformational leadership more in details. Further we will talk about the elements and effects of it as a process and as a leadership style in educational organizations. And finally we will talk about the correlation between transformational and instructional leadership. As Marzano (2005) implies, transformational leadership is an expansion of instructional leadership and according to Leithwood, Jantzi, & Steinbach (1999) because “it aspire...

... middle of paper ...

...ng to the growth of teachers and staff in the organization as well.

One of the biggest concerns at educational organizations is to make sure that the schools are operating as learning organizations. As we know teachers play an important role in schools, they are in charge of educational and spiritual growth of the students and to prepare them for future responsibilities. Consequently it is principles responsibility to provide the opportunity for the teachers to have access to required resources and materials as well as “have the necessary staff development opportunities to directly enhance their teaching” (Marzano, 2005).

Hamzah, et al (2011) conducted a research to examine the relationship between transformational leadership by school principals and teacher activity toward the transformation of schools into “learning organizations” based on teachers’ perspective.