Transformational and Transactional

Leadership


Leadership Approaches to Motivating
Followers

The PI Leadership Course

Transactional V Transformational
Burns distinguished between
transactional and transforming leaders.
They are distinguished by how they
motivate followers
Transactional approach is where
leaders motivate followers to achieve
goals by mutual exchange
E.g. Business bonuses to achieve
goals, politicians votes for promises
Transformational leaders - visionary
leaders seeking to appeal to their
followers better character
Want to move them toward higher and
more universal needs and purposes to
achieve goals
The transformational leader is seen as
an agent of change.

Transformational Leadership
Leadership that:
Raises followers awareness of the significance of
team goals
Brings change in followers from self interest to team
interest
Brings transformation to their character
It focuses on relationship between leaders and
followers and their:
Values
Ethics
Goals
Emotions
Social style of leadership concerned with
collective good
Often of a political or religious nature
Leaders and Followers
The relationship between leaders and followers
may be:
One to one
Team or group
Organisation
Nation

James MacGregor Burns
In description of transformational Leadership
Burns sought to link role of leaders and followers
Described Leadership as process where leaders
and followers:
Encourage each other to higher levels of motivation
Motivate each other to higher levels of morality
(ethics)


B M Bass
Bass developed Burns thoughts by saying
Transformational Leadership motivates followers
to more than expected by:
Raising followers awareness of important goals and
vision
Getting followers to transcend self for sake of the
team
Getting followers to address higher level needs
not just for security or significance, but also justice /
morality
The Transformation Leader
Is attentive to needs of followers but stresses important
goals
Encourages followers to fulfill potential and achieve goals
Examples include Ghandi:
Raised hopes and demands of millions for independence of
India
Process brought change in followers to use peaceful protests
to do this
Process also changed himself

Also Nelson Mandela:
Committed to peaceful democracy in SA
Even though imprisoned for 27 years, sought peaceful
reconciliation between whites and blacks
Before independence many wanted to use violent means,
but he was committed to peaceful
Post-independence, he sough reconciliation to achieve a
black / white society his goal rather than revenge.


Four factors that transform followers
Charisma or idealized influence
Leaders are strong role models
Followers identify with leaders and want to be like
them
Leaders have high / strong ethics
Inspirational Motivation
Leaders communicate high expectations to
followers
Inspire / motivate them to greater commitment to
the vision
Use symbols and emotional appeals to motivate
them
Four factors that transform followers
(Cont)
Intellectual Stimulation
Leaders challenges and stimulates followers to be
creative and innovative
Motivates them to challenge own beliefs and values
as well as those of leaders and group
Individualized Consideration
Leader provides supporting atmosphere to listen
carefully to individual follower needs
Leaders are like coaches to assist followers in their
needs and to improve
Leaders delegate to help followers grow through
challeneg


Pseudotransformational Leader
Leaders that are:
Exploitive
Self consumed
Power-orientated
Low moral values
Often pursuing self and negative goals (power
expansion)
Transform followers in a negative way
Motivate them towards negative goals
Lead to lower levels of morality
Personalized Leadership focused on leaders
interests (opposite to Social Leadership concerned
with groups collective good)
Examples include Hitler and Saddam Hussein
Transactional Leadership
Burns distinguished transformational from
transactional leadership
Transactional leadership:
Focuses on motivational exchanges that occur
between leaders and followers
E.g politicians get votes by promising tax cuts
Managers who offer promotions/bonuses/good evaluations
to those who do well/exceed targets
Teachers who remind students good grades will be given to
those who work hard
Transactional leadership is common at all levels in
organisations


Transactional Vs
Transformational
Transactional Leadership in motivating followers is
very common
Motivation to fulfill/exceed goals provided by
personal exchange e.g. money, promotion, gifts
Transformational leadership- encourages motivation
simply for good of team/organisation and to fulfill
goals.
Followers will not be rewarded but are more
professional and team players
In this way transformational raises morality and ethic
of people
Many Charismatic leaders motivate followers using
transformational / pseudotransformational leadership


Conclusion
The way they motivate followers distinguishes
transactional and transformational leaders