James MacGregor Burns defines leadership as a consideration of both the leader’s and followers’ values, meaning that a leader must care for the needs and goals of their followers. Transforming leadership was a new concept to me, but I think it is crucial for leaders to obtain mutual support for common causes with their followers in order to be successful.
When thinking about a servant as leader as we have discussed in our previous class, I consider a transformational rather than transactional leadership. This is because transactional leadership is based on the followers’ “immediate self-interest,” as described by Bernard Bass, as opposed to the followers’ highest priority needs. Transforming leaders are more likely to align their personal principles with those of the public, therefore becoming more trusted and well-liked. In addition, leader-member exchange generates “trust, loyalty, and respect” (Bass 14); LMX is directly correlated with the success of transformational leadership, as followers are able to put faith in their leader. However, I agree with the fact that the best leader must be both transformational and transactional.
Bass mentions that “some may argue that affirmative action has pushed women faster and higher than justified by their competencies” (Bass 17). I disagree. In fact, I believe women tend to be more transformational than men because they are more willing to compromise their beliefs and ideas with those of their followers. Women simply receive fewer opportunities to act in leadership positions as prejudice against their gender, not because they obtain less leadership qualities than men. Sexism makes women have to work twice as hard for the same accomplishments as men.
When I read the section in Bass’ article about women being transformational, I immediately related it to the idea that generally, women tend to be more altruistic than men (we have discussed it in class before, but there have been many scientific studies done proving this to be generally true). Women tend to focus less on their own self interests, and it makes sense that this would make them more of a transformational leader who inspires and cares for their followers.
When I was reading the definition of transformation leadership I thought of servant-leadership as well. It seemed like they are synonymous, because in the same way a servant-leader caters to the highest priority needs, a transformative leader also weaves in the needs or beliefs of the followers into the overall mission.