Leadership has a different meaning depending on who is talking. Leadership has a personal connotation which is shaped by the life, education and experiences of the individual. In Leadership: Theory and Practice, Northouse defines leadership as a process whereby an individual has influence over individuals in a group, professional or religious for example, to accomplish a common goal. (Northouse, 2007).
Due to its nature as a process, leadership is not simply a trait or characteristic; rather, leadership is interactions between the leader and his or her followers. Leadership is not existent without this relationship. Leaders are entrusted with authority and power to make significant impact within their organization by inspiring subordinates with the mission and allowing them to take ownership in order to make effective contributions to the organization. “A successful leadership vision will consider this paradox and establish a strategic direction that manager the organization’s transformation to achieve its vision” (Brecken, 2004, p. 7). Leaders and followers have a common goal for the organization or movement. The leader is responsible for ensuring that the entire group gets the job done. There are various leadership styles that leaders can adopt, train for, or have a natural affinity for. One leadership style is the transformational style.
Transformation leadership was introduced by Downton in 1973, but was propelled by the publication of Leadership, by James MacGregor Burns in 1978. Burns posited that leaders who were able to motivate and inspire followers would be able to accomplish the goals at hand. “. . .transformational leadership is the process whereby a person engages with others and creates a connection that raises the level of motivation and morality in both the leader and the follower” (Northouse, p. 176).
Transformational leadership evolved and became infused with Charismatic leadership (House, 1976 in Northouse, 2007). In 1985, Bass refined transformational leadership using in part the work of Bass and Avolio in 1990 (Northouse, 2007), found that at the core of transformational leadership is the development, performance, and improvement of followers. Kuhnert (1994) also posited that transformational leaders have “. . .a strong set of internal values and ideals, and are effective at motivating followers to act in ways that support the greater good rather than their own self-interests,” (Northouse, p. 181).
“The transformational approach to leadership is a broad based perspective that encompasses many facets and dimensions of the leadership process”, (Northouse, p. 189). The Kouzes and Posner (1987, 2002) model is based on the interviews of leaders. The authors found five practices of motivational leaders, model the way, inspire a shared vision, challenge the process, enable others to act, and encourage the heart. In times of crisis and struggle, people need inspiration. Identify or using leaders that are able to inspire followers and appeal to their sense of purpose.
One of the most well-known and successful transformational leaders was the Reverend Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. By the age of 33, Dr. King was leading the Civil Rights Movement. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize at 35. Dr. King fought against injustice and for equality during a time when the law was against him. He inspired a nation of people to fight against inequality without violence. It was with words that he motivated a nation of African-Americans to plead their cases peacefully.
Considered one of the most charismatic speakers of all time, the speeches of Dr. King can be heard as though they were record in the last four months instead of 50 years ago. One of his most, powerful, motivating and inspiring speeches was the given on August 26, 1963 in Washington, D.C. on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. “I have a dream” is one of the greatest speeches of all time (McGuire & Hutchings, 2007).
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. I have a dream today!…I still have a dream, a dream deeply rooted in the American dream – one day this nation will rise up and live up to its creed, ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.’ I have a dream…”
Martin Luther King, Jr., August 28, 1963
Dr. King had a way with words, he was a Baptist preacher from Atlanta, Georgia who achieved national prominence through the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. His oratorical skills were exceptional (McGuire & Hutchings, 2007). Transformational leaders more than organize followers, they are able to change the heart of those followers. During a tumultuous time of inequality, Dr. King convinced the community that violence, even when having received it, was not the best course of action to achieve the end goal. Under his leadership and dedication to non-violent protest, the Civil Rights Movement was successful in ending legal separation of African-Americans in the south. Dr. King’s vision, his dream was one of racial justice and love, gave hope and opportunity to African-Americans beleaguered by the daily onslaught of injustice, while igniting a vast movement of social and political change (McGuire & Hutchings, 2007).
Dr. King was able to transform the struggle for equality into a vision with solid, actionable goals. Not only did he empower the civil rights movement, but Dr. King also transformed the existing system challenging change. Dr. King transformed America in the 1960s as he initiated social and political change through a vision of racial justice and love (McGuire & Hutchings, 2007).
