This question contains two parts; be sure to answer both. First, define transformational leadership and explain the four key leader behaviors that constitute transformational leadership. Second, imagine that you are the team leader for a student project that is worth 15 percent of your grade. You have five members in your group, and the performance of the group is averaging about 82 percent through the first half of the semester. Explain how you might use the four leader behaviors underlying transformational leadership to improve the project team's performance over the remainder of the semester.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Transformational leadership transforms employees to pursue organizational goals over self-interests. Transformational leaders, in one description, "engender trust, seek to develop leadership in others, exhibit self-sacrifice, and serve as moral agents, focusing themselves and followers on objectives that transcend the more immediate needs of the work group." Whereas transactional leaders try to get people to do ordinary things, transformational leaders encourage their people to do exceptional things with significantly higher levels of intrinsic motivation, trust, commitment, and loyalty that can produce significant organizational change and results.

The personalities of transformational leaders tend to be more extroverted, agreeable, proactive, and open to change than nontransformational leaders. Female leaders tend to use transformational leadership more than male leaders do. Adaptive, flexible organizational cultures are more likely to foster transformational leadership than rigid, bureaucratic cultures.

Transformational leaders tend to exhibit four kinds of behavior:

1. Inspirational motivation: "Let me share a vision that transcends us all."

2. Idealized influence: "We are here to do the right thing."

3. Individualized consideration: "You have the opportunity here to grow and excel."

4. Intellectual stimulation: "Let me describe the great challenges we can conquer together."

Students should then describe how they would use the key behaviors they listed to improve their group's performance.