Transformational Leadership

            Although it seems strange, when I think of transformational leadership, the TV show Friends comes to mind.  Friends were truly an ensemble cast.  If someone were to ask you who the star was, it was different each week, depending on the theme, or problem of the episode.  And, the actors seemed to truly care about and value each other both on the set and off.  One example of this was when negotiations began the cast members insisted that no one actor earned more than the others.  Somewhere, behind the scenes there was a director and producer guiding the group but rarely getting attention for it.   From what I read, transformational leadership leads to the same type of atmosphere- a group of people working together, with a common vision, working together , as described by James MacGregor Burns, to “raise one another to higher levels of motivation and morality.” And, like the director/producer in the Friends example, there is a leader there, but he/she doesn’t need to be in the spotlight.  In fact, no one needs to be in the spotlight.  All members would work together to work for the collective, each member putting forth his/her strengths to help this community.  Ideally, like Friends, the group as a whole work together to put produce a school community that is positive, remembered, and of great quality. 

            Even though the “director” is behind the scenes and doesn’t really need to be noticed, his/her transformational leadership strongly impacts the way an administrator leads a school.  As stated by Kenneth Leitwood, there are basically three categories of practices that the leader most complete; setting directions,  developing people, and redesigning the organization.  Each of these aspects is important, but perhaps the most important two are the setting of direction and developing people.  Really, if the school doesn’t have a vision, it’s almost as dangerous as letting the reigns loose on a horse.  Things in the school will “move” but you don’t know if it’s forward, sideways, or even backward.  As mentioned by Colonel Mark Homrig, transformational leaders have an “inspirational vision” and the followers share that vision.  With a common vision, the “leader” and “followers” can work together and, as Burns states, become “ennobled”.  Leitwood states, interestingly that the second practice is to “develop people”.  The word people is very deliberate and telling.  When the transformational leader works with people, he sees them as people.  Not as staff, or as employees, or as teachers.  It shows that the transformational leader is able to have, as Homrig mentions, general interest in followers.  This practice is empowering to the followers and strengthening to the community as a whole.            

            Of course, all of these benefits are enhanced when incorporated technology into mix.  Many of the “Web 2.0” type programs/websites highlight the ideas of collaboration and communication.  Using wikis and blogs in these transformational schools would increase communication, give teachers a place to collaborate and even offer possibilities of professional development with online learning course and/or discussions.

            The TV show Friends ended over six years ago. Yet, people still speak of it. It is seen as a model of collaboration, where an ensemble got together and created something fresh, new, and exciting.  I believe that 21^st century schools can do the same when lead in a transformational way!