Transformational Leadership in the Classroom, Research Paper Example

The issue of transformational leadership was addressed in my previous assignment.  I found it particularly helpful to learn about the qualities of a transformational leader.  It is important to have qualities that inspire those who in close proximity to me either in the workplace or at home, or in both places.  Learning how to imitate great leaders that have gone before me appears to be the best way to become a successful educational leader in my own right.

In particular, the issue that was raised in the sources from the previous assignment was the idea that having and maintaining a positive attitude practically ensures the success of a leader.  A positive attitude is contagious, as was indicated in the Indian Journal of Industrial Relations. What most interested me and what was most beneficial in the article from the Indian Journal of Industrial Relations was the mention of the fact that a transformational leader is one who thinks outside of the box (Shanker, 2012).

In management, there is a tendency to do things in a way that is tried and true, or has always worked in the past and therefore should continue to be done the same way now.  This does not make for growth of an organization or the employees / teachers who are part of that organization. Since the previous assignment was about educational leadership, the students have the most to lose from an educator who is not practicing transformational leadership because the curriculum will be stale and the students will lose interest fast.

Another issue that was interesting about the article in the Journal of Industrial Relations was the fact that people who manage in this manner are not afraid to accept criticism and use that criticism to enhance their leadership skills (Shanker, 2012).. I also understand that a vision for the future is necessary for the success of any educational institution.

The issue raised in the materials regarding the fact that a transformational leader can sometimes be detrimental to an organization was quite disturbing to me (Bottomley, 2014). In my role as an educational leader, I want to be a transformational leader, but I do not want to be the type that is arrogant and pompous and someone that elicits contempt and disrespect from my peers. I learned that I must keep my ego in check when leading others otherwise this will happen. It does not matter whether or not I have a vision for the organization, if I am arrogant and boastful, nothing will get done because no one will respect me.

I also do not want my peers or supervisors to be afraid to introduce outside of the box ideas to me. It might happen that a transformational leader, if he or she is prone to being arrogant, would take the ideas of other people and present them as his or her own. It is important to give proper credit where proper credit is due. Therefore, that is my main point that I took from the reading of the sources and keep it in mind when I am in the same position. I understand from reading the sources and the text that maintaining a balance between good leadership and decent rapport with my peers and supervisors is crucial to being successful and making the organization successful (Bolkan, 2009).   .

I have misunderstandings and misinterpretations regarding the success in my early years of my educational change philosophy. I am the type of person that could be considered a transactional. In other words, I have been classically trained in leading from the top down. I realize now that involving students and teachers in organizational decisions allows them to feel like they are contributing to the overall success of the educational institution. This gives them the sense of ownership when it comes to taking charge and caring out tasks that are assigned to them. Change and change management is not easy, however, implementing the ideas that I learned from the sources preparing for this assignment, I understand now that being a leader who inspires people rather than criticizing I them is a much better strategy than transactional leadership for change. This helps me evolve into a more effective leader that can influence others to think outside the box and try new things that have never been tried before.  This contributes to the success of the people around me, and ultimately the success of the educational institution for which I am working.

Today’s world is full of challenges for teachers. The world is diverse, and change in the school environment is affected by diversity issues and by the needs of the students within the local community. The vision of a transformational leader must take into account these issues, and be able to formulate a plan of action that will satisfy the different ethnical, socio-economical, and educational level of the majority of the students. Parents are now having to work an incredible amount of hours due to the lagging economy, and therefore, society has produced an abundance of latchkey kids. The teacher practically has to be a parent to the students. Although this is not in the job description of a teacher, it is the reality today. Additionally, a curriculum needs to be based around practical applications to today’s world for the student. A good curriculum might include the use of technology in class modules which is something that I, as transformational leader, could implement or suggest.

It is not only curriculum that is up to date that is important for student success. An educational leader must be willing to articulate ideas that are student friendly. For example, mathematics classes are generally feared and/or despised by students. As an educational leader that is looking to change the way students view mathematics, I might ask teachers of mathematics to develop a game based curriculum that allows the students to have fun, and that allows the students to think outside of the box. This is the best way to prepare them for the challenges that they will face when they go on to either further their studies or when they eventually enter the workforce.

Additionally, communication is key to any leader. Change cannot be successfully implemented if it is not communicated correctly. The old way of enforcing change from the organizational leadership style of leading from the top down, no longer works. It disempowers those who need to feel empowered the most: the students and the teachers. My thoughts on organizational change are that even though the change is implemented by teachers and educational supervisors, the students who are from diverse environments will have different life experiences. Taking this into consideration when implementing organizational change will make the proposed change more apt to be successful. This is what it means to be a transformational leader… The ability to think outside of the box.

Works cited

Bolkan, S., & Goodboy, A. K. (2009). Transformational Leadership in the Classroom: Fostering Student Learning, Student Participation, and Teacher Credibility. Journal of Instructional Psychology,36(4), 296. Retrieved from Questia.

Bottomley, K., Burgess, S., & Fox, M. (2014). Are the Behaviors of Transformational Leaders Impacting Organizations? A Study of Transformational Leadership. International Management Review,10(1), 5. Retrieved from Questia.

Shanker, M., & Sayeed, O. B. (2012). Role of Transformational Leaders as Change Agents: Leveraging Effects on Organizational Climate. Indian Journal of Industrial Relations,47(3), 470. Retrieved from Questia.