Transformational Leadership

Transformational Leadership is a form of leadership that motivates, encourages, and enhances the level of thinking within an organization. This form of leadership acts as a belief system combining the values of followers into one vision. The system promotes change by utilizing the visions of all of its members, creating positive team interactions, helping members think beyond what they see, and eventually creating an organization of leaders.
When using this form of leadership you can integrate a part of transactional leadership by rewarding success and loyal team members. In any organization there are consequences to your actions whether negative or positive. Instead of leading through consequences and rewards, a team leader should lead through motivation and encouragement making success the reward. After the buy in is created and success is evident, reward members openly for reaching organizational goals and provide consequences that aren't necessarily negative, but promote professional development and further expectations of those lacking. On the contrary, if transformational leadership is carried out effectively negative consequences should not be needed.

Transformational Leadership is essential for a school administrator in order to convince team members to buy in and carry out the school's vision. Exercising the belief system of transformational leadership will allow an administrator to create a since of community in a school, promote collaboration, and help team members stray from burn out and be motivated to continue making a difference. This form of leadership is exactly what schools need to help teachers raise student achievement. By using Bass’s categories of practice an administrator will help teachers evoke emotions they had when they first started teaching. Most teachers are scared but also full of energy and overwhelmed with a desire to change lives in the beginning of their careers. Teachers will continue to buy into the school’s vision, feel appreciated and be encouraged to think on a larger scale beyond the stresses of school politics and social issues.
Integrating technology with instruction through transformational leadership is a staple when practicing this form of leadership. As a school administrator develops life-long leaders, preparing students by researching and exposing them to new technologies is essential in their prepartion for the future. Technology will enhance instruction and keep students maintain awareness of the world and also help teachers be innovative in their teaching. By using this form of leadership, an administrator is developing the students as leaders as well as the teachers.
One of Leithwood's and Jantzi's categories for transformational leadership practice, “Redesigning the Organization" supports the idea that collaborating and creating productive community relations will be beneficial to meeting the needs of special education children. Following this guideline will help principals encourage teachers to actively welcome special education students in their classrooms and enhance collaboration among special education teachers. Although inclusion is mandated by law, in my experience some teachers are apprehensive about special needs children in their classrooms and service providers pushing in. I think through transformational leadership and following Bass’s and Leithwood’s guidelines, an administrator can successfully promote inclusion, help co-teach models and promote successful teacher collaboration.
This systems approach to leadership creates the same buy in a president creates for a country, or a company owner creates when managing a business. Followers must be motivated to produce.
Transformational leadership can make an organization successful, and help build upon success by nurturing leadership qualities in its team members encouraging others to transform and promote positive change.