Case : TRANSFORMATIONAL/TRANSACTIONAL LEADERSHIP, LEADERSHIP STYLE APPROACH, GLASS CEILING

Background

We are all familiar with the concepts of transformational and transactional leadership, terms which were coined by James MacGregor Burns in his classic Leadership, which was published in 1978. In this assignment, we will analyze two leaders who typify these two types of leadership.

Case Assignment

Drawing on the material in the background readings and doing additional research, please prepare a 5- to 6-page paper (not including the cover and reference pages) in which you:

Analyze the key characteristics of transformational and transactional leadership and apply them to two leaders of your choice.

Keys to the Assignment

The key aspects of this assignment that, at a mimimum, should be covered in your paper, include:

• Select two leaders (from the U.S. or international) who you consider to be examples of transactional and transformational leadership.

• Conduct independent research on these individuals and create a profile that addresses the following:

o What makes one leader transactional and the other transformational?

o What added value does each bring to their organizations?

o What conditions and organizational contingencies influence whether a transactional or transformational leadership style would be most effective?

o Considering your answer above, compare the effectiveness of both leaders you profiled in their given environments. Was their leadership style appropriate?

SLP-TRANSFORMATIONAL/TRANSACTIONAL LEADERSHIP, LEADERSHIP STYLE APPROACH, GLASS CEILING

Background

There have been many studies completed on the different styles of leadership. One of the most important ones focused on if a leader is "task focused" or "relationship focused."

For this SLP, you will complete a short survey and then analyze your results.

Required Reading

Refer to the required and optional readings on leadership style found in the Background readings.

Session Long Project

Drawing on the material in the background readings and doing additional research, please prepare a 2- to 3-page paper that addresses the following question:

Are you a Type A or Type B leader? What strengths do you have as this kind of leader? What are the weaknesses? Give examples from your experience to illustrate.

Survey instructions

Take the following task vs. relationship leadership survey. After you have completed the survey, add up your scores for tables 1 and 2 to determine your dominant leadership style.

To determine your dominant personal leadership style, circle one of the following options that best describes how you see yourself (or the person that is being evaluated) regarding each statement.

For each statement, you can indicate the degree to which you (or the person being evaluated) engage(s) in the stated behavior. A rating of 1 means Never and a rating of 5 means Always with the person demonstrating the specific behavior.