The Impact of Transformational Leadership Style on Educational Stakeholders

Introduction

Leadership is an applicable concept in all fields and beneficial to all. The benefits individuals receive from leaders heavily depend on their applied leadership styles. Fu and Yukl (2000) noted that leadership is a process that aims at influencing others to accomplish organizational goals. School leadership is a salient part of students learning, and as such, the type of leadership practiced in schools is crucial to the teaching, classroom procedures and the school environment as these impact students’ performance (Day et al., 2016; Leithwood & Sun 2020). According to Hall (2020), leadership within educational organizations must aim to create relationships among staff, and these relationships are critical to successful schools. Leaders are the most influential persons in schools; as such, whatever they do significantly impact the learning community. Moreover, studies have shown that school leadership significantly influences student outcomes and school success (Leithwood & Sun, 2020)). Leadership sets the tone of schools, how effective the teaching and learning process is, and the level of professionalism among teachers and students’ learning outcomes.

Not all school leaders lead in the same way. There are different leadership styles, one of which is transformational leadership. Bass (1998) believed transformational leadership involved how leaders’ behaviours impact their followers. Further, Bass (1998), and Avolio (1999), stated that the transformational leadership style allows individuals to feel valued and gives them a sense of purpose, respect, and trust in their leaders. Leaders who practice transformational leadership raise the awareness and consciousness of their followers about the importance of outcomes and accomplishments. Through this approach, followers understand how to work towards the greater good for their team, organization, and the wider society; as such, everyone benefits. In addition, Mwesigwa, et al. (2020) see transformational leaders as individuals who seek new ways to effect change and are less likely to stick within the status quo as they aim to shape the environment in which they operate as they encourage employees to collaborate for the benefit of the institution. Previous studies have suggested that transformational leaders work proactively toward transforming schools’ culture, promoting reforms and professional work practices that will enhance schools’ initiatives (Kadiyono et al., 2020; Lusiani et al., 2020). School leaders who practice transformational leadership significantly influence teachers, school climates, students, families, and other educational stakeholders. The chapter will highlight how transformational leadership can create change and how leaders display their management strategies and communication to enhance areas of the education system. The effect of transformational leaders on educational also impacts educational organizations’ climate, culture and diversity. Ultimately, this book chapter focuses on the impact of transformational leadership on educational stakeholders.