James MacGregor Burns’ Leadership (1978) transformed our thinking about leading. Since his seminal work, a great deal has learned about the nature of leading. Vision is clearly the single most commonly identified characteristic. Rouche, Baker and Rose (Shared Vision, 1989) gave that particular quality a major emphasis. While shared vision is clearly a critical element of effective leadership, critics have increasingly questioned the results of the visionary leader. Visionary leaders have been characterized as providing a glimpse into the future, but unable to move the organization to that future.

This article explores the more comprehensive view of transforming leadership. A meta-ethnographic study of the leadership literature (Pielstick, 1996) provided a profile of the transforming leader. Six themes are highlighted: (1) creating a shared vision, (2) communicating the vision, (3) building relationships, (4) developing a supporting organizational culture, (5) guiding implementation, and (6) exhibiting character.

Creating a Shared Vision—A vision is descriptive picture of a potential future of the organization. That vision may have originated with the person at the head of the organization, but often is an articulation of a collection of ideas shared by the leader and numerous other employees. By synthesizing these ideas and elevating them in a way that touches on the needs and dreams of these employees, the leader begins to elevate the vision to a moral level (doing the right thing), a vision for the common good.

Over time the vision becomes a source of energy and even excitement for the group that gives meaning to their work. As the vision becomes embraced by the group, it begins to take on a life of its own. In the best cases it becomes a shared vision, elevated beyond the original concepts of either the leader or the led.

Several characteristics are ascribed to shared vision. It provides meaning for the employees and other stakeholders. It is inspiring and often exciting, motivating individuals to extra effort to achieve the vision. The shared nature of the vision is unifying, creating a sense of community.

Another characteristic of this theme is change or adaptation. The shared vision provides direction and focuses attention on the proposed changes. The changes are described as opportunities, possibilities or potentialities, an adventure. The shared vision helps clarify new expectations for both leaders and followers. Individuals expect to make a difference, to create reform, to innovate.

Transforming visions are long-range, often 10 to 20 years, and may incorporate specific goals or key initiatives. Having a limited number of initiatives helps provide focus and set priorities. However, the goals or issues may also permit the college to articulate a multi-directional, but related, vision of the future.

Communicating the Vision—The vision is first developed through dialogue. To keep the dream alive, it must be repeatedly articulated in many forms. Communicating the vision is a key to instilling shared meaning and purpose. Communication regarding the vision is used to excite, inspire, motivate and unify both followers and leaders. The communication is a two-way sharing that facilitates the process of elevating the moral purpose of the shared vision, building relationships, and shaping the culture of the organization.

Listening is the most important component of communication for transformational leaders. The transforming leader listens so as to fully understand the perceptions of followers, their needs and concerns. This requires asking probing questions and feedback, as well as reflective thinking to enhance understanding. These leaders display a willingness to be influenced and to use their understanding to further shape the vision, ever increasing the shared nature and support for the vision.

An important role of the transforming leader is the ability to clearly articulate the shared vision, values, and beliefs of the college—repeatedly—in exciting and enthusiastic ways. The skilled leader inspires followers, provides encouragement and enhances motivation. Followers are mobilized to action.

Transforming leaders clarify and illustrate the vision, values and beliefs by using metaphors, analogies, stories, ceremonies, celebrations, rituals and traditions. They communicate high expectations. Emotional appeals and a sense of drama may be added to help provoke, influence and persuade others. "The world is moved by highly motivated people—people who believe very strongly or who want something very much" (Gardner, 1990, p. 183).

Clichés such as "action speaks louder than words" illustrate the power of nonverbal communication. Transforming leaders consistently walk-the-talk and lead by example. These leaders are very aware that their actions are closely watched and interpreted for consistency with the spoken word. Consistency helps build trust. Symbolic actions are frequently used to make a point. Every action (or lack thereof) by the leader is subject to symbolic interpretation by followers.

Building Relationships—Building relationships reflects the interactive, mutual and shared nature of transforming-leader behaviors. A web of high-quality relationships makes it possible to communicate, to effect the shared vision and to shape the culture that supports the vision. Shared values are important to the nature of the relationships and facilitate achievement of the vision.

These interactive relationships have been described as being shared, two-way, mutual, collaborative, and collegial. They cross boundaries. Transforming leaders tend to be friendly and informal. They treat subordinates as equals, give advice, help and support and encouragement. Transforming leadership clearly involves a relationship in which the leaders and followers are fully engaged with each other in achieving the shared vision of the organization.

Transforming leaders build trust through their actions. Walking-the-talk, role modeling and setting an example describe the consistency of actions critical to building trust among followers. In addition, these leaders trust followers. The trust of followers must be earned. Trusting them first builds credibility and leads to trust of the leader.

Developing a Supporting Organizational Culture—Organizational culture is the shared values and beliefs of the organization. "Edgar H. Schein has said that the only important thing leaders do may well be constructing culture" (Sashkin & Rosenbach, 1993, p. 99). Shaping culture contributes to building relationships and internalizing commitment to the shared vision. Leaders must be clear about their own values and ensure that their behavior consistently reflects those values.

Some key values identified with transforming leaders are: treating people with dignity and respect, dealing with social injustice, altruism, fairness, justice, liberty, human rights, honesty, integrity and equality. Organizational policies and programs are directly based on its shared values and beliefs.

The primary means of shaping culture is through interactive communication, including symbolic action, described above. As followers interact with leaders and others, tell the stories and myths, and participate in the rituals and ceremonies, the values and beliefs are reinforced and institutionalized. Just as all actions of a leader are subject to symbolic interpretation by followers, all actions potentially affect the shape of the organizational culture.

Guiding Implementation—Leaders conduct themselves and even communicate through their actions. These actions help build relationships and shape organizational culture. However, transforming leaders also guide implementation of the shared vision, rather than relying exclusively on the actions of empowered followers.

One common guiding action is to teach. "A great leader is usually a great teacher" (Parnell, 1988, p. 2). These leaders provide opportunities for their employees to learn and grow. They mentor or coach their followers. As noted above, the relationship is friendly and informal. The leaders treat subordinates as equals, while providing encouragement for their personal and professional development. They see their role as servant leader and seek to serve their own followers, as well as other stakeholders inside and outside of the college. Transforming leaders also guide by engaging in moral reasoning and principled judgement, as well as teaching these ideas to their followers.

Symbolic actions also provide guidance for others, an indirect but powerful means of teaching. Transforming leaders are strong advocates of staff development activities, often using them as a reward for accomplishments. Scholarship provides a means of teaching as well. These leaders are scholars in their own right, but also promote scholarship among followers.

Transforming leaders encourage taking reasonable or calculated risks, experimenting, and innovating. This is particularly true in such areas as educational reforms and use of technology. At the same time, transforming leaders are careful to assess the degree of risk and take steps to reduce the risk failing by providing risk takers with the necessary resources and connections to facilitate success, monitoring progress and suggesting modifications to avoid traps and pitfalls.

Exhibiting Character—As with shared vision and values, these leaders are principle-centered, believing in and demonstrating honesty, integrity, trust and other qualities. They are particularly noted as being ethical, perhaps even "noble." These leaders are guided by principles of justice, equity, dignity and respect for every individual.

The single most often referenced characteristic of transforming leaders is self-confidence. These leaders are committed and motivated by a higher purpose. Furthermore, they are centered and have an internal locus of control. Transforming leaders exhibit self-understanding and are self-disciplined. They have a need for power but use it for empowering others, rather than for their own purposes. When it is used personally, power becomes a source of energy rather than a source of control over others.

Transforming leaders are passionate. They are focused and committed to the shared vision, a vision of the common good, a commitment to higher education as a means of improving the quality of life of society at large. So strong is this passion that they may willingly give all of their time and energy to this cause. These leaders are disenchanted with the status quo and pursue their calling with a sense of giving. Transforming leaders view themselves as servant leaders.

Intelligence, a quality that appears to be increasingly recognized as essential in a complex and ever changing world, is commonly attributed to transforming leaders. These leaders are known for having good judgment and have expertise in their industry, their profession, and leadership. Transforming leaders demonstrate cognitive complexity, the ability of the leader to understand and attend to complex and competing needs simultaneously, and approach challenges with a variety of perspectives and approaches.

Transforming leaders also practice and support lifelong learning. Such learning promotes personal renewal. On a larger scale, it also promotes organizational renewal. Transforming leaders use and promote the use of critical, creative and reflective thinking which supports the development of cognitive complexity. This provides a basis for multiple frames of reference, situational alternatives or other forms of requisite variety.

These leaders have a broad perspective, including an awareness of complexities, systemic connections, patterns and situations, that helps them deal with the complexities, ambiguities, and uncertainties of the permanent whitewater in which we live. They are equally comfortable with the political, cultural and technical functions inside and outside of the organization. These leaders understand organizational history, cultural sensitivity, and global issues. They are well-rounded, open, unbiased, and flexible with a tolerance for ambiguity and uncertainty.

There is a toolbox of methods for learning to apply these findings to the world of permanent whitewater in which we find ourselves, including (1) keeping a daily-behavior checklist with activities to take some personal risks, (2) volunteering to lead an activity or project, (3) participating in activities outside regular responsibilities, (4) engaging a mentor, (5) teaching others, (6) mentoring or coaching someone, (7) networking, (8) shadowing a leader, (9) participating in an internship or sabbatical, (10) writing about a leader or leadership for publication, (11) maintaining a quarterly progress report, which could be a portfolio, critical incident log, or journal to document their leadership activities and accomplishments, (12) reading about leadership or leaders, and (13) additional training.

At the beginning of this article, I noted that critics argue that visionary leaders too often do not achieve results. Transforming leadership goes beyond visionary leadership in several important ways. Some may argue that the difference between visionary and transforming leadership is a matter of semantics. But critics of visionary leadership need to recognize the importance of creating that shared vision . . . as well as the ability of transforming leaders to communicate the vision, build relationships, develop a supporting organizational culture, guide the implementation, and exhibit character. This complex array of behaviors results a high level of documented achievement.

Burns, J. M. (1978). Leadership. New York: Harper & Row.

Gardner, J. W. (1990). On leadership. New York: Free Press.

Parnell, D. (1988). Leadership is not tidy. Leadership Abstracts, 1(4), 1-2.

Pielstick, C. D. (1996). The Design for a Leadership Academy for Community College Professionals Based on Transformational Leadership. (Doctoral dissertation, Oregon State University).

Roueche, J. E., Baker III, G. A., & Rose, R. R. (1989). Shared vision: Transformational leadership in American community colleges. The Community College Press: Washington, D.C.

Sashkin, M., & Rosenbach, W. E. (1993). A new leadership paradigm. In W. E. Rosenbach and R. L. Taylor (Eds.), Contemporary issues in leadership, (pp. 87-108). Boulder, CO: Westview.