Transformational and
Transactional Leadership
Defined
Transformational and transactional leadership are different leadership styles.
What is transformational leadership?
Transformational leadership uses communication to bring about a positive, beneficial change in its followers. The transformational leadership style transforms its followers by working together, helping and encouraging each other. A congruous, coordinated group results, which has a positive effect and benefit for the entire organization. Transformational leaders increase the morale, motivation and performance of the individuals within the group and the group as a whole.
The transformational leadership theory encourages transformational thinking through transformational training and transformational coaching.
Transactional leadership
Transactional leaders focus on getting tasks done and positive worker relationships in exchange for desirable rewards. Transactional leadership may encourage the leader to adapt their style and behavior to meet the perceived expectations of the followers. This style uses rewards, such as wages or status to motivate employees to achieve the end result or target.
Communication is seen in three variations:
- Linear communication, a one-way view of communication from one person to another.
- Interactional communication, or two-way communication where feedback is included.
- Transactional communication builds on interactional communication. This is communication in the context of a relationship between two or more people. Instead of a two way flow we have simultaneous things going on all the time, some verbal, some nonverbal.
When dealing with communication in an organization both transactional and transformational leadership styles can often be seen. It depends on the business communication methods and models of organizational behavior styles used by the specific organization. Many types of communication including verbal and non verbal communication, viral marketing examples and other workplace communication methods can be used for both leadership styles. Also see four types of communication.
Training is available on both transactional and transformational leadership.
Both styles of transformational and transactional leadership are used in different ways in employee engagement models and play an important role in change management in organizations.
