A Review of Current Literature on Transformational and Servant Leadership as Applies to Distance Education

Bill Davis, MA, CMLora Reed, PhDAndree Swanson, EdDForbes School of Business, Ashford University

INTRODUCTION

Introduction

Presenting an overview of the

literature that our team found on:

◦classroom leadership,

◦transformational leadership, and

◦servant leadership in the online

classroom.

PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

Purpose

The purpose was to conduct a

literature review on the areas of:

◦Classroom leadership +online classroom

◦Transformational leadership + online

classroom

◦Servant leadership + online classroom

Results of Research

Limited to no results when the

researchers incorporated the online

element

◦Classroom leadership +online classroom

◦Transformational leadership +online

classroom

◦Servant leadership +online classroom

BackgroundOur research involved the classroom

leadership perspectives◦Faculty roles

[e.g., King’s (1993) “sage on the stage” and “guide on the side”],

◦Burns’ (1978) model of transformational leadership. 

◦Greenleaf’s ([1970] 1991) model of Servant Leadership,

 (Burns, 1978; Greenleaf, [1970] 1991; King, 1993)

CLASSROOM LEADERSHIP STYLE

Classroom Leadership

Facilitating learning through

creating and sustaining a climate

wherein students engage in

distinct collaborative learning

communities.

Classroom Leadership (cont)

The function of these

leadership styles

◦ creation of trust,

◦ meaningful

relationships, and

◦ reciprocal learning

experiences

◦ reaching students at

their appropriate

developmental level

Trust

Reciprocal

learning

experience

Reaching students

Relation-

ships

Classroom Leadership (cont)The role of classroom leaders as

developers of future leaders is considered.

 

Classroom

leadersdevelop Future

leaders

TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP STYLE

TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP

Vision

Motivation

Organization

Transformational Leadership• Model the way

• Inspire a shared vision

• Challenge the process

• Enable others to act

• Encourage the heart

• Provide idealized influence

• Inspirational motivation

• Intellectual stimulation

• Individualized consideration

Weiss, 2011

Transformational Leadership & the Online Classroom

• Pounder (2008) conducted a study on

transformational leadership in the classroom.

• Positive relationship between this style of leadership and

desirable outcomes in the classroom.

• A sample of instructors at a Lingan University in Hong Kong

classrooms.

• Used a multifactor leadership questionnaire.

• Survey Results

• Scores on each of the transformational classroom

leadership dimensions were significantly and positively

correlated with scores on each of the classroom leadership

outcomes.

Transformational Leaders

• Provide consideration. • Mentor followers by teaching and

sharing knowledge and skills. • Show emotional concern and support. • Provide a vision and mission.• Instill pride, gain respect, trust,

communicate high expectations and express purposes in simple ways.

• Provide intellectual stimulation. • Give personal attention.

SERVANT LEADERSHIP STYLE

SERVANT LEADERSHIP

Vision

Service

EncouragementAll

Stakeholders

According to Robert Greenleaf“…the focus of leadership should

be on serving rather than leading.

In contemporary definitions of servant leadership, the emphasis in “serving” expands beyond employees to include customers, investors and all stakeholders in an organization”

(http://www.concordiaonline.net/what-is-servant-leadership

/)

Servant Leadership StyleTerm coined by Robert K. Greenleaf

(1970)Differentiated from all other

leadership theories by the motivation – to serve, rather than to lead

Ultimate objective to create next generation of servant leaders.

Leo as a Leader and ModelGreenleaf (1970) used Leo, the

mountain guide from Herman Hesse’s ([1956] 2011) novel, Journey to the East, as his model for the servant leader.◦Notably, it was not until Leo left the troupe,

and it fell apart, that the group began to realize he had been leading them all along.

◦Leo had sustained the group, empowering them, unleashing them to do that which they had envisioned possible.

Servant Leadership: A Form of Ethical Leadership

Merton (1969, p. 2616) asserted,

“Leaders lead as they have been led. But to

perhaps a greater extent, styles of leadership

are a function of the situation and the character

of the organization; it is through the incessant

process of self-reflection and organizational

selection that particular personality types find

themselves cast in leadership roles.”

Servant Leadership = Ethical Leadership

Chosen to lead because of the ethical

leadership they model in organizations.

Other styles of ethical leadership

include, but are not limited to…

◦ transformational,

◦authentic, and

◦spiritual

CONCLUSION

Conclusion

Through elements of

transformational leadership and

servant leadership applied in the

online classroom, faculty will be

more successful in developing

future leaders

FUTURE RESEARCH

A Gap Exists in the Literature

Our interest is servant leadership

in the online classroom

A gap exists for this topic when

considering

◦Higher education

◦Online classroom

ReferencesAre in the note section of this

PowerPoint presentation.

Google URL to this presentation:◦http://goo.gl/rDMQnN

Authors Bill Davis, MA, CM, is an instructor for the Forbes School of Business at

Ashford University. He teaches a variety of business courses focusing on leadership and management. He has presented at several conferences on transformational leadership and student engagement. Recently, Bill presented on video in the online classroom for the VII International Guide Conference at Universidad Panamericana, Guatemala City, Guatamala.

Lora Reed, PhD, is an assistant professor for the Forbes School of Business at Ashford University. She was named one of the first three Greenleaf Scholars in Servant Leadership (2009) for her ongoing research with 911 emergency dispatchers. Lora is the Program Chair for Human Resources Management in the Forbes School of Business. She has authored numerous books, articles and presentations on Servant Leadership. She serves as Director of Research for the 911 Wellness Foundation.

Andree Swanson, EdD, is an assistant professor for the Forbes School of Business at Ashford University. She teaches graduate-level business courses and is the Program Chair for the Bachelors of Arts in Business Leadership. Her areas of interest are in emotional intelligence and servant leadership.