How to Identify and Instill Qualities of a Transformative Leader

176 Pages·2017·1.41 MB·English

University of St. Tomas, Minnesota
UST Research Online
Education Doctoral Dissertations in Leadership School of Education
2017
How to Identify and Instill Qualities of a
Transformative Leader:
Susan R. Spray
University of St. Tomas,
How to Identify and Instill Qualities of a Transformative Leader:
What the World Needs Now is Love

A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, LEADERSHIP AND COUNSELING OF
THE UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS
ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA

By

Susan Rae Spray

PRESENTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS

FOR THE DEGREE OF

DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

October 2017
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UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS, MINNESOTA

How to Identify and Instill Qualities of a Transformative Leader:
What the World Needs Now is Love

We certify that we have read this dissertation and approved it as adequate in scope and
quality. We have found that it is complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any
and all revisions required by the final examining committee have been made.

Dissertation Committee

_________________________________
Eleni Roulis, Ed.D., Committee Chair

________________________________
Stephen Brookfield, Ed.D., Committee Member

________________________________
Karen Westberg, Ed.D., Committee Member

11 October 2017
.
Final Approval Date

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Acknowledgement
My sincere thanks goes to Dr. Eleni Roulis and Dr. Stephen Brookfield for their continued
support of my procrastination and messy life that ha s finally receded to enable this end to my
quest. A special thank you to Dr. Karen Westberg for agreeing to join the committee on late
notice.
I have incorporated in this writing bits and pieces of some of the political and social context of
why I think leadership directed toward promoting the common good is so critical at this point in
time. I will let Mr. Bruni’s comment make the broader point for me.

“The refusal to grant victors legitimacy bundles together so much about America today:
the coarseness of our discourse; the blind tribalism coloring our debates; the elevation
of individualism far above common purpose; the ethos that everybody should and can
feel like a winner on every day.”

Frank Bruni, The Cult of Sore Losers, April 26, 2016, New York Times, Op-Ed Contributor

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Table of Contents
Approval Page ii
Acknowledgement iii
Table of Contents iv
Abstract viii
Chapter 1: The Why and Conceptual Background 1
Researcher’s Journey 3
Statement of Problem 4
The Research Questions 5
Purpose of Study 6
Critical Literature Review and Study Organization 6
Background on the Concept of Leadership 8
Leadership Competencies 11
Leadership Across Organizational Levels 12
The Concept of Leadership Used for this Study 14
Chapter 2: Psychological Foundations of Leadership 16
Personality and Trait Theories of Leadership 16
The Emergence of the Big Five -Factor Personality Framework 16
A Return to the Five-Factor Model and Transformational Leadership Theory 21
Update of the Big-Five Model and Transformational Leadership Effectiveness 26
The Special Case of the Social Entrepreneur and the Big-Five 30
Leadership Emergence 31
The Importance of Context to Leadership Effectiveness 34
The Introduction of Emotional Intelligence and Self-Esteem 39
Isolating Self-Esteem’s Role in Leadership Effectiveness 41
The Problem of Measuring Leaders’ Effectiveness 44
Morality and Ethics as Aspects of Leadership Practice 50
Culture and Ethical Leadership 53
The Role of Empathy 55
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Empathy’s Link to Emotional Intelligence 56
Chapter 3: Theories of Leadership in Practice 59
Aspects of Transformational Leadership Theory 59
Where do Transformational Leaders Come From? 60
Testing Psychological Attributes Subject to Change 62
The Impact of Positive Outlook on Leadership Practice 63
Does Transformational Leadership Impact Productivity? 64
The Re-emergence of Self-Efficacy 65
The Introduction of Servant Leadership Theory 67
Aspects of Authentic Leadership Theory 70
Bill George on Being Authentic 71
The Work of Avolio and Gardner and Authentic Leadership 71
Another Look at the Role of Positive Psychology in Authentic
Leadership Development 74
Authentic Leadership as a Valid Application 77
The Introduction of Root Constructs 78
The Concept of Trigger Events to Promote Authentic Growth 81
The Importance of Trigger Events in Providing a Life Story 85
Life Stories Inform Identities 86
The Role of Role Model 88
Aspects of Academic Leadership Theory 90
Observations from University Presidents 92
The Challenge of Group Dynamics 94
What Leadership Models Apply to the Academic Context? 95
The Transformational and Transactional Constructs of Leadership in the
Academic Sector 98
The Role of Charismatic Behavior 99
The Need for More Research of Leadership Practice in Academic Contexts 101
Aspects of the Social Entrepreneur 101
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Opportunity Recognition and Exploitation 102
The Roles of Self-Determination and Independence 102
A Goal to Solve Social Problems 104
The Origin of the Social Entrepreneur Leadership Concept 104
Aspects of Leadership in Multi-Sector Collaboration 106
Leadership Skills for a Collaborative Network Setting 107
Four Higher Order Behaviors of Transformational Leadership 109
The Complexity of a Social Context for Leadership Practice 113
The Introduction of a Systems Theory Approach to Problem Solving 114
The Need for Divergent Thinking Skills 116
Ill-Defined and Non-Linear Problems 116
The Results of this Critical Review of Leadership Theories and Their Source 119
Chapter 4: Three Public Sector Leaders 121
Cheryl Dorsey Social Entrepreneur ( Transformative) 122
Dorsey’s Work in the Social Sector 122
Dorsey to Head Echoing Green 123
Dorsey’s Public Sector Awards and Appoin tments 126
John Brademas Public Sector Leader (Charismatic/Transformative) 128
John as Congressman in Washington 128
John as President of N.Y.U . 129
John and Stakeholder N etworks 130
John’s Life Story 130
John as a Transfo rmational Leader 133
Willard Boyd and Growing Up (Academic/Transformative) 134
Boyd and the University of Iowa 134
A Commitment to Social Justice 136
Boyd as National Leader 138
Boyd and the Field Museum of Natural History 138
Multi-Sector Collaboration 139
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A Return to Iowa 140
Boyd in Retirement 140
Viewed as Transformational Leader by Others 141
Chapter 5: Discussion and Concluding Statement s 143
The Question of Whether Leaders are B orn or Made 144
Where Do These Public Sector Leaders Cited in This Work 146
` The Role of Psychology in Leadership Iden tification and Formation 147
The Role of Intelligence and Educati on 149
What Does It All Mean? 149
Leadership in Addressing Today’s Issues 152
References 155
References Cited by Sources in the Text 162
References Used in Previous Versions of this Work 163

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Abstract
This review investigates the psychological foundations of leadership theories to discover what
skills enable effective leaders to lead across sectors and decades with a focus on organizational
leadership. The research questions explore the ability of these leaders to consistently address
conflict and challenges effectively regardless of context (public/private); and to explore the
notion that such leaders are not necessarily born, and that these leadership practices can be
developed. With a focus on the transformational, authentic, academic, social entrepreneur, and
cross-organizational leadership theoretical models, the undergirding to these theories is
explored through the influences of personality characteristics and traits, as well as the moral
and ethical components involved in the development of these leaders. Three prominent
community leaders are profiled to demonstrate how aspects of personality and experiences
provide the how and why behind these leadership theories when applied to actual
circumstances.
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