Extraordinary Leaders in Education: Understanding Transformational Leadership

The results of two investigations of leader characteristics and behaviors associated with extraordinary performance are reported. In a quantitative exploration using Bass's Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire, educators associated leader effectiveness with charisma and intellectual stimulation. Problems are noted with the operational definition of charisma. In a separate investigation, narratives describing educational leaders perceived to be extraordinary were analyzed to determine more specific leader behaviors and characteristics that followers ascribe to those leaders. The qualitative results emphasize the importance of professional development opportunities for followers and suggest that specific leader behaviors, rather than personality, inspire followers to higher levels of performance.