JAMES McGregor Burns

Transformational leadership occurs when one or more persons engage with others in such a way that leaders and followers raise one another to higher levels of motivation and morality.

-Burns

He tells it like it is

James McGregor Burns studied leadership in a different way that became Transformational. He was one of the first scholars to look at leadership through relationships and with that he embarked on his Transformational Leadership Theory. Burn's background demonstrates his credibility of reconstructing leadership theory. He received his bachelor's degree from William's College, his PhD from Harvard, and he has also attended school in London. He was very involved in out government and began his new philosophy of leadership by pointing out some great themes. Transformational Leadership looks at the difference between a manager and a leader. One important topic is that Burns began to discuss leadership instead of discussing leaders. He states that leadership is a moral endeavour not a wielding power or trying to manipulate others. Overall, Burns has written many books about leadership and his theory has been praised and discussed by many scholars. His words have definitely taken the management level into a whole new ballpark.