1. Transformational leadership in research and education
Lecture delivered by
Joseph O. Aina
Professor of nursing
Babcock University
Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State

2. The first international conference organized by
LeadNurse Africa International Foundation
On April 25, 2018 At
Lagos State University Teaching Hospital

3. Welcome and opening remarks
I want to thank the organizers of this programme for their vision of nursing and their commitment to the progress of nursing, nursing education and nursing research. A thorough grasp of certain rudimentary knowledge about leadership will not only help our profession but will point us in the right direction. Leadership is the ability to influence the behavior of others in order to achieve the goals of a group while management is defined as the accomplishment of work through others.

4. Leadership and management have sometimes been used synonymously
Leadership and management have sometimes been used synonymously. However, there are important differences between the two concepts within the organization. A leader has certain characteristics not present in the manager. The manager is the closest to production and so has more interactions with the workforce. Dealing with the human, material and financial resources environment, leaders perform many roles, some of which are decision- making, communicating with subordinates, evaluating performance, facilitating work, mentoring subordinates, energizing them and forecasting organizational future.

5. Historical perspectives on leadership
The Great Man theory evolved around the mid 19th century exactly in 1840s. Even though no one was able to identify with any scientific certainty, which human characteristic or combination of, were responsible for identifying great leaders. Everyone recognized that just as the name suggests; only a man could have the characteristic (s) of a great leader. The Great Man theory coming from the Aristotelian principles assumes that the traits of leadership are intrinsic, meaning that great leaders are born and not made.

6. Aristotle’s position and those who subscribe to his thinking believe that certain individuals are ordained with leadership traits which are not present in others. . In 1860, Herbert Spencer, an English philosopher disputed the great man theory by affirming that these heroes are simply the product of their times and their actions including the results of prevailing social conditions.

7. Following the Great Man theory was the trait theory of leadership coming in the 1930s and the 1940s which assumed that leaders have certain personality traits that separate them from those they are leading. Furthermore, the belief was that great leaders will rise when confronted with the appropriate situation. The trait theory was popularized by Thomas Carlyle, a writer and teacher. This leadership theory focused on analyzing mental, physical and social characteristics of leaders in order to gain more understanding of which characteristic or combination of characteristics that are common among leaders.

8. The belief that leaders possess certain traits that separate them from those they lead led early researchers on leadership to focus on these traits that are, supposedly present in the leader. However, later studies on leadership moved away from looking at traits and personal characteristics. Behavioral scientists shifted attention to looking at what leaders do and how they did it. Major breakthrough occurred when leadership styles started to emerge. The first set of leadership styles were called autocratic, democratic and laissez-faire styles

9. Autocratic leadership style maintains strong control, motivates followers by coercion, directs followers by command, communication flows downward, decision-making does not involve subordinates, emphasis is on status difference ( “I’ and “You’) and criticism is punitive. Democratic leadership style maintains less control over followers, uses economic and ego rewards to motivate followers and criticism is constructive. The style is appropriate when problems are poorly defined and/or brainstorming is needed to generate alternative solutions guidance, communication flows up and down, decision-making involves others and emphasis is on “we” rather than “I” and “You.”

10. The laissez-faire style is the third leg of the tripod and it is the least effective style which can be frustrating because there is the appearance of no leadership. It is very permissive with little or no control, motivates by support when requested by the group or individual, provides little or no direction, uses upward and downward communication, disperses decision-making throughout the group and places emphasis on the group and does not criticize. In addition, direction of others is through suggestions and group apathy and disinterest can occur.

11. Furthermore in continuing reactions to the trait leadership theory, the behavioral scientists offered some new perspectives that focused on the behavior of the leader as opposed to his mental, physical or social characteristics. With the development of psychometrics, notably factor analysis, researchers were able to measure the cause an effect relationship of specific human behaviors emanating from leaders. As a result of this development, anyone with the right conditioning could have access to the once considered the elite club of naturally gifted leaders. In other words, leaders are made and not born. The behavioral theories first divided leaders into two categories. Those that were concerned with accomplishing tasks and those concerned with relationship with people.

12. The1960s Contingency theory of leadership by Fiedler argues that there is no single way of leading and that every leadership style should be based on certain situations, which signifies that there are certain people who perform at the maximum level in certain places; but have minimal performance when taken out of their environment. To a certain extent contingency theory of leadership was seen by other researchers as an extension of the trait theory, in the sense that human traits are related to the situation in which the leaders exercise their leadership. It is generally accepted among contingency theorists that leaders are more likely to express their leadership when they feel that their followers will be responsive. Other behavioral theories include the Hersey-Blanchard situational leadership, Macgregor’s theory Y and X, and Blake-Mouton managerial grid to mention a few.

13. Transformational leadership
Transformational Leadership is a process by which a leader interacts with followers and has the ability to create a solid relationship that results in a high percentage of trust that will later result in a level of motivation, both intrinsic and extrinsic, in both leaders and followers. The essence of transformational leadership is that leaders transform their followers through their inspirational nature and charismatic personalities. Rules and regulations are flexible, guided by group norms. These attributes provide a sense of belonging for the followers as they can easily identify with the leader and its purpose. Transformational leaders are sometimes called quiet leaders. They are the ones that lead by example. Their style tends to use rapport, inspiration, or empathy to engage followers. They are known to possess courage, confidence, and the willingness to make sacrifices for the greater good.

14. The1960s Contingency theory of leadership by Fiedler argues that there is no single way of leading and that every leadership style should be based on certain situations, which signifies that there are certain people who perform at the maximum level in certain places; but have minimal performance when taken out of their environment. To a certain extent contingency theory of leadership was seen by other researchers as an extension of the trait theory, in the sense that human traits are related to the situation in which the leaders exercise their leadership. It is generally accepted among contingency theorists that leaders are more likely to express their leadership when they feel that their followers will be responsive. Other behavioral theories include the Hersey-Blanchard situational leadership, Macgregor’s theory Y and X, and Blake-Mouton managerial grid to mention a few.

15. The term “transformational leadership” was coined by sociologist James V. Downton in Other leadership experts such as Burns and Bass made tremendous contributions to our understanding of transformational leadership. The transformational leader motivates workers and understands how to form them into integral units that work well with others. Burns (1998) defined transformational leaders as those who seek to change existing thoughts, techniques and goals for better results and the greater good. He also described transformational leaders as those who focus on the essential needs of the followers.

16. Other leadership experts such as Burns and Bass made tremendous contributions to our understanding of transformational leadership. The transformational leader motivates workers and understands how to form them into integral units that work well with others. Burns (1998) defined transformational leaders as those who seek to change existing thoughts, techniques and goals for better results and the greater good. He also described transformational leaders as those who focus on the essential needs of the followers.

17. Transformational leaders are sometimes called quiet leaders
Transformational leaders are sometimes called quiet leaders. They are the ones that lead by example. Their style tends to use rapport, inspiration, or empathy to engage followers. They are known to possess courage, confidence, and the willingness to make sacrifices for the greater good. The term “transformational leadership” was coined by sociologist James V. Downton in Other leadership experts such as Burns and Bass made tremendous contributions to our understanding of transformational leadership

18. Four important characteristics
Charismatic Leadership, or Idealized Influence. Transformational leaders are role models; they are respected and admired by their followers. Followers identify with leaders and they want to emulate them. Leaders have a clear vision and sense of purpose and they are willing to take risks.

19. Inspirational Motivation
. Inspirational Motivation. Transformational leaders behave in ways that motivate others, generate enthusiasm and challenge people. These leaders clearly communicate expectations and they demonstrate a commitment to goals and a shared vision.

20. Inspirational Motivation
. Inspirational Motivation. Transformational leaders behave in ways that motivate others, generate enthusiasm and challenge people. These leaders clearly communicate expectations and they demonstrate a commitment to goals and a shared vision.

21. Individualized Consideration
. Individualized Consideration. Transformational leaders pay attention to the needs and the potential for developing others. These leaders establish a supportive climate where individual differences are respected. Interactions with followers are encouraged and the leaders are aware of individual concerns (Bass, 1998)

22. Transformational leaders are very well-organized and expect their followers to be creative. They are respected and in turn respect their followers. They are team oriented and so expect their followers to work together for the best results. They act as coaches for their team and so provide training and motivation. They are responsible for their team but also instill responsibility into team members. Transformational leaders engender respect through rapport and personal influence. These leaders are good in communicating new ideas, balancing short-term vision and long- term goals, building strong coalition and establishing mutual trust and possess integrity and high emotional intelligence. However, they are not effective in early stages or in ad-hoc situations. They require an existing structure that needs fixing and cannot work well in a bureaucratic structure.

23. Nurses and health care
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) – also called the Global Goals – are common, universal goals for member states of the United Nations to transform the world into a fairer, more prosperous and peaceful society by These goals include a commitment to ending poverty, achieving gender equality, improving health and education, making cities more sustainable, and combating climate change. According to Helen Clark, the UNDP Administrator the 2015 agreement on the SDGs marks an important milestone in putting the world on an inclusive and sustainable course of action with all member states working together.

24. The future of nursing education in Nigeria is in higher education
The future of nursing education in Nigeria is in higher education. I am aware that many nurses possess a baccalaureate degree and many more are eager to obtain one. This is very heart-warming. We must grapple with several challenges including desensitization in the hands of those who lead us. Transformational leadership can help nursing research its goals of development in both education and research. Education of nurses at advanced level will enable us face the challenges of helping to create a society based on equity. Transformational leadership will aid us in reaching our goal.

25. Nurses have always been and will continue to be in the forefront of delivering health care all over the world. There are many more nurses conducting research today than ever before. However, we are still battling the same old wars and having difficulty transmitting research findings into our practice here in Nigeria. Research into our education and practice will not only show what we are doing right but will also show how we can make improvement. According to Willard (2010), it is by means of scientific research that we can achieve a better understanding of our world so we can make informed decisions in matters that affect our lives and those of others.

26. Transformational leadership can be of tremendous asset to nurse leaders if one looks at the major characteristics of this leadership style. Unfortunately many of our leaders do not practice this. It may be out of ignorance or it may be due to lack of knowledge of these leaders. Charisma, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation and individualized consideration are important elements in transformational leadership. Many nurses already possess these qualities but they need to be nurtured right from our student days. Aligned with transformational leadership qualities is individual’s emotional intelligence. This is a topic for another lecture.

27. THANK YOU ALL FOR LISTENING
LET US GO AND GET TRANSFORMED