“Transformational leadership” is one of the most frequently used and least examined phrases in higher education and beyond. We call for it when things feel broken. We demand it when leaders fail to act. We claim it when we are trying to move something forward.
But what does transformational leadership actually mean? And how do leaders develop into it rather than simply aspire to it?
For me, transformational leadership means moving beyond the transactional. It is change that moves us forward, sticks, and fundamentally alters what is possible. Think of a caterpillar turning into a butterfly.
In this moment of disruption, attacks, and uncertainty, we need transformation in our campuses, organizations, and communities. But not all leadership that claims to be transformational actually is. One reason is that leadership operates along a progression. Awareness of where we are on that progression can help us lead more consciously, shift, and better serve those we lead.
The Ladder of Transformation
At the lower rungs of the ladder, leadership is often transactional and survival-oriented:
- Indifference
Holding a leadership role without engaging the responsibility of influence. Leadership becomes positional rather than intentional. - Reactive Leadership
Focused almost entirely on responding to the crisis of the moment. Energy is consumed by urgency, leaving little room for direction or learning. - Problem-Focused Leadership
Anticipating, identifying, and solving problems. This is often experienced as competence and effectiveness, but it still centers on fixing rather than reimagining. - Change Management
Managing a defined change and the resistance that accompanies it. Necessary and valuable, but still largely transactional in nature.
Higher on the ladder, leadership shifts from managing work to transforming systems:
- Transformational Leadership
Leading toward a different future, not just a better version of the present. - Transformational Teams
Leadership becomes shared. Teams develop the capacity to adapt, learn, and innovate together toward transformation. - Transformational Culture
The organization itself fosters curiosity, learning, trust, risk-taking, and forward movement. Transformation no longer depends on individual leaders alone.
Why This Matters
Most leaders do not consciously choose to stay at the lower rungs of this ladder. Yet, I bet we’ve all been there. Structural pressures, crises, and expectations often pull capable, committed leaders downward into reactivity and problem-solving. Over time, that gravity can make transformation feel aspirational rather than attainable.
Understanding this ladder helps leaders name reality without shame. It clarifies why hard-working, values-driven leaders can still feel stuck. And it invites a different question than “Am I a transformational leader?”
A better question might be:
Where am I primarily leading from right now, and what would it take to move one rung higher?
Transformational leadership is not a personality trait. It is a progression, a practice, and a set of capacities that can be developed individually, collectively, and culturally.
