TRANSFORMATIONAL AND TRANSACTIONAL THEORY

The Transformational theory, according to Burns, is when “leaders and followers help each other to advance to a higher level of morale and motivation" (Burns, 20).

Transactional theory is about the exchanges that occur between leaders and their followers, for example when a politician wins votes by promising “no new taxes” it is demonstrating transactional leadership (Burns).

I came into college thinking that social interactions were about what I could offer others in exchange for what they could offer me which aligned with the Transactional theory.

The moment when my mentality switched to align with the Transformational theory was my sophomore year, which in my artifact descriptions I will elaborate more on.

The benefit of having a mentality about social interactions that aligns more closely with the Transformational theory than the Transactional theory is that you develop into a better follower and leader depending on what the situation is.

By understanding that both a leader and a follower mutually benefit from a cooperative relationship to develop each individual, a follower will know that their leader wants what is best for them and the project.