[Theory to practice]

Transformative leadership is when leaders transform their followers to be leaders themselves. I like to think of this as multiplier effect. If we as leaders just lead our followers, we are only adding to the solution one person at a time. When a leader creates more leaders, those leaders can then, create more leaders. This is what I like to think of as multiplying the positive influencer, not just carrying your own influence. I also believe that this strategy is the most effective way to provoke change.

When I was in high school, I was presented with the opportunity to be a transformational leader. Starting freshman year I joined the Student Council. When I started, I helped plan events, ran donation events, coordinated homecoming and school dances, etc.. When I was a senior, there was a chance to apply to a leadership role within the Student Council. I ran for and was elected “Head of Strategy.” This role was different from the tasks I was doing in the past. In my new position, I organized the other students, taught them how to give good presentations, gave advice on how to lead, facilitated meetings, and supported the members to do all the other tasks I used to do.

This was my favorite role to be in. I got to support younger students to become leaders themselves. I got to encourage them to influence positive change throughout our Council and the rest of school. It was an opportunity to watch shy younger students grow into the loud voices that had the most to say about the dance theme. It was amazing!

Throughout my time as Head of Strategy, I specifically remember one presentation I gave to the Student Council about what I thought leadership was. I remember telling them a story of the tricycle with the mom and pop handle on the back (see picture below for reference). I used this image to describe leadership in the sense that they were the one’s driving and steering the tricycle, they got to decide where it went next. I was just the one behind supporting them making sure they had enough strength to get up the hill. To me, this analogy is a lot like transformative leadership.