Vision & Insights: Transformational Leadership

 As individuals, we are all striving to leave our mark on the world.  For activists, teachers, public officials and administrators just to name a few, this kind of comes with the territory.  Over the last 50 years, there are have been some outstanding leaders that have left their marks with us and transformed our lives forever; their efforts and strives will inevitably never be forgotten.  Transformational leadership is an approach of leadership that leads to positive changes in those who follow.  Transformational leaders are focused on helping followers succeed and treating them as human beings fully. This concept and its emergence came from political sociologist, James MacGregor Burns.  In his book Leadership (1978) he wrote of leaders in conjunction with the influence that they tended to have on followers (as cited in Northouse, 2013).  Burns also named Mohandas Gandhi as a classic example of transformational leadership because of the role he played in cultivating the hopes and demands of his people, while unknowingly, he changed himself.  Yet, this is not the only transformational leader of our time.  


Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is one of the most transformational leaders for my generation.  This year, 2013, commemorates 50 years for my hometown of Birmingham, Alabama, when the world took notice of events, some heinous and violent, that led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.  The year 1963 is not only significant to just Birmingham, but the nation as well.  It’s also the year that Dr. King, led the March on Washington and gave his infamous, “I Have a Dream” speech on the Lincoln Memorial.   The commemoration of the past and the motto “50 years forward,” has sparked the interest of many young individuals and even me.  This has led me to stop and ponder on the impact that Dr. King had on the lives of many.

As an advocate for equality and desegregation, Dr. King exuded all the characteristics of what a transformational leader is.  Similar to Mohandas Gandhi, Dr. King believed in nonviolent tactics to get his point across.  Through the many protests and rallies, Dr. King had a vision that inspired his followers to change their expectations of the world and embrace the vision that segregation does not have to be a way of life.  As Northouse(2013) mentioned, transformational leaders often have a strong set of internal values and ideals, and they are able to motivate their followers to align their actions to support the greater good rather than their own self-interests (191).  Furthermore, transformational leaders are viewed as role models by their followers. This tile of role model entails that a leader is confident, articulate and expresses strong ideals.  Dr. King was a role model to his followers and many wanted to and have even tried to emulate him.  There are many local leaders, who also are considered role models and exert the characteristics of a transformational leader.

Kerri Pruitt serves as the executive director of the Dannon Project in Birmingham, AL.  The Dannon Project is an organization that was founded by Kerri Pruitt and her husband Jeh Jeh Pruitt in 1999. This organization was created to help individuals in transition, particularly those in recovery from incarceration, unemployment, underemployment and at-risk youth.  Kerri’s reasoning behind the development of this organization and all that she does with this organization is what makes her a transformational leader.  As a result of  learning of the death of her brother-in-law, Dannon Pruitt, by a young man that had been released from prison on a non-violent offense, Kerri established this organization.  It is her belief that had there been a program in place for that young man after being released, he would've made better decisions and Dannon’s death could’ve been prevented (http://www.dannonproject.org/history.php).  When I first met Kerri, three years ago, I had no idea the type of person she was, but I was immediately taken with her genuine concern for others and the need to uplift our at-risk youth.  After learning of the history of her organization, it became clear to me that Kerri was a charismatic and visionary leader.  It is her vision that led to the Dannon Project and it is the focal point of that organization.  Since, its start, Kerri has fully immersed herself in the culture of this organization and has helped to shape it.  Kerri is constantly networking and meeting new people and encourages others, especially the at-risk youth that she works with. Most of her coworkers that I have had the pleasure of getting to know and worked with at my former employer, Jefferson County WIA office, would always tell me how appealing it is to work for her.  Additionally, Kerri challenges her employees and the participants of her program to change the status quo.  For example, if an at-risk youth sat down with Kerri and told her that his/her mother had them at 16 and didn’t graduate from high school. Kerri would challenge that youth to defeat the odds and attain your GED and an allied health certification that is offered through Dannon.  In other words, Kerri was letting this child know that “you” determine your outcome and I believe that you can do it.

Kerri Pruitt & the Dannon Project   - Video link 

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. did not live to see the impact and change that came about as a result of his transformational leadership, but as aforementioned it’s forever a part of our lives.  His transformational leadership set the tone and path for others like Kerri Pruitt and even President Obama.  It is his charismatic approach that led to desegregation in the South, in schools and in general.  Kerri Pruitt, on the other hand, is still carving her mark on the world and transforming everyone she encounters along the way.  My challenge for you is to think of those individuals in your life that could be considered a transformational leader and assess the impact they have had on you and others. Perhaps a family friend, church member, teacher or manager, fits the description. 

References:  The Dannon Project. http://www.dannonproject.org/index.php

Northouse, P. (2013). Leadership: Theory and practice. (6 ed). Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publishing.