This paper aims to explore the leadership values and practices of Confucius in the light of transformational leadership theory.
This paper is literature based.
The paper discusses four key dimensions of transformational leadership theory: idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation and individualized consideration and uses these as a framework for exploring the values of and teaching approach used by Confucius. The key message of the paper is that educational leaders have much to learn from a Confucian leadership style that is fundamentally transformational in nature and encompasses moral/ethical, socially critical, and democratic dimensions.
The paper presents a case study of an English as a second language (ESL) school and identifies several practical suggestions for ESL leaders to consider if they are to follow the tenets of Confucius's teachings.
The paper is original as it links the values and practices of Confucius to transformational leadership theory and considers how this theory might look in practice for leaders within a contemporary ESL school context.
