Transformative Leadership: Working for Equity in Diverse Contexts

Purpose: The purpose of this article is twofold: to delineate a theory of transformative leadership, distinct from other theories (transformational or transactional leadership); and to assess the utility of the theory for guiding the practice of educational leaders who want to effect both educational and broader social change. Approach and Methods: This article is both conceptual and empirical.The delineation of transformative leadership theory is conceptual and draws on its historical and more recent theoretical roots. To investigate it empirically, the author identified two principals from a larger study and, using a backward mapping approach, attempted to determine, using Evers and Wu’s (2006) abductive…