Academic understandings of transformative leadership

There are a number of ways in which transformative leadership as a framework and praxis encompasses and diverges from classical leadership theory, not least in that transformative leadership is concerned not only with how leaders behave but also with the impact that they have on fostering social change and social justice. This chapter provides an overview of transformative leadership as a working concept, tracing its origins in scholarship and the contributions made by critical scholars in its development. Moving from a global to a regional focus, it then maps some of the key insights from African scholars concerned with leadership for social changes and renewal. The review finds resonance between African theories of humanity and global theories and practices of transformative leadership.