TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND ORGANIZATIONAL GROWTH IN THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Dana Lyles

OVERVIEW
The United Methodist Church is slowly embracing a transformational leadership model for its clergy with hopes of increasing the number of people attending and joining United Methodist communities of faith. The vision of the United Methodist Church is to "Follow Jesus. Make Disciples. Transform the World." The United Methodist Church seeks to use the constructs of transformational leadership to empower, and motivate members to bring others to Jesus Christ.

Image source: http://www.cmumc.org/images/MakeDisciples.jpg

LIMITATIONS OF RESEARCH
Lack of empirical research on religious organizations and transformational leadership

FOUR TRAITS OF TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP

Idealized influence
Inspirational motivation Intellectual stimulation Individualized consideration

IDEALIZED INFLUENCE
Transformational leaders possess a great deal of influence over their followers. Transformational leaders often have charismatic personalities. Kent and Chelladurai (2003) concluded charisma is both necessary and sufficient for transformational leaders to have a positive effect on followers.

INSPIRATIONAL MOTIVATION
Transformational leaders that utilize idealized influence also use inspirational motivation. A transformational leader who utilizes inspirational motivation can be more influential over their followers. Resick, Whitman, Weingarden, and Hiller (2009) found transformational leaders are more influential over internal and external constituents.

IDEALIZED INFLUENCE AND INSPIRATIONAL MOTIVATION

Ministers must be able to motivate and inspire the people in their church to become more like Christ and transform the world, and in turn go out into the world and bring people to Christ.

INTELLECTUAL STIMULATION
Transformational leaders must stimulate their followers into seeking new and innovative ways for achieving organizational goals. Eisenbeiss, van Knipperberg, and Boerner (2008) concluded transformational leadership is significantly positively related to innovation support.

INTELLECTUAL STIMULATION
Zhang and Peterson (2011) concluded information sharing and advice exchange within teams increased the overall performance of the team. The United Methodist Church can utilize the model described by Zhang and Peterson (2011) and make each individual church into a team.

INTELLECTUAL STIMULATION
Intellectual stimulation promotes the use of diverse practices in transformational leadership. Ng and Sears (2012) confirmed in their study a strong correlation exists between transformational leadership and organizational diversity practices.

INTELLECTUAL STIMULATION
As the team leader, the minister should use charisma to stimulate their followers. Waldman, Siegel, and Javidan (2006) alluded in their study CEOs who used charisma in their leadership model can enact intellectual stimulation among their followers.

INTELLECTUAL STIMULATION
Through intellectual stimulation, members of the church can become empowered to promote change within their community and bring people into the congregation.

Ismail, Mohamed, Sulaiman, Mohamad, and Yusuf (2011) found transformational leadership is positively correlated with empowerment, as well as organizational commitment.

INDIVIDUALIZED CONSIDERATION
Individualized consideration allows transformational leaders to create a climate that is supportive of the followers. Followers are able to sense the leader cares about them and in turn, may have a strong allegiance to their leader.

INDIVIDUALIZED CONSIDERATION
K.K. and Kumar (2004) found a positive relationship exists between transformational leadership and teamwork, commitment and proactive behavior. Rosenbach, Gregory, and Taylor (1983) found in their study organizations where people are treated like family and are empowered to make their own decisions are more likely to be committed to the organization.

CONCLUSION
The United Methodist Church can utilize many constructs of transformational leadership in each of the local churches. Bodla and Nawaz (2010) proved transformational leadership has a positive relationship with follower satisfaction.

REFERENCES
Bodla, M., & Nawaz, M. (2010). Transformational leadership style and its relationship with satisfaction. Interdisciplinary journal of contemporary research in business, 2(1), 370-381.

Eisenbeiss, S. A., van Knippenberg, D., & Boerner, S. (2008). Transformational leadership and team innovation: Integrating team climate principles. Journal of applied psychology, 93(6), 1438-1446. doi:10.1037/a0012716
Ismail, A., Mohamed, H., Sulaiman, A., Mohamad, M., & Yusuf, M. (2011). An empirical study of the relationship between transformational leadership, empowerment and organizational commitment. Business & economics research journal, 2(1), 89-106.

K. K., V. D., & Kumar, M. P. (2004). Augmenting subordinates' competencies. Journal of management research (09725814), 4(3), 164-170.
Kent, A., & Chelladurai, P. (2003). Multiple sources of leadership and employee reactions in a state parks and recreation department. Journal of park & recreation administration, 21(1), 38-60. Ng, E. S., & Sears, G. J. (2012). CEO leadership styles and the implementation of organizational diversity practices: Moderating effects of social values and age. Journal of business ethics, 105(1), 41-52. doi:10.1007/s10551-011-0933-7 Northouse, P.G. (2010). Leadership: theory and practice. 5 th Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

REFERENCES
Resick, C. J., Whitman, D. S., Weingarden, S. M., & Hiller, N. J. (2009). The bright-side and the dark-side of CEO personality: Examining core self-evaluations, narcissism, transformational leadership, and strategic influence. Journal of applied psychology, 94(6), 1365-1381. doi:10.1037/a0016238 Rifkin, J. (2011). The third industrial revolution: how lateral power is transforming energy, the economy, and the world. New York: Palgrave MacMillan Rosenbach, W. E., Gregory, R. A., & Taylor, R. L. (1983). Survey feedback as an organization development strategy in a public school district. Education, 103(4), 316-325. Waldman, D. A., Siegel, D. S., & Javidan, M. (2006). Components of ceo transformational leadership and corporate social responsibility. Journal of management studies, 43(8), 17031725. doi:10.1111/j.1467-6486.2006.00642.x. Zhang, Z., & Peterson, S. J. (2011). Advice networks in teams: The role of transformational leadership and members' core self-evaluations. Journal of applied psychology, 96(5), 10041017. doi:10.1037/a0023254