Business English Lesson: Transformational Leadership. A lesson to learn about transformational leadership and its characteristics with free PDF.
Business English Lesson: Business English Lesson: Transformational Leadership
Business English Lesson: Transformational Leadership
Objective:
Objective: In this lesson, students will learn about transformational leadership and its differences from transactional leadership. They will analyze the leadership qualities of a great transformational leader and discuss how these qualities can be applied in business management.
This lesson is suitable for intermediate to advanced level students of Business English.
Warm-up:
Ask students if they are familiar with the terms “transformational leadership” and “transactional leadership.” Have a brief discussion to gather their initial thoughts and understanding of these concepts.
Vocabulary:
Introduce and explain the following vocabulary terms:
- Transformational leadership
- Transactional leadership
- Micro and macro levels
- Collective desires and needs
- Intellectual stimulation
- Individualism
- Incentivize
- Predestined ideology
- Established order
- Charisma
- Cohesive solution
- Factionalism
- Marginalization
- Egalitarian values
- Civil liberties
- Boost morale
- Nurture innovation
- Progressive thinking
Reading Comprehension:
- Provide students with a copy of the article.
- Have them read the article individually.
- Discuss the main ideas and key points from the article as a class.
- Ask students to explain the differences between transformational and transactional leadership based on what they have read.
Discussion Questions:
- How would you define transformational leadership?
- What are the main characteristics of a transformational leader?
- How does transformational leadership differ from transactional leadership?
- Give an example of a transformational leader from politics or business. Explain their leadership qualities.
- How can transformational leadership skills be beneficial in business management?
- Can you think of any potential challenges or drawbacks of transformational leadership?
Case Study
Ask students to research and select a business leader whom they consider a great transformational leader. They should analyze and present how this leader demonstrated transformational leadership qualities, such as listening to others, offering cohesive solutions, and transforming the collective. Encourage students to provide specific examples and evidence to support their analysis.
Role Play Activity:
Divide students into pairs or small groups. Assign each group a scenario where a transformational leader is needed in a business context (e.g., a company facing low morale, lack of innovation, or resistance to change). In their roles, students should discuss and role-play how a transformational leader would address the situation, applying the leadership qualities discussed in the article.
Writing Activity:
Have students write a short essay or reflection on the following prompt: “The Importance of Transformational Leadership in Business.” They should discuss the key characteristics of transformational leadership and explain why it is crucial for business success. Encourage them to provide examples or case studies to support their arguments.
Wrap-up:
Ask students to share their case study analyses, role-play scenarios, or written reflections with the class. Facilitate a discussion on the leadership qualities demonstrated and the potential impact of transformational leadership in various business contexts
Extension Activity:
Students can explore additional case studies of transformational leaders in various industries and discuss their contributions, challenges faced, and lessons learned. They can also analyze the benefits and drawbacks of different leadership styles and discuss when each style might be appropriate.
Note: The teacher should adapt the lesson based on the proficiency level and needs of the students. Additional activities such as vocabulary exercises, grammar practice, or listening comprehension can be included as necessary.
Business English Lesson: Transformational Leadership – Here is the article:
Select someone whom you consider a great transformational leader and explain how they demonstrated these leadership qualities. How does transformational leadership differ from transactional leadership
Broadly defined, there are two types of leadership style which can be applied at both the micro and macro levels of politics and management; Transformational and Transactional. These leadership styles were originally identified by Burns (1978), and have since been expanding upon by numerous other theorists (identifying behavioural patterns and leadership tactics of each). Burns stipulated that a transformation leader is one that identifies the collective desires and needs of a society, and strives to create a system that caters to and can be shared by peers and subordinates, offers a high level of intellectual stimulation, and identifies and acknowledges individualism amongst a population.
Transactional leaders –in contrast- incentivize those living under their leadership for displaying desired behaviours, in an attempt to craft a society which adopts a predestined ideology which the transactional leader has envisioned. This is often associated with attempts to maintain the established order as it is, or to expand it outwardly, whilst maintaining the transactional leader’s base ideology.
One example of a Transformational leader was Martin Luther King Jr. King was well known for his leadership qualities and charisma, but his leadership style was not that he pushed his ideologies onto the people around him, but rather, he would spend most of his time listening to the concerns of the people around him, acknowledge them, and then offer a cohesive solution that would benefit all parties involved. As a key player in the civil rights movement in America, Martin Luther King Jr identified factionalism within the black community (a by-product of marginalization and racism), which only served to be self-deprecating. Martin Luther King, as a transformational leader, helped to cater to the individual needs of each faction, and in turn, unite and transform the collective movement into something bigger than the sum of its parts. Ling (2003), described King as “the vital centre- a point of balance and unity”.
Although King is most well-known for his “I have a dream” speech, and this speech itself seems to present King as having a desired ideology that he wants society to adopt, which encourages and incentivizes egalitarian values and civil liberties, however, it is well documented that behind the scenes, Martin Luther King was holding meetings with many different people with various different ideologies, and using the information he gathered at these meetings to create an adopt an ideology which would incorporate the needs of the individual, whilst simultaneously offering great benefit to the collective, and transforming the social consciousness.
Transformational leadership skills can apply not just to politics, but can also apply in business management. Where a transactional leader may arrest progress by only incentivizing the attitudes and behaviours they have seen previously, and those which maintain the status quo (with the leader at the top); a transformational leader is required to make true progress, boost morale and nurture innovation and progressive thinking.
Business English Lesson: Transformational Leadership
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