The Transforming Leader: A Meta-Ethnographic Analysis

Abstract

The author describes an analysis of the leadership literature conducted to identify the themes, patterns, and connections that define transformational leadership. Meta-ethnography is explained as a method to conduct an interpretive synthesis of qualitative research and other secondary sources as a counterpart to meta-analysis for quantitative research. The literature on transformational leadership and related sources on community college leadership provided the data for the study, which were analyzed using open coding and the constant comparative technique to produce a profile of transformational leadership. The profile rests on seven major themes that the author describes and elaborates upon in terms of connecting concepts and how community college leaders can apply them: creating a shared vision, communicating it, building relationships, developing a culture, guiding implementation, exhibiting character, and achieving results.