Transformational Leaders’ Idealized Influence: A Communicative Approach to Leadership in Lebanon’s IB World Schools

Abstract

Purpose: This study sought to examine whether teachers' communication strategies reveal leadership qualities put forth by Burns (1978) and whether students could embody these strategies as a means of revealing comparable leadership traits under the guise of learning leadership through social constructs, primarily communication. Methods: The study follows a mixed-method approach, incorporating data collection tools that are quantitative (surveys) and qualitative (observations and interviews). Survey items included leadership traits as well as verbal and nonverbal communication moves. Observations recorded speech acts and nonverbal cues and yielded an interpreted leadership trait. They also included the physical aspects of the classroom proposed by Galloway (1969). Interview questions were thematically constructed addressed Burns’ (1978) transformational leadership characteristics. Findings: The study reveals that effective teacher-student interactions have a positive effect on the development of leadership qualities. Practical Implications: The data analyzed do not allow for an irrefutable connection between the manifested teacher leader language and its impact on student acquisition of leadership traits. Nonetheless, it is promising in certain aspects. Originality/Value: Through observations, interviews, and questionnaires, the investigated data do not support a conclusive link between teacher leader language and the development of leadership