‘Transformational’ Leaders Make a Difference

Although the project group has become the vehicle for many technology organizations to accomplish their work, RD managers are still searching for guidelines on effective leadership in the project group setting. The search is complicated by the tendency to place a scientist or engineer into a leadership position based more on that person's technical skills than on interpersonal and leadership skills. Leadership does affect the performance of a project group, however, so it behooves management to lean which type of leadership is effective. It has been suggested that transformational leadership may offer a style and set of leader behaviors that are well-suited to RD hence, research projects were analyzed separately from development projects in the study. The study involved 66 project groups of 462 scientists and engineers from three R&D organizations in the chemical, electronics and scientific instrument industries. Questionnaire data were collected on three leadership styles: transformational leadership, initiating structure (more directive, where the leader defines, structures, and assigns the duties of subordinates), and consideration for people (degree to which the leader acts in a supportive and friendly manner, and shows concern for the subordinates' welfare). Project group performance ratings were obtained from a panel of department managers in each R&D organization. These managers were not members of the project groups, but they were familiar with the projects they rated. Project groups were rated on an index of project quality, which included the criteria of technical quality and value to the company. Ref. (4) provides details on the research method and statistical results. What We Learned The results for all 66 project groups are reported in the Table, next page.(table omitted) Transformational leadership, initiating structure, and consideration for people were each significantly associated with higher project quality. These results suggest that effective project group leaders tend to inspire a sense of mission and purpose about the importance of the project group's work, and that they try to stimulate new ways of thinking and problem-solving about the task or problem at hand. These leader behaviors help the group to achieve more than what might normally be expected. In addition, transformational leadership may encourage group members to transcend their personal self-interest and focus on cooperation and the achievement of project goals. This focus on project group goals can be especially important in technical work, where specialists from different disciplines must work together. …