This article is an entry for the online database changingminds.org. As the title indicates, the article presents an overview of the transactional theory of leadership. This theory assumes that followers in the leadership structure are motivated by both a desire to receive rewards and to avoid punishment. Within the structures of authority, there is a clear understanding of what each person’s responsibilities are. This provides the justification for either rewarding or punishing the follower. Because there is no ambiguity with regards to what is expected of a worker, there is no excuse for not completing work that one agreed to do. Censure is levied at the follower for failing to complete the task even if he or she lacked the resources or capabilities to do so. No responsibility for failure is levied at the leader.
On the surface, such a model of leadership can be lauded for the clarity of purpose that it provides. As noted above, there is no ambiguity in what is expected from the follower. It does not seem, however, that this model would work very well in a church setting where a notion of grace is supposed to be foundational for interpersonal relationships. A system that rewards or punishes solely based on results seems to advocate a de facto Pelagianism, something that has historically been deplored by Christians for centuries. Furthermore, sometimes it takes learning through failure in ministry in order to learn how to do better. Punishment in such cases can be more harmful than beneficial, as it may crush the desire to do better.
Thanks, David. I have been wondering if we would ever begin to delve into the broader spectrum of leadership theory at some point in the course. As it would seem, either charismatic or servant leadership are the only two theories available to us based on our lectures and discussion. So thanks for reminding the class that there are legitimate theories in play from which we need to learn. As you aptly pointed out, transactional leadership is probably not the most beneficial style of leadership for the church. And yet, you have also pointed out a key to leadership that the transactional model does better than any other: the emphasis on clarity of expectation. The transactional model of leadership focuses on the serious task of leaders being clear and transparent about performance expectations. This is something we need to learn from in the church. Too often many volunteers in the church “fail” our expectations of them because we have not taken the time as leaders to communicate clearly our expectations. The small group never gets enough time for study of the Scriptures. The outreach team doesn’t succeed of mixing personal interaction with service. Why? Not because they were incapable, but because we didn’t tell them that was an expectation.
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