Taking your Campus Recreation Department above and beyond through Transformational Leadership

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to describe transformational leadership theory and present some suggestions as to how campus recreation professionals can benefit from adopting this theory's precepts in their respective departments. Transformational leaders have the ability to influence followers by activating their higher-order needs, increasing their commitment and encouraging them to transcend their self-interests for the benefit of the organization. This article assists the campus recreation professional in determining whether their department could benefit from transformational leadership and what the consequences of implementing this style would mean for their department. The reader will be taken through the visioning process and ideas will be presented on how to use empowerment in the day-to-day workings of their department.