{
  "title": "Transformational leadership: how strong is the evidence really?",
  "url": "https://www.shr.swiss/blog/leadership-transformationnel-ce-que-valent-vraiment-les-preuves-en",
  "language": "en",
  "datePublished": "2026-09-28",
  "publisher": {
    "name": "SHR — Swiss Human Resources",
    "url": "https://www.shr.swiss",
    "address": "Esplanade de Pont-Rouge 9A, 1212 Lancy, Suisse"
  },
  "summary": "The model dominates leadership training. Meta-analyses support it, but an influential critique questions how it is measured.",
  "section": "Research",
  "topic": "Executive Leadership",
  "place": {
    "name": "Basel",
    "region": "Bâle-Ville",
    "country": "CH"
  },
  "keyPoints": [
    {
      "heading": "Solid associations",
      "point": "Timothy Judge and Ronald Piccolo (2004, Journal of Applied Psychology) pool several hundred studies: transformational leadership is associated with satisfaction with the leader, motivation and perceived performance."
    },
    {
      "heading": "A fundamental critique",
      "point": "Daan van Knippenberg and Sim Sitkin (2013, Academy of Management Annals) argue that the concept mixes a description of leader behaviour with its presumed effects."
    },
    {
      "heading": "How to read both positions",
      "point": "They do not cancel out."
    },
    {
      "heading": "What follows for a leadership team",
      "point": "Working on precise, observable behaviours beats aiming for a leader profile."
    },
    {
      "heading": "A practical implication, verifiable in-house",
      "point": "Pick two precise behaviours, such as “explaining the why of a decision” and “a monthly one-to-one”, then ask staff whether they observe them, rather than rating leadership in general."
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "authors": "Piccolo",
      "year": "2004",
      "source": "Journal of Applied Psychology"
    },
    {
      "authors": "Sitkin",
      "year": "2013",
      "source": "Academy of Management Annals"
    }
  ],
  "wordCount": 238,
  "image": "https://www.shr.swiss/img/blog-editorial-2026-09-28-en.jpg?v=4",
  "translations": {
    "fr": "https://www.shr.swiss/blog/leadership-transformationnel-ce-que-valent-vraiment-les-preuves",
    "en": "https://www.shr.swiss/blog/leadership-transformationnel-ce-que-valent-vraiment-les-preuves-en",
    "de": "https://www.shr.swiss/blog/leadership-transformationnel-ce-que-valent-vraiment-les-preuves-de",
    "it": "https://www.shr.swiss/blog/leadership-transformationnel-ce-que-valent-vraiment-les-preuves-it"
  },
  "relatedPages": {
    "programme": "https://www.shr.swiss/formation/leadership-excellence/bale",
    "city": "https://www.shr.swiss/formations-ville/bale",
    "blog": "https://www.shr.swiss/blog"
  },
  "citationPolicy": "Citation autorisée avec mention « SHR — Swiss Human Resources » et lien vers l'article."
}