The transformational leader: who is (s)he? A feminist perspective

As women increasingly enter leadership roles that traditionally have been occupied by men, and with the increasing diffusion of transformational leadership theory, there is growing interest in the relationship between gender and transformational leadership. A wide array of feminist theories that have emerged in the last decades offer conceptual lenses, which can enrich an understanding of the role of gender in the organizational context and the study of leadership. This paper explores how various approaches in feminist thought intersect with the study of gender and transformational/charismatic leadership. I reviewed earlier studies with reference to the different feminist approaches, demonstrating how each reveals a different facet in the understanding of gender and transformational leadership. Finally, I point to the perspectives that have been neglected in this stream of research and offer directions for future research.