The Refractive Thinker® Vol. XXVI Dynamics of Power: Unveiling the Social Forces That Shape Us

Chp 2 Transformational Leadership: The Power of Change Agents

The Refractive Thinker® Volume XXVI: Dynamics of Power explores one of the most influential and misunderstood forces in modern society: power. This peer-reviewed doctoral anthology brings together diverse scholars and practitioners to examine how power shapes leadership, organizational culture, ethical decision-making, generational behavior, social influence, and human connection.

Guided by Managing Editor Dr. Cheryl A. Lentz, this 26th edition of the award-winning Refractive Thinker® series refracts academic research through a practical lens—translating complex theory into actionable insight for leaders, educators, business executives, and change makers.

Across nine chapters, this volume explores topics including:

• Contextual and relational leadership
• Transformational leadership and change agency
• Cybersecurity awareness amid global instability
• Generational forces that shape workplaces
• Cultural and gendered dimensions of power
• Ethical leadership, authority, and influence
• Resilience and social impact leadership
• The refractive role of silence in leadership

Designed to make scholarship accessible beyond academia, each chapter bridges doctoral research with practical business and leadership applications. This edition continues the mission of The Refractive Thinker®—bringing scholarly insights out of the ivory tower and into the hands of those who can use them to lead, inspire, and create meaningful change.
Ideal for leadership professionals, consultants, doctoral learners, educators, HR executives, organizational development specialists, and anyone interested in understanding the dynamics that shape modern leadership.

Chapter 2: Summary

Change is inevitable and has been seen in societies and in organizations. It is this change that allows for innovative strategies within organizations. Society and organizations have been given opportunities for change during the last pandemic. Employees had to perform their duties remotely and find innovative ways to ensure the company’s success. There are many forms of organizational change. Some businesses merge with others causing a change in staff, policies and the type of services being provided. The complexity of business environment forced organizations to search for more efficient management strategies (Akpa et al., 2021). Organizations changed policies and procedures [CE1] to maintain and stay ahead of the competitive market.
Leaders play an important role as change agents within an organization. Leaders ensure a smooth transition for employees, they set new objectives while charting a new vision and direction for employees. The role of transformational leaders in organizational transformation is to spearhead the change and manage said change by developing a clear, directed and systematic organizational strategy (Maisyura et al., 2022). Transformational leaders motivate employees and share the organization’s vision while empowering employees to perform specific tasks.
Transformational leaders can transform organizations. Leaders create change within organizations and are responsible for the management of that change. Employees look to leaders for direction and guidance. emphasis must be placed on the leader’s ability to inspire. It is this inspiration that is the basis of employee performance. The culture that the leader sets within the organization dictates how an employee behaves, their attitude towards their duties and how their overall performance contributes to the success of the organization.