Meet the real Mr. Burns

Even in his old age Mr. Burns continues to speak on leadership

James MacGregor Burns was born 92 years ago on August 3, 1918 and is still alive to this day! He has received numerous awards for his works including the Pulitzer Prize in 1971 for his work on Roosevelt: The Soldier of Freedom, 1940-1945 and he was once again awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his work on Roosevelt: The Soldier of Freedom. However, his key contributions were made in the areas of leadership theory. In fact, the University of Maryland at College Park has the James MacGregor Burns Academy of Leadership on their campus, proving his impact in the field of leadership. His greatest contribution was perhaps the shift of focus from traits of great men to the interactions of leaders and their subordinates. He was a pioneer in the field of transformational leadership and has published numerous books and articles about it. Burns says that transformational leadership “occurs when one or more persons engage with others in such a way that leaders and followers raise one another to higher levels of motivation and morality.”