Leadership theorizing is largely constructed from a positional vacuum, as if leadership looks and works identically across contexts, and as if those who theorize about leadership are not themselves subject to biases based on their own gendered, racial, class, sexual, and national identities. This article challenges the assumed neutrality of leadership theorizing by analyzing one of the most utilized and researched leadership theories, Bernard Bass’ “Transformational Leadership Theory” (TLT) through the lens of Critical Race Theory. Understanding that the language through which transformational leadership is conveyed is indicative of its underpinning assumptions, the tools of critical discourse analysis are employed to identify the normativity of whiteness operating within this theory. The analysis reveals how normalization, solipsism, ontological expansiveness, and the creation of “abject others”—followers—infuse the theory. Through its deconstruction of TLT, the article calls for deeper interrogation of leadership theories whose unquestioned assumptions harm not only leaders and followers identified as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color, but White leaders and followers as well.

领导力理论化很大程度上是从位置真空中构建的，就好像领导力在不同背景下的外观和工作方式都是一样的，就好像那些对领导力进行理论化的人自己不受基于他们自己的性别、种族、阶级、性别和国家身份的偏见的影响。本文从批判种族理论的角度分析了最常用和研究最多的领导理论之一，即伯纳德巴斯的“变革型领导理论”（TLT），从而挑战了领导理论的假设中立性。了解传达变革型领导的语言表明了其基础假设，批判性话语分析工具被用来确定在该理论中运作的白人的规范性。分析揭示了规范化、唯我论、本体论的扩展性，以及“卑鄙的他人”（追随者）的创造注入了该理论。通过对 TLT 的解构，这篇文章呼吁对领导理论进行更深入的审问，这些理论毫无疑问的假设不仅会伤害被认定为黑人、土著或有色人种的领导者和追随者，还会伤害白人领导者和追随者。