Peer Leaders using Transformational Leadership: The Effect on Cohesion, Performance, and Outside of Practice Habits

Abstract

Studies of peer leadership in collegiate athletics are present within current research, but facts about the most effective peer leadership style are not as available. Also abundant among current research, both in athletics and may other realms, is the positive impact of transformational leadership. The current study is an attempt to analyze the impact of an intervention formed to help peer leaders elicit a transformational style during the course of a collegiate cross country season. The subjects (n=15) make up a varsity cross country team based out of a small liberal arts college in Towson, MD. The variables studied consisted of leadership style, cohesion, performance, and outside of practice habits. Pre and post levels were gathered for each variable and large effect-size correlations between variables were found. Effect size was used instead of significance testing due to the small sample size. There was a strong presence of transformational leadership throughout the year, along with high levels of cohesion, both task and social. There was noticeable increase in task cohesion from the beginning to the end of the season. Leadership style and cohesion were positively correlated. Performance increased from beginning to the end of the season, but correlated negatively with leadership style and cohesion. Outside of practice habits saw only minor changes throughout the study, but did correlate positively with cohesion. These results suggest that implementation of such an intervention could result in both desired and undesired effects, but further research is needed to confirm these findings.