Bio on James McGregor Burns

James McGregor Burns was born in 1918. Burns attended college at Williams and obtained his doctorate in political science from Harvard. In between his college experiences, he enlisted in the Army and fought in Guam, Saipan, and Okinawa and served as a Combat Historian for the Pacific region. During this time, he was awarded four battle stars and a Bronze star for his service and dedication. Burns was very active in politics and national government during his lifetime. He won his first Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award for his political biography, Roosevelt: The Lion and The Fox.  His second award came in 1970for his second political biography, Roosevelt: Solider of Freedom.  In the 1970’s he also published his book Leadership.  This book is still used today and  seen as one of the main tools in leadership study. In this book Burns made a distinction between a transactional leader and a transformational leader. A transactional leader is someone who trades reward in return for good work and loyalty. A transformational leader, a term coined by Burns, is someone who engages their employees to bring everyone together to achieve a greater outcome. This person creates change and excitement for the associates, effecting their work and personal lives in a positive manner. His ideas are still widely used today and are considered one of the best ways to inspire and enact positive outcomes.