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CHAPTER 1: APPROACHES TO THE STUDY OFMODERN LEADERSHIP

INTRODUCTIONGENERAL OUTLINEDETAILED OUTLINEKEY TERMSANSWERS TO “QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION AND REVIEW”ACTIVITY/EXERCISE 1-1

Introduction

This chapter begins by providing several definitions of leadership. Then itcategorizes and puts into context the pertinent literature and multiple approaches toleadership. In a recently completed mega-analysis, Shriberg developed a schema for the12 elements of leadership. Each is briefly described and references are made to how theseelements are presented in the book.

General Outline

Definition of LeadershipCategorization of Leadership ApproachesLeadership ProfileMiep Gies: Hider, Helper King Hussein: A Monarch Turns International Peacemaker Nelson Mandela: Enduring To Triumph

Detailed OutlineDefinition of Leadership

The essential theme of this section is that there is not one universal definition of leadership. Several definitions offered by others are presented, including the author’sfavorite, which is, “Leadership is an influence relationship among leaders and followerswho intend real changes that reflect their shared purposes.” The authors state that perhaps the most accepted definition of leadership is, “a leader is defined as any personwho influences individuals and groups within an organization, helps them in theestablishment of goals and guides them towards the achievement of these goals…”(Nahavandi, 2003).The authors note that just as there is no one universally accepted definition of leadership, there are also numerous ways to categorize the literature on leadership, whichis discussed in the next section.

Categorization of Leadership Approaches

This section details a schema the authors have created to categorize modernapproaches to leadership as reflected in the leadership literature. In this model,leadership study is divided into twelve categories. These categories do not reflect a particular hierarchy (e.g., the first category is not necessarily more important than the

second category) but they do reflect, in a general sense, the historical popularization of each of the approaches.The twelve categories are listed and briefly described below:

Twelve Approaches to Leadership

1.Trait Theory and Other Psychological ApproachesTrait theory approaches leadership by examining the individual characteristics of leaders and attempts to glean from these characteristics common factors found inleaders. Psychological approaches to leadership are discussed in much depth inChapters Four and Five, which focus on intelligence theories, motivational theories,and personality theories as they relate to leadership.2.Group and Team LeadershipThe concept of teams and team building is now central to leadership. Teams aredefined by the authors as two or more people who have developed processes toaccomplish one or more specific goals. Teams can take a variety of forms anddirections and effective team functioning is discussed at numerous points in the text,in particular Chapter 10.3.Situational Leadership TheoriesSituational leadership theory posits that the most skilled leaders are able to adapttheir approach to specific situations. For example, some people and some situationswill respond more positively to a supportive approach, while other persons and other situations require more directive techniques. Situational leadership is discussed inmore depth in Chapter 9.4.Organizational Development, Change, and LeadershipThis branch of leadership theory focuses primarily on the process of helping anorganization to effectively meet its goals. In this text, there are original essays byseveral leaders (Gordon Barnhart, John Pepper, Stephen Covey, James Kouzes, andBarry Posner) who have made their mark by writing about the process of large-scalechange or leading organizational change efforts..5.Leadership Versus ManagementThis text takes the position that leadership and management overlap but also havedifferent functions. To complete a task or administer an organization successfully, both leadership skills and management skills are needed. Chapter 9 is devoted tomanagement in relation to leadership. In this text it is argued that the world is over-managed and under-led.6.Politics, Power, and Leadership2

The term politics implies understanding and resolving human factors involved indecision-making. The field of political science is often seen as “applied leadership”and good leaders clearly must be politically savvy. Power theorists are often dividedinto “power over” and “power with” approaches. “Power over” theorists oftendiscuss authority and responsibility and whether or not they can be delegated. Theydiscuss using power wisely and appropriately to accomplish goals and objectives.“Power with” writers believe in empowering others.Chapter 8 discusses Power and Leadership from the Top and, along with Chapters11 and 12, presents a variety of approaches to power sharing and empowering.7.Charismatic LeadershipThis branch of leadership study focuses on those leaders who lead by inspirationand often by sheer personality (e.g., John F. Kennedy). Models of charismaticleadership are discussed in greater depth in Chapter 6.8.Vision, the Human Condition, and LeadershipCan a leader lead if there is no goal to lead toward? Increasingly, the field of “visioning” has been coming into vogue and leaders who both articulate and movesociety toward a vision for the future are often widely admired. The concept of visionis discussed throughout our text and highlighted in Chapters 13 and 14.9.Leadership FormulasScan any bookstore and you will see a variety of books that provide formulas for successful leadership (e.g., Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly EffectivePeople

). This text includes lists in several places, but also explicitly challengesreaders to create their own theory of leadership and, by extension, to create their ownformula that guides their approach to leadership.10.Ethical LeadershipScandals such as those faced by Enron, Arthur Anderson, and the Roman CatholicChurch, are becoming a regular feature of daily news coverage and these and other scandals have raised the issue of what must leaders do to be ethical? Chapter 2 of thistext is entitled “Ethical Leadership” and this chapter, along with Chapter 3,“Leadership in a Global and Multicultural Society,” form the foundational chapters of this text. If leaders are not ethical, they cannot be considered effective leaders nomatter their other skills.11.Leadership in Limited Time and SpaceLeaders do not have an infinite amount of time to bring about the goals they seek.In the real world, much of everyone’s time is invested with projects that are limited intime—they begin and they end! Project leadership requires all the skills and3