This chapter considers leadership, cited as the essential ingredient to tackle sustainability effectively. It explores individual leadership, highlighting the levels of leadership, the significance of values, and the role of entrepreneurship. It looks at what actions leaders take, their skills and competencies, and why they make the decisions they do. It explores the idea of collective or communitarian leadership. It also discusses the current state of leadership. It concludes by examining the possibilities and constraints on business as a sustainability leader.
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Leadership entrepreneurship, and change
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Authentic leadership: A solution in search of a problem?
This chapter focuses on the background to the growth of authentic leadership as a popular approach to leadership. The acknowledged normative and instrumentalist goals of authentic leadership explored in the chapter were designed to combat the array of corporate scandals and poor economic performance which had resulted in a loss of faith in previous leadership approaches in the run-up to the turn of the last century. The chapter presents the flaws in the formulation of authentic leadership which are now threatening its ongoing usefulness as a meaningful theory. It also explores the existentialist and psychodynamic critiques of authentic leadership. The recent proposal of the re-grounding of the notion of authentic leadership from a practice perspective is also discussed.
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Leadership, Organization Culture Management, and Knowledge Management
This chapter examines the topics of leadership and organizational culture, and how they can impact on knowledge management initiatives. It starts by examining the topic of organizational culture and its relationship to knowledge management. Then it considers the impact leadership can have on knowledge processes. The relationships between organizational culture and knowledge management processes are discussed. The chapter also presents the different perspectives on the debate regarding the extent to which knowledge-based cultures can be created within organizations. The topic of leadership is also divided into two sections, with the first giving a brief overview of the way in which the conceptualization of leadership has evolved over time; and the second section looking more narrowly at the relationship between leadership and knowledge management activities.
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Introduction: Exploring leadership
This introductory chapter provides an overview of how this book contributes to the already vast literature on leadership theory and practice. It outlines the changing perspectives on how leadership has been conceptualized and researched, including the common distinction between leadership and management. The chapter then considers why it is an 'essentially contested' concept. Understanding why the topic of ‘leadership’ has proven so hard to pin down is a key step towards developing a richer, more nuanced appreciation and understanding of what can be done to improve leadership practice as individuals, in organizations and in societies. The chapter concludes with a call to 'reframe' leadership in terms of the relative focus on individual and collective approaches; the ways in which we recognize, reward, and develop leaders and leadership; and methodologies and approaches for studying and researching leadership.
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Leadership, management, and strategy: Distinctions and overlaps
This chapter answers some of the foundational questions underpinning the study and practice of leadership. It begins by exploring the notion of strategy as a discipline and how this is inherently related to the need for leadership. It then introduces strategic leadership, a specific subject within the field of leadership. The chapter also addresses the long-standing debate concerning the difference (if any) between leadership and management. The concept of strategy per se, how it has come to prominence as a management discipline, and why it is important for our understanding of leadership are also presented.
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Leadership, power, and influence: Defining the leadership construct
This chapter considers leadership and power by introducing core leadership theories and juxtaposing them with theories of power and influence. It shows that concepts of leadership and power are interdependent. It also demonstrates some influencing tactics. The chapter discusses basic definitions of leadership, some of which will be further enhanced in other chapters. It also provides a critical appraisal of the theory of leadership. Although it may appear straightforward and simple to understand, leadership theory is beset with layers of complexity, especially where the use of power is involved.
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Gender and Inclusion, Digital Disruption, and Ethics
This chapter begins by exploring the relationship between gender and leadership and what can be done to create more inclusive environments where people are supported and encouraged to contribute to leadership no matter what their demographic characteristics or background. It argues that systemic inequalities continue to privilege particular forms of ‘leadership’ and not others and that in order to make progress on these issues we need to fundamentally shift narratives, culture, and expectations. The chapter then considers the impact of digital transformation on leadership and both the opportunities and challenges this poses. It concludes by returning to the question of ethics and the fundamental and enduring dilemmas this poses around practicing and developing ‘good’ leadership. Arguably, many large corporations have the potential to negatively impact on the democratic process and calls are increasing for responsible and ethical leadership in all areas of business and society.
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Graham Winch, Eunice Maytorena-Sanchez, and Natalya Sergeeva
Strategic Project Organizing places emphasis on the strategic and organizational aspects of projects and their leadership. Structured around the Three Domains model, it covers all the fundamental project management concepts, whilst guiding the reader through the organizational challenges of enabling positive change. Through the lens of strategic leadership, this text discusses how to respond proactively to threats, as well as seize opportunities, in order to advantageously change the socio-economic environment in an organization's favour. The text also explains the tools and techniques adopted during the process of organizational transformation. All chapters offer review and discussion-based questions to encourage critical thinking. Real life projects featured in the case studies include the Eden Project, the Thames Tideway Tunnel and the Berlin Brandenburg Airport. The text is made up of four parts. The first part looks at the core concepts of strategic project organization. The second part focuses on the Three Domains model. Then the next part is about the three interfaces: the governance, commercial, and resource interfaces. The final part looks at the core skills needed.
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Strategic Leadership
This chapter addresses the role that leadership plays in strategy implementation, beginning with the differences between leadership and management. It talks about the role of leaders in creating a learning organization and the impact of emotional intelligence on effective leaders, including the links between emotional intelligence and company performance. It also analyses the advantages and dangers of narcissistic leaders, noting, however, that this personality type may actually be beneficial in dynamic markets. The chapter clarifies the role of leaders in shaping the values of an organization to guide employee behaviour and identifies the effects of national culture on individuals' beliefs, highlighting the importance of culture on different leadership styles. It mentions some of the leadership skills necessary to achieve strategic change, given the complexity and uncertainty that surrounds most organizations.
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Psychodynamic approaches to leadership
This chapter addresses the psychodynamic approach to leadership, which is centred on understanding personality and the psychological make-up of both the leader and followers. The argument being presented is that by understanding more about one’s own personality as the leader, and that of one's followers, one can make more informed decisions about how one's behaviour may, or may not, influence a given group of individuals. Part of this approach is helping followers to understand their own personality profile, their own motivation, wants, and needs, so that they can respond to these needs and those of their colleagues. Ultimately, this approach seeks to direct the leader towards understanding their own preferred method of operating, how others operate, and how to take advantage of these various combinations. The chapter then looks at the Myers-Briggs type indicator and neuro-linguistic programming.
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Followership
This chapter assesses followership. Organizations should examine their employees for good followership potential as well as for their leadership potential. Both of these are roles rather than positions, and as such need to be viewed with the same level of interest. Leader�member exchange theory gives a map for examining the individual relationship between two people in two different roles. It goes on to suggest that relationships of different quality emerge between a leader and followers. This quality, in turn, affects the perceptions of the leader, who may view some individuals as trustworthy and competent and others as lazy and unreliable. These judgements may be affected by a leader's past experiences as well as impression management on the part of the followers. However, trying to predict the likely outcome of any follower—leader interaction may be challenging.
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Behavioural models
This chapter examines behavioural models, considering not who a leader is, but how a leader behaves. Behavioural models began to evolve as a result of dissatisfaction with the Great Man-type theories of leadership which ascribed successful leadership to inherited traits. The belief and hope was that, with the right kind of developmental procedures and processes in place, individuals could be trained to become leaders. This belief was supported by the growing science and theories investigating how humans learn. While there was (and is) disagreement over this process, leadership writers and academics have used the underpinning philosophy—that humans can learn—to develop the behavioural and skills model. Although the approach is not without its drawbacks, the behavioural model can help both organizations and individuals define what they mean by ‘leadership’.
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The style approach to leadership
This chapter explains that while the ‘style approach’ does represent a further evolution of how leadership is viewed, discussed, and researched, it nonetheless remains rooted in the same territory as the previous models: trait and behavioural theories. This approach is still focused on the individual leader—it is person-centric. It suggests that in order to be ‘successful’ the leader should adopt a leadership style that is appropriate to the nature of their followers and the circumstances that the leader inhabits. That leaders have followers is now acknowledged and there is a nod towards the abilities, competences, and motivations of those followers. As such, the style approach places the leader into a much more dynamic and complex world, and certain assumptions are made about the nature of that environment. The chapter explores this environment and the impact these added complexities make on the function of leadership.
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Situational and contingent leadership
This chapter investigates situational/contingency leadership models, which are a set of prescriptive leadership models that can act as a useful practical guide both for organizations and for leaders. The approach, being leader-centric, describes a number of approaches to help a leader maximize their impact in various different situations. The models try to take into account different circumstances, and can be implemented at different levels in an organization. They also try to capture the dynamic nature of leadership by showing how different styles need to be deployed over time even if the followers remain the same individuals. However, the approach has been criticized for its lack of detailed research and weaknesses in some of its conceptualizations. The popularity of the model has been interpreted by some critics as a ‘dumbing down’ approach.
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Trait theory—description, analysis, and use
This chapter discusses trait theory, which was the first leadership approach to be studied rigorously. Its basic premise is that leadership as observed in ‘Great Men’ arises as a result of these extraordinary people possessing innate and immutable personal qualities that preordain them for positions of high influence. Researchers used many different methods to collect their data and each researcher generated a slightly different set of conclusions that contained the ‘key traits’ needed to succeed as a leader. The consistent theme was that leadership was concerned with the study and understanding of personality. This view was challenged and disputed as it failed either to generate an agreed list of attributes or to consider the effect of circumstance and situation in terms of identifying leaders and non-leaders. Further research dwindled until recently when investigations from a more psychologically driven perspective linked some of the Big Five traits to successful leaders.
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Theoretical perspectives on leadership
This chapter discusses the main theoretical perspectives on leadership, noting how these have shifted over time. It begins by considering the philosophical foundations of contemporary leadership theory, looking at the significance of Chinese and Greek philosophers, in particular. The chapter then summarizes the development of contemporary leadership theory from a predominant focus on the ‘leader’, to the relationship between ‘leaders’ and ‘followers’ and, more recently, the notion of leadership as a social process. It concludes with a working definition of leadership which is used throughout the book. The chapter proposes that leadership is a process of social influence to guide, structure, and/or facilitate behaviours, activities, and/or relationships to achieve shared aims and/or mobilize change in groups, organizations, and society.
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Leadership
This chapter focuses on leadership, which ranks among the most researched and debated topics in organizational behaviour. It examines the difference between management and leadership, and whether leaders are necessary in all kinds of organization. The chapter also talks about the traits or qualities that are required of leaders. It then determines which style of leadership is the most appropriate to adopt, and argues whether there are recipes for a successful leadership. The chapter identifies and discusses several different theories of leadership, including the links between emotion, spirituality, gender, class, and leadership. It talks about leadership being seen as a social myth which induces helplessness with accompanying feelings of despair and resistance to any form of action, maintaining the status quo.
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Paul Banfield, Rebecca Kay, and Dean Royles
Introduction to Human Resource Management is made up of three parts. Part One looks at the foundations of human resource management (HRM). This includes an examination of managing people at work, the evolution of the human resources (HR) function, and a strategic perspective. Part Two looks at operational challenges, including talent management, ethics and leadership, HRM in an international context, recruitment and selection, employee relations, and misconduct. The last part looks HRM processes, which encompass workforce planning and management; learning, training, and development; managing performance; and managing rewards.
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Conclusion: Where next for leadership studies?
This concluding chapter addresses the question of ‘where next for leadership?’ It considers issues of responsibility, spirituality, and alternatives to leadership before outlining a call to re-route leadership theory, research practice, and development. The chapter looks at the principles underpinning the neoliberal, ‘corporate social responsibility’ (CSR)/stakeholder, and interactive/revised stakeholder models of the corporation and the implications for leadership and management practice. It then suggests that the topic of leadership requires us to grapple with fundamental questions about purpose and meaning for which there are no universal answers. Instead, we must develop a deep curiosity and a capacity and willingness to reflect and learn from experience if we are to achieve what is best for ourselves and others.
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Leadership traits, styles, and competencies
This chapter focuses on leadership as an individual phenomenon. It explores how leadership can be understood as the property of an individual's traits (their psychological make-up), skills (their capacities in different kinds of activity), and competencies (the success or otherwise of their behaviour in context). The chapter then looks at different ‘styles’ of leadership, focusing on the metaphors describing the patterns of behaviour associated with individual leaders (teachers, stewards, and designers). It also considers leadership skills and competencies—what they are and what they might become, as well as limitations to this approach. Finally, the chapter discusses the skills and behaviours of effective ‘followers’ and the similarities these bear to those of ‘leaders’.
