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, management, and strategy: Distinctions and overlaps
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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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Leadership entrepreneurship, and change
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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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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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, 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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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 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’.
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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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Crafting leadership practice and identity
This chapter integrates the many strands and themes on leadership presented in the book. It offers some frameworks and suggestions for how the themes and theories can be assimilated and digested. It also provides possible ways in which leadership practitioners can make comparisons and connections in order to decide which theories and ideas are likely to add value for them now or as their careers progress. It gives some touchstones that can be revisited at regular intervals in creating and maintaining a sense of leader identity. The chapter concludes with an encouragement to bring theory and practise together in a way that is practical and productive, thoughtful and evidence-based.
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Why study leadership? (And how we do it)
This chapter discusses themes and debates within the field of leadership. It organizes them in a historical mapping scheme to show how the discipline of leadership research has developed over the years. It also considers the benefits of studying leadership from a theoretical perspective. The chapter introduces the different paradigms or assumptions under which leadership research can be conducted. The philosophical assumptions underpinning research have direct implications for the theories that are developed, which is why it is critical to be aware of them. The chapter then considers the challenges of modern leadership and the ways in which leadership theory can support the development of improved leadership practice.
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Introduction
This introductory chapter is intended to provide an overview of the beginnings of leadership as a discipline. The chapter considers what leadership is and is not. The concepts of traits and characteristics are introduced, followed by an overview of the key theories which will be discussed throughout the text. This opening chapter is intended to summarize the contents of each chapter of the book to provide the reader with key context before moving on.
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Emotional intelligence
This chapter describes emotional intelligence (EI), which concerns the ability to carry out accurate reasoning about emotions and the ability to use emotions and emotional knowledge to enhance thought. Reporter Daniel Goleman proposes that by managing one's own emotions and manipulating other people’s emotions, a person could become successful. Goleman claims that EI was more important than intelligence quotient (IQ) in determining the chances of an individual becoming �successful�. The reason for this was linked to the changing nature of work and leadership, from being a command-and-control activity to one concerned with winning the hearts and minds of the workforce. The ability to manage emotions in this more liberal environment, it was asserted, was the key skill for aspiring leaders, and possession of such talent became a key to determining the likely success of a potential leader.
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Leadership and teams
This chapter discusses some of the theoretical models surrounding teamwork, individual roles within teams, and some of the processes that occur in collaborative working groups. Teamwork can be notoriously difficult to ‘get right’ and is frustrating for some people. Different personalities and different agendas can make working collaboratively a pointless exercise. The different contexts in which teams operate also make defining a generalized leadership approach rather difficult. Nevertheless, teamwork can be enormously rewarding if the leader recognizes the demands and deals with them appropriately. Successful leaders will have to lead teams and this will probably be a core meta-competence required by leaders in the coming years.
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Leadership and change
This chapter examines the relationship between leadership and change. There are three areas that are key to understanding and leading change. First, appreciate the need to be clear on where any change outcome is likely to lead—establish a vision; second, be aware of the complexity of change and the need to consider the ‘connectedness’ of organizations; third, appreciate that not everyone is going to be inspired by the new future and some may want to hang on to the present. In addition, a number of different themes show how change is a constant part of human and, by extension, organizational life. It is an inescapable part of most managers’ portfolio and can rate among the most stressful yet rewarding aspects. Ultimately, change is not to be feared but it is to be recognized and treated with respect.
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Leadership development
This chapter evaluates leadership development. Leadership development activities and the broader framework vary enormously from organization to organization. The evidence from some reports makes it clear that investment in leadership provides clear benefits to the organization. However, take-up is patchy across the UK with only one in five managers having any formal qualification in this field. Newer initiatives, such as the Chartered Manager status offered by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), are making some slow but sustained progress towards offering sceptical organizations more concrete evidence that to be a world-class organization one needs world-class leaders. The methods for delivering this agenda are also numerous�the number of organizations claiming to offer leadership development increases almost daily. Nevertheless, leadership development does remain, for some organizations at least, central to their organizational development and, as such, will become more important as they face continuing uncertainty in terms of finance, globalization, and competition.
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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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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.
