leadership

What is Leadership?

When we think of leaders we think of famous men and women who have had a vital role to play in the moulding of our world. These can include United States presidents, Australian prime ministers, religious evangelists, and CEOs of major business organisations. However, leaders are found in various roles throughout the community. Some examples of lesser known leaders include school prefects or project leaders, fathers and mothers, or perhaps one person in a peer group who happens to take the lead.

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What is
Leadership?

Leadership
Theories

Types of
Leadership

So, what do all of these people have in common?

Profiles

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Followers - cannot take the lead if no-one is following

Interviews

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Influence - no-one will follow unless they have a reason to.

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Trustworthiness - people will not follow if they do not believe in the leaders integrity

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Vision - a leader cannot lead if they do not know where they are going

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Wisdom - to gain influence a leader needs to show their greater knowledge and intuitiveness in relation to their followers.

The Leader Represents An Image

The word 'leadership' suggests that the person in this role takes the lead, i.e. goes first.

There are numerous definitions of leadership. However most tend to include the need for a vision and the ability to inspire, motivate, support and influence others to achieve the necessary goals in accordance with the vision. Making a difference and initiating positive change are also common factors.[1]

Avid Oprah Winfrey watchers may look to Oprah as an image of hope and inspiration. Those appearing on The Apprentice may see Donald Trump as a representation of wealth and success. The perceived image of a leader is almost god-like. In attribution theory,[3] leaders are viewed as heroic figures.[1]

The Leader Takes Charge

When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, Lieutenant General Russel Honore was a leader in charge. New Orleans mayor, Ray Nagin, was quoted to say this about Honore: "He started cussing and people started moving."[2] The aim of leadership is to cause "others to act or respond in a shared direction."[1]

People Follow

Reasons people follow vary from fear and choice to hope and respect and a need to belong. Leadership guides followers and facilitates change.[1]

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References:

[1] Dubrin, A., Dalglish, C. & Miller, P. (2006). Leadership, 2nd Asia-Pacific edition. Australia: John Wiley & Sons
[2] Robinette, G. and Nagin, R. (2005, September 2). Mayor to feds: �Get off your��. CNN. Retrieved from http://edition.cnn.com/2005/US/09/02/nagin.transcript
[3] Yukl, 1994, cited in Dubrin et al (2006).

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