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Chapter 1:Chapter 1:Understanding LeadershipUnderstanding Leadership

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Chapter ObjectivesChapter Objectives

• Review the evolution of leadership.• Examine the different perspectives on

leadership.• Understand the impact of culture on leader

effectiveness.

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• Everyone is asked to be a leader.

• What sort of leadership roles are you called on to play in your life?

• Leadership is exciting but carries with it many responsibilities.

• Chapter examines different ways of looking at leadership.

OverviewOverview

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The Evolution of Leadership

• Trait Approach• Behavior Approach• Situational Approach• Relational Approach• “New Leadership” Approach• Emerging Leadership Approaches

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The Evolution of Leadership

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Leadership Explained

• Leadership is a Trait

• Leadership is an Ability

• Leadership is a Skill

• Leadership is a Behavior

• Leadership is a Relationship

• Leadership is an Influence Process

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Leadership Is a Trait

• Each of us has unique leadership traits• Emphasizes the leader in the leader-follower

context• Is it elitist to say only some have leadership?• Or, are we all born with certain traits that

we can modify and change?

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• It means you are able—you have the capacity.

• Is it like playing the piano? The more you play, the better you get?

• It is a natural capacity but can also be learned.

• We can develop our abilities through hard work and practice.

• Example: UCLA Coach John Wooden

Leadership Is an Ability

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• This means leadership is a competency.

• A skill means you know how to do something, that you are competent.

• As a competency, leadership becomes available to everyone.

• If we can learn from experience, we can acquire leadership.

Leadership Is a Skill

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• It is about the actions of leaders.

• Leadership requires task and process behaviors.

• Effective leaders combine these two behaviors in the optimum way.

Leadership Is a Behavior

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• An unusual way of thinking about leadership

• Centered on communication between leaders and followers

• Not linear but an interactive process

• Not top-down

• Mutual purposes imply an ethical dimension

Leadership Is a Relationship

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Leadership Is an Influence Process

• A process whereby an individual influences a group to achieve a common goal

• Interactive event• Leaders affect followers• Stressing common goals gives an ethical

dimension to leadership

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Global Leadership Attributes

• Leadership concepts outlined in this chapter are from a North American perspective.

• Different views of leadership exist in other parts of the world.

• House (2004) studied impact of culture on leadership effectiveness in 62 countries.

• Universally accepted positive and negative leadership characteristics

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Leadership Snapshot

• Indra Nooyi, CEO of PepsiCoo One of the top female executives in the US.o Grew up in Madras, India; always pushed

conventional boundaries.o Completed a Master’s in Management from Yale

University.o Worked for Boston Consulting Group (BCG),

Motorola, and Asea Brown Boveri (ABB) before joining Pepsi.

o Chief dealmaker in acquiring Tropicana and Quaker Oats.

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Practicing Leadership

• There is a strong demand for leadership today.

• People want effective leadership.• Effective leadership is intentional and

creates change for the common good.

• The challenge is to be prepared to lead when called on.

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Case Study: King of the Hill• What leadership traits account for Denny Hill’s

success?• How would you describe Denny Hill’s leadership

abilities?• Leadership includes administrative skills,

interpersonal skills, and conceptual skills. How does Denny Hill stack up on these skills?

• How does Denny integrate task and relationship behaviors in his leadership?

• From a relational perspective, how would you describe Denny Hill’s leadership?

• In what way does Denny Hill’s coaching exemplify leadership as an influence process?

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• All of us at some time will be asked to show leadership.

• Leadership is demanding and rewarding.

• Leadership is complex and multidimensional.

• Leadership is a trait, ability, skill, behavior, and relationship.

• How you think about leadership will influence the way you practice leadership.

Summary