Home 
 1. Dialogue This! 
 David Bohm 
 Bill Isaacs 
 Anthony Judge 
 Martin Buber 
 Links 
 2. Frames that Work? 
 T-Groups 
 Constructive Development 
 David Kantor 
 Development: It ain't pretty 
 3. Links 
 Monkeys of the Sea 
 Chandler 
 Monkey vs. Robot 
 The Edge 
 IFTF 
 Vipassana 
 Con-nect 
 4. Four Story Possibilities 
 Dialogue 
 Becoming Plans 
 5. Leadership | Education 
 Theories 
 Models 
 Teaching Models and Weaknesses 
LeadershipEducation_img1.gif 5. Leadership | Education
Theories
Models
Teaching Models and Weaknesses
Before going any further check out this overview...click the image below...

graphic

Leadership remains the most baffling of arts . . . as long as we do not know exactly what makes men get up out of a hole in the ground and go forward in the face of death at a word from another man, then leadership will remain one of the highest and most elusive of qualities. It will remain an art.
--James L. Stokesbury
graphic

What is a leader? Industrial/Organizational psychologists do not seem to be able to agree on a definition. One way to understand leadership, however, is through the differences between a leader and an authority. Authorities are those who hold formal positions that give them the power to direct the behavior of their subordinates. Managers, supervisors, and bosses are authorities. They may or may not also be leaders, depending on whether they rely solely on their official positions when applying influence on others. A true leader does not use force and coercion to direct his or her followers toward a common goal.

There are many leadership theories. Arthur G. Jago (1982) proposed a framework that organizes leadership theories based on each theory's focus and approach.
"Focus" refers to whether leadership is viewed as a set of traits or as a set of actions.
    • Focus on Traits: Theories with such a focus see leaders as having certain innate or inherent personality traits that distinguish them from non- leaders. These personality traits are supposed to be relatively stable and enduring.
    • Focus on Behavior: Theories with this type of focus see leadership as observable actions of the leader instead of personality traits.
"Approach" is concerned with whether a particular theory or model of leadership takes a universal or a contingent perspective.
    • Universal Approach: This approach believes that there is a universal formula of the traits or behavior for an effective leader. In other words, the universal approach assumes that there is "one best way" to lead in all situations.
    • Contingent Approach: Contrary to the universal approach, the contingent approach does not believe the "one best way" formula. It believes that effective leadership depends on the specific situation.
The popular leadership theories I will be introducing here are

graphic

graphic
Top