Good Governance....is All about Leadership

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All About Leadership Leading is about setting direction and ensuring that that direction is followed. Leading can apply to leading oneself, other individuals, groups, organizations and societies. The nature of how leading is done depends on the context of the situation, one one's perspective, and on the nature and needs of those involved. There is a rich history and body of research regarding leadership. This module aims to make that accessible to you. The following topics are very closely related to this topic: Leadership Development, Management and Supervision . Sections of This Topic Include Introduction --- How to Approach This Topic (and Its Relationship to Leadership Development) --- What's a Leadership Theory vs. Model vs. Style? Definitions of Leadership --- Views That There is a Difference Between Leading and Managing --- View That Separating Leading and Managing Can Be Destructive Major Leadership Theories, Models, Traits and Styles --- Major Theories --- Major Models and Approaches --- Conventional Traits and Styles Different Domains of Leadership and Competencies / Qualities Needed in Each --- Understanding Leadership Competencies and Qualities --- Understanding and Using Competency Models --- Core Competencies to Lead in Any Domain --- Domain: Leading Yourself --- Domain: Leading Other Individuals --- Domain: Leading Small Groups and Teams --- Domain: Leading Large Groups and Organizations --- Domain: Leading Communities Miscellaneous Topics and Perspectives in Leadership --- Miscellaneous Topics --- Miscellaneous Perspectives Also see Related Library Topics Also See the Library's Blogs Related to Leadership In addition to the articles on this current page, see the following blogs which have posts related to Leadership. Scan down the blog's page to see various posts. Also see the section "Recent Blog Posts" in the sidebar of the blog or click on "next" near the bottom of a post in the blog. Library's Leadership Blog Library's Supervision Blog INTRODUCTION How to Approach This Topic Leadership -- Very Human Activity -- and as Diverse and Robust as any Human Activity Many people today are seeking to understand -- and many people are writing about -- the concepts and practices of leadership. There are a great many reasons for the strong popularity of the topic, including that people, groups and organizations are faced with changes like never before. Effective leadership is required to understand and navigate through the many changes. There has been an explosion of literature about leadership lately. Leading is a very human activity -- we're all human -- so there are many people who consider themselves experts on leadership. Unfortunately, many people make strong assertions about leadership without ever really understanding a great deal about leadership. Understanding leadership requires more than reading a few articles or fantasizing about what great leaders should be. The contents of this topic aim to give the reader a broad understanding of the background, contexts and approaches to leadership. The reader might best be served to explore the topic of leadership by: First, by getting a basic sense of the system of an organization, including its functions and roles, and how they are integrated. See the topic Introduction to Organizations. Next, get a basic sense of the functions of management (leading is one of them) and how they are integrated in order to lead an organization. See the topic Introduction to Management. Next, scan the topics in this topic of leadership in order to realize that there are definitions of leadership, different theories and models and traits of leadership, and different domains of leadership -- each domain requiring different competencies or qualities in order to lead in that domain. Finally, get a sense for how your abilities in leadership can be developed in an informal or formal way. See the topic Leadership Development. Learn How to Read Literature About Leadership Before you proceed to understand more about leadership, you might read about: Leadership Cube -- The Many Dimensions of Leadership Guidelines to Understanding Literature About Leadership NOTE: Some people use the term "leadership" (the capability to lead) to refer to governance or executive management (both are roles in an organization). If you're seeking information about those roles, see Chief Executive Role and/or Boards of Directors. What's a Leadership Theory vs. Model vs. Style? Leadership is often explained by using these terms. In the context of explaining leadership, the terms can be quite confusing because they are used interchangeably. Here's how you might think of them. A philosophy is a broad, general belief or set of beliefs. For example, many describe "servant leadership" as a philosophy or practice (there's more about servant leadership in this Library topic). A theory is a suggestion or speculation about why something is occurring and it might be based on a variety of philosophies, i.e., "when this happens, then the following happens" or "in this situation, the following is best to have or to do ." For example, the traits theory suggests that certain features are needed in someone to be a great leader. A model is description of how something happens or should happen - it often is depiction of a certain theory. For example, the Situational Leadership Model (Blanchard and Hershey) depicts a situational theory of leadership, and depicts when to tell, sell, participate or delegate. A style is the nature of how someone acts when enacting a certain theory or model, e.g., to be autocratic, participative or laissez-fair (hands off) in leadership style. DEFINITIONS OF LEADERSHIP Definitions of Leadership Many people believe that leadership is simply being the first, biggest or most powerful. Leadership in organizations has a different and more meaningful definition. Very simply put, a leader is interpreted as someone who sets direction in an effort and influences people to follow that direction -- the people can be oneself, another individual, a group, an organization or a community. How they set that direction and influence people depends on a variety of factors that we'll consider later on below. Here's another definition: Leadership Defined Concepts of Leadership Definition of Leadership and other related information Leadership in the Next Millennium Leadership (an Introduction) To really comprehend the "territory" of leadership, you should briefly scan some of the major theories, notice various styles of leadership and review some of the suggested traits and characteristics that leaders should have. The rest of this library should help you in this regard. Is Leading Different than Managing? (Pros and Cons) Traditional views of management associate it with four major functions: planning, organizing, leading and controlling/coordinating. However, many educators, practitioners and writers disagree with this traditional view. Views that Leading is Different Than Managing The following articles offer views different from the traditional view that leading is a major function of management. Management Styles (says they're different and compares different traits) Focus and Context: The Hub of Leadership Leadership Management vs. Leadership Manage Things, Lead People Leadership Transitions Maintaining the Delicate Balance Between Leadership and Management View That Separating "Leading" from "Managing" Can Be Destructive Another view is that to be a very effective member of an organization (whether executive, middle manager, or entry-level worker), you need skills in the functions of planning, organizing, leading and coordinating activities -- the key is you need to be able to emphasize different skills at different times. Yes, leading is different than planning, organizing and coordinating because leading is focused on influencing people, while the other functions are focused on "resources" in addition to people. But that difference is not enough to claim that "leading is different than managing" any more than one can claim that "planning is different than managing" or "organizing is different than managing". The assertion that "leading is different than managing" -- and the ways that these assertions are made -- can cultivate the view that the activities of planning, organizing and coordinating are somehow less important than leading. The assertion can also convince others that they are grand and gifted leaders who can ignore the mere activities of planning, organizing and coordinating -- they can leave these lesser activities to others with less important things to do in the organization. This view can leave carnage in organizations. Read: Founder's Syndrome -- How Organizations Suffer -- and Can Recover MAJOR LEADERSHIP THEORIES, MODELS AND TRAITS Major Theories Overview of Major Theories There are also numerous theories about leadership, or about carrying out the role of leader, e.g., servant leader, democratic leader, principle-centered leader, group-man theory, great-man theory, traits theory, visionary leader, total leader, situational leader, etc. The following articles provides brief overview of key theories. See Leadership Theories Leadership Theories Leadership Theories Leadership Theories Behavioral Theory Behavioral Theory Behavioral Theory of Leadership Contingency Theory Contingency Theory (Wikipedia) Contingency Theories Functional Theory Functional Theory of Leadership Functional Theory Great Man Theory Great Man Theory Great Man Theory of Leadership Situational Theory Situational Leadership Theory Different Types of Leadership: Prescriptive & Situational The Situational Leader Trait Theory Trait Theory Trait Theory of Leadership Transactional Theory Transactional Leadership Transactional Leadership Transformational Theory What is Transformational Leadership? Does Transformational Leadership Make a Difference? Transformational Leadership: What are the Differences that Make a Difference? Does Transformational Leadership Make a Difference? Major Models and Approaches Overview of Leadership Approaches Adaptive Leadership Adaptive Leadership Adaptive Leadership in Action - A Civic Leadership Coaching Scenario What is Adaptive Leadership? The Nature of Adaptive Leadership Adaptability and Resiliency in Leadership Lessons in Adaptive Strategy Leading Adaptive Change Adaptive Strain: Seeing the Need for Change Making Change Your Ally The Role of Adaptive Change Leader Skills for Leading the Fall Taking the Fall without becoming the “Fall Guy” Appreciative Leadership Appreciative Leadership Leadership: Appreciative Leadership Appreciation for Appreciative Leadership Practice of Appreciative Leadership Also see Appreciative Inquiry Authentic Leadership What is Authentic Leadership? Authentic Leadership Can Be Bad Leadership Also see Authenticity Charismatic Leadership What is Charismatic Leadership? Charismatic Leadership: The Elusive Factor in Organizational Effectiveness Dynamic Leadership Introduction to Dynamical Leadership by Royce Holladay Leading Dynamically: Achieve What Others Say is Impossible Heroic Leadership Heroic Leadership Center for Heroic Leadership Also see Is Transformational Leadership Overly Heroic? Are We Really Just Looking for Leaders to Save Us From Ourselves? Participative Leadership What is Participative Leadership? Participative Leadership Servant Leadership What is Servant Leadership? Servant Leadership (Wikipedia) Systems and Complexity Leadership Leadership and Systems Thinking Exploring What is Different About Complexity Management Dancing with the Butterfly - Part I (systems view of leading yourself) Dancing With the Butterfly II - Leading and Working in Complex Human Systems Dancing With the Butterfly III — How We Experience Human Systems Dancing with the Butterfly IV Dancing with the Butterfly-V Coaching Leaders -- A Systems Approach Leading the Dynamic between Complexity and Clarity Leading the Dynamic between Uncertainty and Understanding Complexity, the New Normal -- Aligning Leaders for a Complex World Complexity, the New Normal 2 -- Leading to the Essence Also see the "Unleashing the Power" series in the section Leading Yourself Systems Thinking VUCA Leadership VUCA - A Leadership Dilemma VUCA Prime - A Leader's Response Leading the Dynamic between Volatility and Vision Leading the Dynamic between Ambiguity and Agility Using VUCA -- VUCA Prime Leading a Dilemma Turbulence or Designed Instability? Also see Chaos Theory Systems Thinking Conventional Traits and Styles Overview of Conventional Styles Leadership Styles Styles of Leadership Adapt your leadership style Are you an Innovator, an Entrepreneur, or a Manager? Are You a Crisis Manager? Autocratic Leadership What is Autocratic Leadership? Advantages and Disadvantages of Autocratic Leadership Style Is Autocratic Leadership Relevant Today? Culture, Cars, and Leadership Democratic Leadership Democratic Leadership (advantages and disadvantages) Democratic Leadership Style Laissez-Faire Leadership Laissez-Faire Leadership: A Definition What is Laissez-Faire Leadership? DIFFERENT DOMAINS OF LEADERSHIP AND THE COMPETENCIES / QUALITIES NEEDED IN EACH Understanding Leadership Competencies and Qualities Challenge of Identifying Competencies Needed by Leaders The particular competencies (knowledge, skills and abilities) or qualities that a person needs in order to lead at a particular time in an organization depend on a variety of factors, including: 1) Whether that person is leading one other individual, a group or a large organization; 2) The extent of leadership skills that person already has; 3) That person's basic nature and values (competencies should be chosen that are in accordance with that nature and those values); 4) Whether the group or organization is for-profit or nonprofit, new or long-established, and large or small; 5) The particular culture (or values and associated behaviors) of whomever is being led. The above considerations can make it very challenging when trying to determine what competencies someone should have in order to be a better leader. Perhaps that's why leadership training programs in institutions typically assert a set of standard competencies, for example, decision making, problem solving, managing power and influence, and building trust. Don't Get Hung Up On Categories -- Different People Will Categorize Topics Differently If the reader had the opportunity to review a variety of leadership development programs, he or she would notice a wide variety of approaches to categorizing topics. Don't get hung up on the "right" way to categorize the topics. Competencies Are Cumulative from Leading Individuals to Organizations Leading in successively larger contexts (from individuals to groups to organization-wide efforts) requires successively larger sets of competencies. For example, "core" competencies are the minimum needed in leading others, whether other individuals, in groups or organization-wide efforts. To really be effective at leading other individuals, one should have the core competencies plus certain other competencies to lead individuals, etc Understanding and Using Competency Models A competency model is an integrated approach, a framework, that can be used to identify the competencies (new knowledge, skills and abilities) and qualities required by leadership in various contexts. Consider the following articles. How to Develop a Leadership Competency Model A Leadership Competency Model: Describing the Capacity to Lead Leadership models - customizing leadership development Leadership Competencies for the Common Good Leadership Competencies Core Competencies to Lead In Any Domain Whether you're leading yourself, others, teams, organizations or communities, there are certain skills that you need to have. Certainly, there's a wide variety of perspectives on which skills to have, but most people would probably believe the following are necessary. Other core competencies are listed later on in this overall topic, especially in regard to certain domains. Decision making -- setting a course of action Planning -- Basics (establishing goals and how they will be reached) Problem Solving (analyzing alternatives and selecting a course of action) Ethics and Social Responsibility (how to do the right thing in any situation) Creativity and Innovation (how to think out-of-the-box) Systems Thinking (seeing larger structures and patterns in processes of groups and organizations) Domain: Leading Yourself Setting Direction Career Development (includes several topics, for example, career planning, finding jobs, etc.) Personal Development (includes several topics, for example, assessments, setting goals, etc.) Effectively Leading Yourself Personal Productivity (includes several topics, for example, decision making, problem solving, etc.) Personal Wellness (includes several topics, for example, self-confidence, assertiveness, etc.) Most Forgotten Type of Leadership - Self-Leadership The New Leadership Requirement -- Be Yourself Also Consider Managing Yourself Unleashing the Power of your Story-I Unleashing the Power of your Story-II Unleashing the Power of your Story-III Unleashing the Power of your Story-IV Unleashing the Power of your Story-V Unleashing the Power of your Story-VI Also see The "Butterfly" series in the subsection "Systems-Based Leadership" in the section Major Models and Approaches. Domain: Leading Other Individuals Remember that the competencies and qualities to lead other individuals require that a person can effectively lead themselves. So be sure to read the above section on leading yourself. The activities in leading other individuals often is referred to as Supervision, so that topic also might be useful to you. Setting Direction (depending on the situation) Establishing Performance Goals Various Methods of Influencing Individuals Coaching Counseling Delegating Mentoring Selling Work Directing "Advanced" -- Effectively Leading Other Individuals Building Trust Communications (face-to-face) Conflict (Managing Interpersonal Conflict) Handling Difficult People Listening Motivating Others Managing Power and Influence Sharing Feedback Valuing Diversity Also consider: Basic Overview of Supervision Basic Guide to Management and Supervision. Who do you serve? How to Get Involved Without Micromanaging People Employee Commitment: Get Rid of “It’s Not My Job!” Summary Principles for Staying Sane When Leading Others How Does a Young New, Supervisor Lead? Domain: Leading Groups and Teams Note that some experts believe that the dynamics of a collection of about 12 people or less is quite different than a collection of 12 or more -- 12 or more becomes more like what we think of as an "organization" with a distinct culture. Many people think of a "team" as apart from a group -- they think of a team as a collection of people with a specific purpose and organized to achieve certain goals. Remember that the competencies and qualities that are required to lead groups and teams also require that a person can effectively lead themselves and other individuals. So be sure to read the above sections about those topics. Methods of Influencing Groups Facilitation Group-Based Problem Solving and Decision Making Meeting Management Project Management "Advanced" -- Effectively Leading Groups Conflict Management in Groups Group Dynamics (basics about nature of groups, stages of group development, etc) Systems Thinking (seeing larger structures and patterns in processes of groups and organizations) Team Building Domain: Leading Large Groups and Organizations Remember that the competencies and qualities that are required to lead organizations also require that a person can effectively lead themselves, other individuals, and groups and teams. So be sure to read the above sections about those topics. Setting Direction Strategic Analysis (environmental scan and SWOT analysis) Strategic Direction (mission, vision, values and goals) Methods of Influence Organizational Performance Management (includes numerous methods and movements) "Advanced" -- Effectively Leading in Organizations Organizational Change and Development Organizational Communications Leading Change - Part 1 Leadership Competencies and Change - Part 2 Leading a Dilemma Leading Change Leading from all 4Quadrants Domain: Leading Communities Remember that the competencies and qualities that are required to lead communities also require that a person can effectively lead themselves, other individuals, groups and teams, and organizations. So be sure to read the above sections about those topics. Community Organizing (includes many links) MISCELLANEOUS TOPICS AND PERSPECTIVES IN LEADERSHIP Miscellaneous Topics in Leadership Women in Leadership Women, Power, and Leadership Women and Senior Organizational Leadership Women in Leadership The Greatly Exaggerated Demise of Heroic Leadership: Gender, Power, and the Myth of the Female Advantage Women in Leadership: How Far Have We Come? The Rise of Female Leadership Women Leading Change Unconventional Views of Leadership Leadership, Leadership, Leadership -- Are We All Chanting the Wrong Mantra? Is Transformational Leadership Overly Heroic? Are We Really Just Looking for Leaders to Save Us From Ourselves? Leading Nonprofits The vast majority of guidelines about leading for-profit and government organizations also apply to nonprofits, so do consider the above information in this topic. Capacity Building in Nonprofits Leading a Nonprofit Organization Cultivating Meaning Leadership and the Quest for Meaning Miscellaneous Perspectives on Leadership Before reading and of the following, it's important to get a sense of the overall "territory" of leadership, so be sure to at least scan the sections of topics (listed at the top of this page). There is a great deal of anecdotal information about leadership -- much of it more in the realm of spiritual development than leadership. It's insufficient to learn about leadership merely by reading a few articles. New Paradigm in Management (including in Leadership) WoT's Hot and WoT's Not: Leadership in the Next Millennium 'Do As I Say, Not As I Do' Doesn't Cut It Any More Don't Wait to See Blood A Burning Commitment to Our Cause A Coach's Playbook for Leaders Sunrise Interrupted: Leadership & Choice-making Beyond Manipulating and Motivating to Leading and Inspiring Leaders Care for Organization Culture and Context Leaders Give People Space to Grow Leaders Help People See Beyond What Is to What Could Be Leadership Development Often Fails, New Managers Can't Lead | George's Employment Blawg Leadership. Methods, Models and Theories Leaders Invest in Growing and Developing People Leadership: Nature versus Nurture Tips for Leadership Impact – Influence Others A Tale of Two Managers: Command versus Commitment Building Passion and Commitment the Wal-Mart Way Growing the Leader in Us Tough Times Call for Strong Leaders Leadership: How Important Is Integrity In Today's Business World? Is Integrity an Afterthought? Five Benefits Of Leadership Development Coaching Simma's Seven Step Solution for Successful Inclusive Leadership Five key points to Strong Leadership (thus a Great Manager) 14 Things a Leader Must Do Building Better Business Acumen Leadership Development Introduction: Leadership as Developmental Leadership Interpretation: Creating Leaders -- An Ontological Model Feedback and Leadership The Creative Leadership No-Brainer, Part I The Creative Leadership No-Brainer, Part II 10 Attributes of a Leader Three Actions of Leaders 6 Tips to Delivering Customer Value (a Leadership Challenge) For the Category of Leadership: To round out your knowledge of this Library topic, you may want to review some related topics, available from the link below. Each of the related topics includes free, online resources. Also, scan the Recommended Books listed below. They have been selected for their relevance and highly practical nature. Related Library Topics Recommended Books There is an explosion of books about leadership. Some are about broad and general philosophies, paradigms, visions and values. Others are about more specific models and theories. Still, others are about even more specific tips and tools. Bibliographies of books on leadership span numerous pages. The books mentioned on these pages are a reasonable beginning. They are focused on books with both foundational principles and practical tips and tools. Note that, although many perspectives on leadership are about leading other individuals and groups, there are other domains of leadership, including leading oneself and organizations. The books referenced from this page are in regard to all domains of leadership. Leading For-Profits and Nonprofits There is much more in common between leading a for-profit and nonprofit than many people might realize. Small nonprofits are a lot more like small for-profits, than large nonprofits. Similarly, large nonprofits are a lot more like large for-profits, than small nonprofits. Nonprofits often include leading volunteers. A section, later on below, provides more books about leading specifically in nonprofits. Field Guide to Leadership and Supervision in Business by Carter McNamara, published by Authenticity Consulting, LLC. Includes step-by-step guidelines, tips and tools to effectively lead: 1. Yourself 2. Other individuals in the business 3. Groups and teams in the business 4. Business organizations 5. As well as all functions within the business organization. Many of the Library's materials about business, leadership and management are adapted from this book. Just click on the title of the book above to see the Index and Table of Contents. Leading Nonprofits The following books are recommended because of their highly practical nature and often because they include a wide range of information about this Library topic. To get more information about each book, just click on the image of the book. Also, a "bubble" of information might be displayed. You can click on the title of the book in that bubble to get more information, too. Field Guide to Leadership and Supervision With Nonprofit Staff by Carter McNamara, published by Authenticity Consulting, LLC. Includes step-by-step guidelines, tips and tools customized for personnel in nonprofits to effectively lead: 1. Yourself 2. Other individuals in the nonprofit 3. Groups and teams in the nonprofit 4. Nonprofit organizations 5. As well as all functions within the nonprofit organization.

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