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Leadership: Theory and Practice
Heartened by the positive response to previous editions of Leadership: Theory and Practice, this Fourth Edition is written with the same objective to bridge the gap between the often simplistic popular approaches to leadership and the more abstract theoretical approaches.
416 pages, Paperback
First published March 11, 1997
839 people are currently reading
1835 people want to read
About the author
Peter G. Northouse
45 books26 followersPeter G. Northouse is a professor emeritus of communication in the School of Communication at Western Michigan University. For more than 25 years he taught leadership and interpersonal and organizational communication at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. In addition to publications in professional journals he is the author of Leadership: Theory and Practice (9th ed.) and Introduction to Leadership: Concepts and Practice (6th ed.) and co-author of Health Communication: Strategies for Health Professionals (3rd ed.). His scholarly and curricular interests include models of leadership, leadership assessment, ethical leadership, and leadership and group dynamics. He has worked as a consultant in a variety of areas, including leadership development, leadership education, conflict management, and health communication. He holds a doctorate in speech communication from the University of Denver and master’s and bachelor’s degrees in communication education from Michigan State University.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 172 reviews
December 17, 2024
In summary: "here are a bunch of theories about leadership, but none of them are right. Also, here is a short chapter about female leaders and about how basically none of the other theories applied to women--we don't really know what works. Try growing a penis." Thanks for wasting my time. 🤗
January 14, 2012
One of my Fall 2011 accomplishments! Thanks to Reid for plowing through this one with me. It was one of those books that I felt I should read, since it's a best selling text in leadership. I'm glad I did.
The first 1/3 was slow going, discussing older theories that seemed to have serious faults and limited applicability. But, it was good history and context for the leadership instructor. The next 1/3 contained discussion of transformational leadership and authentic leadership that really put a lot of the research that I've been reading in perspective, explaining their fundamental precepts, genus and models. The final 1/3 uses different authors and covers more trendy issues, including a nice summary of team leadership that has challenged me to take our instruction on this to the next level. The chapter on women in leadership firmed my resolve to continue thinking about how to best address this in the elective curriculum, as well.
In general, I found the book to be a very effective overview, covering lots of ground relatively quickly. The format of each chapter is standard and effective in providing a broad, balanced review of each subject area.
I would recommend that at least one pharmacy leadership instructor on a school's leadership instructional team consider reading this one.
The first 1/3 was slow going, discussing older theories that seemed to have serious faults and limited applicability. But, it was good history and context for the leadership instructor. The next 1/3 contained discussion of transformational leadership and authentic leadership that really put a lot of the research that I've been reading in perspective, explaining their fundamental precepts, genus and models. The final 1/3 uses different authors and covers more trendy issues, including a nice summary of team leadership that has challenged me to take our instruction on this to the next level. The chapter on women in leadership firmed my resolve to continue thinking about how to best address this in the elective curriculum, as well.
In general, I found the book to be a very effective overview, covering lots of ground relatively quickly. The format of each chapter is standard and effective in providing a broad, balanced review of each subject area.
I would recommend that at least one pharmacy leadership instructor on a school's leadership instructional team consider reading this one.
Read
May 15, 2024I read the the first half of the 9th edition of this book for school, and I'm definitely shameless enough to still mark the book as "read" (I actually payed more than 1000 NOK for this book, so I think I deserve the little endorphin rush I get from marking it as read) 😁😅🥲
It was engaging and accessible. The cases were especially fun to read; like the in-depth account of Monica Aldama from "Cheer" and the part about the ever-interesting Elon Musk :)
It was engaging and accessible. The cases were especially fun to read; like the in-depth account of Monica Aldama from "Cheer" and the part about the ever-interesting Elon Musk :)
August 27, 2015
This book covers various concepts of and ideas about leadership. Each chapter provides a thumbnail sketch of a particular leadership theory or approach, followed by an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the theory and case studies. Many of the chapters also include survey instruments so that aspiring leaders can assess themselves against the leadership theory in question. The chapters are arranged roughly chronologically, beginning with older models of leadership (e.g. trait approach, skills approach, etc.) and moving up to more contemporary leadership models (e.g. adaptive leadership, the psychodynamic approach, etc.)
This is one of the more enjoyable textbooks I can remember reading. I don't know if I liked it so much because it was that well written or if I simply found the subject matter compelling. Or perhaps leadership is just on my mind right now; there are some major leadership transitions occurring at my workplace and I have been thinking a lot about what it takes to be a good leader.
In any event, I found it easy to turn the pages on this one. Perhaps it is simply because leadership is a topic that affects us all. If the topic interests you, this book is a nice overview of the history of leadership theories with some thoughts on their application in modern organizations.
This is one of the more enjoyable textbooks I can remember reading. I don't know if I liked it so much because it was that well written or if I simply found the subject matter compelling. Or perhaps leadership is just on my mind right now; there are some major leadership transitions occurring at my workplace and I have been thinking a lot about what it takes to be a good leader.
In any event, I found it easy to turn the pages on this one. Perhaps it is simply because leadership is a topic that affects us all. If the topic interests you, this book is a nice overview of the history of leadership theories with some thoughts on their application in modern organizations.
June 19, 2019
“Leadership is the subject which is most studied but least understood” remarked James Macgregor Bruns the pioneer of the field with his book which came in 1978.This review will be first of the three books which I read for preparation of a lecture as well as for designing a module on leadership. I have always been wary of studying the popular yet evasive concepts like leadership. The popularity makes a subject personalized due to experiences. The exclusivity and distinction of a specialized knowledge is lost in translation when each one of us judges on personal experiences. Still I have tried, involuntarily to start with, and by no means has this quest been less than fascinating.
The first step is categorization. Leadership is being studied from four perspectives or disciplines. The first one is that of history. Historians chronicled the lives of great people and these chronicles gave insights into leadership. These insights though anecdotal and impressionistic have remain popular and as the interests into the biographies of the leaders like Napoleon and Churchill keeps on sustaining despite the presence of dozens of biographies. The second field is that of management. Managerial leader is the new leader. Most of the courses of leadership in western universities revolve around managerial leader who would become CEOs, turn around companies, trigger innovation and make immense amount of money in the process. Alongside management , the psychology also stepped in, as the leadership discipline was thought to be revolving around personality , motivation and behavior. Finally, the self-help gurus caught up soon. The shops are flooded with the to-do lists of leadership with promises to unleash the inner leader.
The first book which I chose is primarily a management leadership book but also touches upon other approaches. It is ‘Leadership; Theory and Practice” by Peter Northouse. The book is in seventh edition and published by Sage, a well-known publishing house. The starting point is early twentieth century when the leadership studies became popular. The book is essentially a book about the leadership studies and research instead of leadership, and understandably because being elusive nature of subject itself. It starts with simple and accepted definition of leadership “Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences group of individuals to achieve a common goal”. Each chapter is then built around a specific leadership model ; how it originated , how is it applied , its strengths and weaknesses.
The story of leadership starts with ‘Great man theories’. These have been in thinking since the days of earliest historian of leadership, Plutarch and his LIVES Fast forward to nineteenth century and comes Thomas Carlyle with “On Heroes , Hero worship and heroic in history”. History was thus nothing but biographies of great men. This provided little help when it came to the academic test. Still the Great Man model was not easily discarded and thus came the “Trait approach”. The great men had certain traits which made them great. They had to be intelligent, extrovert and ambitious. The trait approach evolved into “Skills approach” and the leaders were supposed to have technical , human and conceptual skills. Stodgill complied summed these into the skills of intelligence , creativity, oratory , diplomacy , persuasiveness and social skills. Though some of these skills were more like traits. Even the narrower focus was of not much help. There was and there is marked difference in fortunes of the people with same skills and traits.
The time was ripe for the behavioral and approaches to leadership. A grid was devised by Blake and Mouton and leadership styles were developed. A leader was either job oriented or people oriented. This era was a bonanza for consultants. The idea that leadership is a teachable led to million dollar industry. But style was not enough so a “situational approach” has been developed. The type of leadership depends on situation and the style has to conform to the level of challenge. At the same time, leadership became more focused through the “path-goal approach” which expects leader to clear the goal, gives the path , removes obstacles and support employees. There was also emphasis on the dynamics of leaders and followers and their being locked in a dyad and interdependent relationship.
Transformational approach was a big milestone in leadership studies. More so because the recognition of the transactional approach which is based on the rules, status quo and give and take. A leader was expected to do more ; transform , revive and change. The transformation is not possible unless the leader is charismatic , committed , dynamic ,visionary with emphasis on morality. Now the distinction between leader and manager was more than clear. Burns pioneered this and Bennis and Nuns , and Kouzes and Posner further improved it. One remembers Bennis from his quote about Managers doing the things right while leader doing the right things. The morality has become a subject in leadership recently with the corporate scandals and financial crisis. There is “Authentic leadership approach” as well as “Ethical leadership”. There has also been more focus on participation and team building with Team leadership or “distributed leadership” calling for more flattened structures and consultative decision making. “Servant leadership” takes the participation to next level with ten characteristics and thrust on altruism and service. There is also discussion on gender and culture, and why there is difference between male and female , and why some groups are disadvantaged for leadership position.
The book “Leadership; theory and practice” is useful and informative. It captures the original research but is also an easy read with a structured approach. Each approach has been explained with three or four case studies and the work sheet to determine the particular model. It has something for everyone i.e students, teachers and managers, and is good starting point for the discipline.
What are the lessons learnt about leadership? The various models and approaches discussed are not mutually exclusive i.e it is not that trait and skills models are redundant after advent of behavioral and transformation approaches. Some part of each has relevance to some scenario or situation. There is need to build more into the knowledge base of this discipline especially with leadership more discussed and less understood.
The first step is categorization. Leadership is being studied from four perspectives or disciplines. The first one is that of history. Historians chronicled the lives of great people and these chronicles gave insights into leadership. These insights though anecdotal and impressionistic have remain popular and as the interests into the biographies of the leaders like Napoleon and Churchill keeps on sustaining despite the presence of dozens of biographies. The second field is that of management. Managerial leader is the new leader. Most of the courses of leadership in western universities revolve around managerial leader who would become CEOs, turn around companies, trigger innovation and make immense amount of money in the process. Alongside management , the psychology also stepped in, as the leadership discipline was thought to be revolving around personality , motivation and behavior. Finally, the self-help gurus caught up soon. The shops are flooded with the to-do lists of leadership with promises to unleash the inner leader.
The first book which I chose is primarily a management leadership book but also touches upon other approaches. It is ‘Leadership; Theory and Practice” by Peter Northouse. The book is in seventh edition and published by Sage, a well-known publishing house. The starting point is early twentieth century when the leadership studies became popular. The book is essentially a book about the leadership studies and research instead of leadership, and understandably because being elusive nature of subject itself. It starts with simple and accepted definition of leadership “Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences group of individuals to achieve a common goal”. Each chapter is then built around a specific leadership model ; how it originated , how is it applied , its strengths and weaknesses.
The story of leadership starts with ‘Great man theories’. These have been in thinking since the days of earliest historian of leadership, Plutarch and his LIVES Fast forward to nineteenth century and comes Thomas Carlyle with “On Heroes , Hero worship and heroic in history”. History was thus nothing but biographies of great men. This provided little help when it came to the academic test. Still the Great Man model was not easily discarded and thus came the “Trait approach”. The great men had certain traits which made them great. They had to be intelligent, extrovert and ambitious. The trait approach evolved into “Skills approach” and the leaders were supposed to have technical , human and conceptual skills. Stodgill complied summed these into the skills of intelligence , creativity, oratory , diplomacy , persuasiveness and social skills. Though some of these skills were more like traits. Even the narrower focus was of not much help. There was and there is marked difference in fortunes of the people with same skills and traits.
The time was ripe for the behavioral and approaches to leadership. A grid was devised by Blake and Mouton and leadership styles were developed. A leader was either job oriented or people oriented. This era was a bonanza for consultants. The idea that leadership is a teachable led to million dollar industry. But style was not enough so a “situational approach” has been developed. The type of leadership depends on situation and the style has to conform to the level of challenge. At the same time, leadership became more focused through the “path-goal approach” which expects leader to clear the goal, gives the path , removes obstacles and support employees. There was also emphasis on the dynamics of leaders and followers and their being locked in a dyad and interdependent relationship.
Transformational approach was a big milestone in leadership studies. More so because the recognition of the transactional approach which is based on the rules, status quo and give and take. A leader was expected to do more ; transform , revive and change. The transformation is not possible unless the leader is charismatic , committed , dynamic ,visionary with emphasis on morality. Now the distinction between leader and manager was more than clear. Burns pioneered this and Bennis and Nuns , and Kouzes and Posner further improved it. One remembers Bennis from his quote about Managers doing the things right while leader doing the right things. The morality has become a subject in leadership recently with the corporate scandals and financial crisis. There is “Authentic leadership approach” as well as “Ethical leadership”. There has also been more focus on participation and team building with Team leadership or “distributed leadership” calling for more flattened structures and consultative decision making. “Servant leadership” takes the participation to next level with ten characteristics and thrust on altruism and service. There is also discussion on gender and culture, and why there is difference between male and female , and why some groups are disadvantaged for leadership position.
The book “Leadership; theory and practice” is useful and informative. It captures the original research but is also an easy read with a structured approach. Each approach has been explained with three or four case studies and the work sheet to determine the particular model. It has something for everyone i.e students, teachers and managers, and is good starting point for the discipline.
What are the lessons learnt about leadership? The various models and approaches discussed are not mutually exclusive i.e it is not that trait and skills models are redundant after advent of behavioral and transformation approaches. Some part of each has relevance to some scenario or situation. There is need to build more into the knowledge base of this discipline especially with leadership more discussed and less understood.
April 29, 2023
Explore what it takes to be a leader and discover which leadership styles are best suited to you.
Leadership is sexy. Leaders are glorified and lionized, emulated and beloved. They often chart the course of human progress, dominate the pages of history, and enrich themselves in the currency of public affection. Leadership is the common thread that’s shared among the most influential figures of human history.
And yet, there is another kind of leadership that remains possible for each of us. It’s the more modest variety practiced by regular people who, through minor but purposeful actions, help make the world a better place. Perhaps it’s the teacher who inspires her pupils to broaden their horizons. Or maybe it’s a community organizer who helps collect food for the hungry. Leadership changes the world, no matter the scale.
Because leadership is both so important and so possible, it is crucial to understand it better. In this book, we’ll discuss a set of theories of where leadership comes from. We’ll also explore a host of leadership styles, explaining what makes them unique, and how you can implement them to become the leader you’d like to be.
---
There are various theories of leadership that explain what makes a proper leader.
Before delving into leadership types, it’s worth considering what leadership is, and where it comes from. As you might guess, there are many ways to define leadership. But the common thread is this: leadership is the act of a person influencing a group for a common purpose. So, what makes someone a leader? Let’s consider a few common theories about successful leadership.
The trait approach to leadership posits that leaders possess a set of qualities that separates them from followers. According to this theory, leaders are born, not built. Some of the traits commonly associated with leadership are intelligence and extraversion, as well as inborn qualities like height and charisma.
Another theory is the skills approach. According to this view, leadership isn’t innate, it’s earned. The skills approach emphasizes that leaders learn and develop attributes that allow them to influence others. These attributes include human skills (like the ability to work well with people) technical skills (like knowledge in a specific field), and conceptual skills (like the ability to understand and articulate abstract ideas).
The behavioral approach suggests leaders use two kinds of behavior to influence others: task behaviors and relationship behaviors. Like their names suggest, task behaviors are about accomplishing specific goals, while relationship behaviors are about helping followers feel comfortable, relate to one another, and perform their best.
The situational approach to leadership emphasizes that circumstances dictate a leader’s style. To be effective, leaders must adapt to the situation they encounter.
The Path-Goal Theory of leadership designates a set of four behaviors leaders can use to help their followers attain their goals. Leaders must define the goal, clarify the path to achieve it, remove obstacles in the way, and provide support to followers.
Leader-Mentor Exchange Theory, on the other hand, focuses on the interaction between leaders and followers. Rather than view leadership from the perspective of one or the other, this theory of leadership suggests a reciprocal relationship between leaders and followers is paramount to success.
So, what kind of leader are you? Next, we’ll consider a handful of leadership styles, explaining how they work and offering examples of successful leadership in action.
---
Transformational leadership is about changing people for the better, not just meeting goals.
Simply put, transformative leaders change people. They don’t just achieve goals through their own knowledge, talent, or competence. They change the world by motivating their followers to be better people.
Most leadership styles are transactional: the leader asks something of the follower, and the follower gets something in return. For example, a CEO asks his employees to meet a sales benchmark, and they get a bonus if they do. Transformational leadership is different. It’s about elevating people’s morals in order to achieve goals.
There are four factors to this kind of leadership. Factor one is charisma. Transformational leaders exude charisma — a special mix of confidence, dominance, and moral grounding that makes people want to follow.
Factor two is inspiration. Transformational leaders use their talent as communicators to inspire their followers to be better.
The third factor is intellectual stimulation. This means spurring creativity and innovation to achieve a common goal.
The fourth factor is individualized consideration. This means seeing followers as people with their own personal needs and motivations, and treating them accordingly.
As an example of transformative leadership, consider Nelson Mandela, the South African political prisoner-turned president. Through his transformational leadership, Mandela helped topple the apartheid regime and secure equal rights for all South Africans. Mandela possessed all four factors. He was a charismatic speaker who people naturally gravitated toward, inspiring others to achieve a goal many believed to be out of reach. He devised innovative methods of peaceful protest to advance the cause of equality, and he listened closely to the unique perspectives of his followers.
So, what tips can you take away if you’d like to be a transformative leader? For one, be a role model. Exhibiting the moral standards you expect from others is crucial to transformative leadership. Next, tolerate opposing viewpoints. This shows followers you aren’t picking sides, but value input and perspective from everyone. Next, be a visionary. Offering a vision helps followers see where they fit in to achieving the collective goal. Fourth, be a social architect. This means articulating the values of the group and setting the culture.
Although not everyone can be a leader on the level of Nelson Mandela, the simple tips just described can help you lead a transformation of your own.
...
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Authentic leadership derives from the transparency of the leader.
For authentic leadership, transparency is crucial. Followers have to trust the leader is genuine in their intentions. This sense of authenticity can come from three places: within the person, from their interactions with others, or from a major event that affords authenticity to a leader.
The intrapersonal approach suggests a leader is authentic because of who they are: their knowledge, convictions, and life experiences.
For example, a Nobel Prize-winning mathematician may be an authentic leader on the basis of their extraordinary intellect, while a civil rights icon may be authentic because of their commitment to justice.
Even a transformational experience can lead to authentic leadership, as in the case of Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz. As a child, Schultz witnessed his uninsured father sustain a serious injury on the job. The experience had such a lasting impact on Schultz that he provides comprehensive health coverage to his employees.
A different perspective on authentic leadership, called the the interpersonal approach, states that interacting with followers is what cultivates authenticity. Leaders who gain the respect of their followers are viewed as authentic.
The developmental approach describes how authenticity can be cultivated through the leader’s awareness, morals, balance, and transparency. These factors combine to lend authenticity to a leader.
So, how can you become an authentic leader? Here are five characteristics that authentic leaders exemplify. Be purposeful in your actions. Be value-centered, meaning identify what’s important and stick to it. Also, build solid relationships with your followers, practice self-discipline, and cultivate compassion.
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Servant leadership prioritizes the best interests of the followers.
Servant leadership flips the typical leadership model on its head. It’s about putting the interests of the followers above those of the leader. According to this view, the best way to lead is to help followers reach their potential.
In addition to this follower-first approach, servant leaders accept social responsibility. They care about marginalized people and do their best to combat injustice.
A real-world example of servant leadership is “Father John”, a hospice priest from the South Side of Chicago. When dealing with patients, Father John takes a somewhat unorthodox approach. Rather than speaking to the patients to try to comfort them, he just listens. Father John calls this the art of standing by.
Father John is a servant leader because his first priority is the patient, and he subverts his own interests in the service of others.
Want to give servant leadership a try? Here’s a few tips. Listen first. Empathize with your followers. Prioritize healing — that is, care about the welfare of your followers, and be aware of the unique environment you’re in as a leader.
Valuing persuasion over coercion is also key, as is providing clear goals and directions to the group. Servant leaders exercise foresight, too. They also take responsibility for the consequences of their actions, are committed to the personal growth of their servants (and not just what the servants have to offer the group). What’s more, servant leaders also build community — a place where followers feel safe, secure, and connected to one another.
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Adaptive leadership is about helping followers respond to changing environments.
Now, let’s consider adaptive leadership, which is about focusing on adjusting people’s actions in response to new environments. In other words, adaptive leaders help followers deal with change.
Adaptive leadership differs from other leadership types because the focus isn’t on the leader or even the followers, it’s on the right way to respond to shifting circumstances. Practicing adaptive leadership requires addressing a trio of situational challenges.
The first are technical challenges. These are problems that require some kind of expertise in order to fix. If a company’s website has a glitch, for example, this is a technical challenge. A leader can identify the problem and find the best person inside or outside the company to fix it.
Adaptive challenges are more complicated. Unlike technical challenges, they aren’t straightforward issues with simple fixes. Adaptive challenges require leaders who can change the beliefs, priorities, and roles of their followers. For instance, a basement-dwelling football team hires a new coach. She can’t simply say “Okay fellas, go out their and win more games!” She has to be prepared to develop a new team culture, rearrange the lineups, and institute a new playbook. In other words, she has to adapt.
Technical and adaptive challenges are those that combine the straightforward kind of problems mentioned earlier with the more complex ones.
If you’re wondering the best way to practice adaptive leadership, here are six strategies.
First, get on the balcony. This simply means stepping away from the fray to see the big picture.
Second, identify the adaptive challenge. Adaptive leaders have a knack for recognizing when a shift in views or priorities is necessary
Third, regulate distress. Change is hard, and is often followed by anxiety. When this occurs, adaptive leaders provide their followers direction, protection, and conflict management. They also help orient people to their new roles and establish productive norms.
The fourth strategy you should employ is to maintain disciplined attention. When followers are reluctant to change, the leader can help focus their attention on the task at hand by providing a safe place to confront new challenges.
Fifth, give the work back to the people. Leaders are not supposed to be dictators. It’s vital to provide direction, but also make sure followers know they are an integral part of achieving group goals.
And finally, the sixth strategy is to protect leadership voices from below. It’s important to listen to followers’ opinions even when they are unpopular or nonconforming. While it may seem easier to brush these views under the rug, it’s actually more productive to hear out low-status voices.
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Inclusive leadership prioritizes the belonging and uniqueness of followers.
In recent years, there has been an emerging body of scholarship devoted to the benefits of inclusion in an array of settings. But what, exactly, does it mean to be “inclusive?” Well, it turns out inclusion is all about satisfying two needs: belongingness and uniqueness.
Belongingness refers to the desire to be included, while uniqueness refers to the desire to keep one’s own identity. Balancing these two priorities is the delicate notion of inclusion.
Inclusive leaders value followers for their unique views, values, and background. This enables them to feel like they belong, while also maintaining their own unique identity as individuals.
Inclusive behaviors consist of promoting diversity of viewpoints, making input accessible to everyone, and incorporating followers’ unique talents into the group’s work.
So, what are the effects of this kind of inclusion? Research suggests that members feel more valued and supported in such environments. Inclusion has also been shown to improve work engagement, creativity, and innovation.
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Ethical principles separate good leaders from bad ones.
As we’ve previously discussed, leadership is about exerting influence over a group of people for a specific goal. The goal in question, however, can be positive or negative. Because history is rife with examples of leaders leveraging their influence to harm others, it’s vital to be able to recognize when it happens.
This kind of malign influence is called psuedo-transformational leadership. So, what makes this kind of leader? Look out for the toxic triangle, as it’s called: the behavior of these destructive leaders, the kinds of followers they attract, and the environments in which they arise.
What makes a destructive leader? Lack of integrity, unchecked ambition, arrogance, and a disregard for their actions are hallmarks. These faux leaders are also charismatic, narcissistic, and hateful.
They gain followers by enticing two kinds of people: conformers and colluders. Conformers are those with low self-esteem who are looking for belonging and guidance. Colluders, on the other hand, are those who share the bad values of the leader, and are similarly ambitious.
These destructive leaders thrive in moments of instability when people feel threatened, and take advantage of systems where checks and balances are missing.
Northouse argues what separates destructive leaders from productive leaders is ethics — the morals and values they practice and promote. If you want to be an ethical leader, here are five principles to adopt: respect, service, justice, honesty, and community.
Respect in leadership means treating others as people, and not like instruments to achieve your personal objectives. It also entails empathy, understanding, and tolerance.
Service in leadership means practicing beneficence — the duty to help others achieve their goals.
Practicing justice as a leader means treating others fairly and not exhibiting favoritism.
Honesty in leadership means telling the truth. It also means being transparent, meeting your obligations, and being accountable for your actions.
Building community in leadership means taking account of the unique needs of everyone in the group, and caring for the common good writ large.
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There are a host of theories about what leadership is, where it comes from, and how to exercise it effectively. We’ve also delineated five types of leadership styles, exploring how they are distinct, highlighting examples of their use, and providing tips for how you can adopt them. Finally, we discussed how to identify a destructive leader, and touched on the ways ethics promotes quality leadership.
Leadership is sexy. Leaders are glorified and lionized, emulated and beloved. They often chart the course of human progress, dominate the pages of history, and enrich themselves in the currency of public affection. Leadership is the common thread that’s shared among the most influential figures of human history.
And yet, there is another kind of leadership that remains possible for each of us. It’s the more modest variety practiced by regular people who, through minor but purposeful actions, help make the world a better place. Perhaps it’s the teacher who inspires her pupils to broaden their horizons. Or maybe it’s a community organizer who helps collect food for the hungry. Leadership changes the world, no matter the scale.
Because leadership is both so important and so possible, it is crucial to understand it better. In this book, we’ll discuss a set of theories of where leadership comes from. We’ll also explore a host of leadership styles, explaining what makes them unique, and how you can implement them to become the leader you’d like to be.
---
There are various theories of leadership that explain what makes a proper leader.
Before delving into leadership types, it’s worth considering what leadership is, and where it comes from. As you might guess, there are many ways to define leadership. But the common thread is this: leadership is the act of a person influencing a group for a common purpose. So, what makes someone a leader? Let’s consider a few common theories about successful leadership.
The trait approach to leadership posits that leaders possess a set of qualities that separates them from followers. According to this theory, leaders are born, not built. Some of the traits commonly associated with leadership are intelligence and extraversion, as well as inborn qualities like height and charisma.
Another theory is the skills approach. According to this view, leadership isn’t innate, it’s earned. The skills approach emphasizes that leaders learn and develop attributes that allow them to influence others. These attributes include human skills (like the ability to work well with people) technical skills (like knowledge in a specific field), and conceptual skills (like the ability to understand and articulate abstract ideas).
The behavioral approach suggests leaders use two kinds of behavior to influence others: task behaviors and relationship behaviors. Like their names suggest, task behaviors are about accomplishing specific goals, while relationship behaviors are about helping followers feel comfortable, relate to one another, and perform their best.
The situational approach to leadership emphasizes that circumstances dictate a leader’s style. To be effective, leaders must adapt to the situation they encounter.
The Path-Goal Theory of leadership designates a set of four behaviors leaders can use to help their followers attain their goals. Leaders must define the goal, clarify the path to achieve it, remove obstacles in the way, and provide support to followers.
Leader-Mentor Exchange Theory, on the other hand, focuses on the interaction between leaders and followers. Rather than view leadership from the perspective of one or the other, this theory of leadership suggests a reciprocal relationship between leaders and followers is paramount to success.
So, what kind of leader are you? Next, we’ll consider a handful of leadership styles, explaining how they work and offering examples of successful leadership in action.
---
Transformational leadership is about changing people for the better, not just meeting goals.
Simply put, transformative leaders change people. They don’t just achieve goals through their own knowledge, talent, or competence. They change the world by motivating their followers to be better people.
Most leadership styles are transactional: the leader asks something of the follower, and the follower gets something in return. For example, a CEO asks his employees to meet a sales benchmark, and they get a bonus if they do. Transformational leadership is different. It’s about elevating people’s morals in order to achieve goals.
There are four factors to this kind of leadership. Factor one is charisma. Transformational leaders exude charisma — a special mix of confidence, dominance, and moral grounding that makes people want to follow.
Factor two is inspiration. Transformational leaders use their talent as communicators to inspire their followers to be better.
The third factor is intellectual stimulation. This means spurring creativity and innovation to achieve a common goal.
The fourth factor is individualized consideration. This means seeing followers as people with their own personal needs and motivations, and treating them accordingly.
As an example of transformative leadership, consider Nelson Mandela, the South African political prisoner-turned president. Through his transformational leadership, Mandela helped topple the apartheid regime and secure equal rights for all South Africans. Mandela possessed all four factors. He was a charismatic speaker who people naturally gravitated toward, inspiring others to achieve a goal many believed to be out of reach. He devised innovative methods of peaceful protest to advance the cause of equality, and he listened closely to the unique perspectives of his followers.
So, what tips can you take away if you’d like to be a transformative leader? For one, be a role model. Exhibiting the moral standards you expect from others is crucial to transformative leadership. Next, tolerate opposing viewpoints. This shows followers you aren’t picking sides, but value input and perspective from everyone. Next, be a visionary. Offering a vision helps followers see where they fit in to achieving the collective goal. Fourth, be a social architect. This means articulating the values of the group and setting the culture.
Although not everyone can be a leader on the level of Nelson Mandela, the simple tips just described can help you lead a transformation of your own.
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Authentic leadership derives from the transparency of the leader.
For authentic leadership, transparency is crucial. Followers have to trust the leader is genuine in their intentions. This sense of authenticity can come from three places: within the person, from their interactions with others, or from a major event that affords authenticity to a leader.
The intrapersonal approach suggests a leader is authentic because of who they are: their knowledge, convictions, and life experiences.
For example, a Nobel Prize-winning mathematician may be an authentic leader on the basis of their extraordinary intellect, while a civil rights icon may be authentic because of their commitment to justice.
Even a transformational experience can lead to authentic leadership, as in the case of Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz. As a child, Schultz witnessed his uninsured father sustain a serious injury on the job. The experience had such a lasting impact on Schultz that he provides comprehensive health coverage to his employees.
A different perspective on authentic leadership, called the the interpersonal approach, states that interacting with followers is what cultivates authenticity. Leaders who gain the respect of their followers are viewed as authentic.
The developmental approach describes how authenticity can be cultivated through the leader’s awareness, morals, balance, and transparency. These factors combine to lend authenticity to a leader.
So, how can you become an authentic leader? Here are five characteristics that authentic leaders exemplify. Be purposeful in your actions. Be value-centered, meaning identify what’s important and stick to it. Also, build solid relationships with your followers, practice self-discipline, and cultivate compassion.
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Servant leadership prioritizes the best interests of the followers.
Servant leadership flips the typical leadership model on its head. It’s about putting the interests of the followers above those of the leader. According to this view, the best way to lead is to help followers reach their potential.
In addition to this follower-first approach, servant leaders accept social responsibility. They care about marginalized people and do their best to combat injustice.
A real-world example of servant leadership is “Father John”, a hospice priest from the South Side of Chicago. When dealing with patients, Father John takes a somewhat unorthodox approach. Rather than speaking to the patients to try to comfort them, he just listens. Father John calls this the art of standing by.
Father John is a servant leader because his first priority is the patient, and he subverts his own interests in the service of others.
Want to give servant leadership a try? Here’s a few tips. Listen first. Empathize with your followers. Prioritize healing — that is, care about the welfare of your followers, and be aware of the unique environment you’re in as a leader.
Valuing persuasion over coercion is also key, as is providing clear goals and directions to the group. Servant leaders exercise foresight, too. They also take responsibility for the consequences of their actions, are committed to the personal growth of their servants (and not just what the servants have to offer the group). What’s more, servant leaders also build community — a place where followers feel safe, secure, and connected to one another.
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Adaptive leadership is about helping followers respond to changing environments.
Now, let’s consider adaptive leadership, which is about focusing on adjusting people’s actions in response to new environments. In other words, adaptive leaders help followers deal with change.
Adaptive leadership differs from other leadership types because the focus isn’t on the leader or even the followers, it’s on the right way to respond to shifting circumstances. Practicing adaptive leadership requires addressing a trio of situational challenges.
The first are technical challenges. These are problems that require some kind of expertise in order to fix. If a company’s website has a glitch, for example, this is a technical challenge. A leader can identify the problem and find the best person inside or outside the company to fix it.
Adaptive challenges are more complicated. Unlike technical challenges, they aren’t straightforward issues with simple fixes. Adaptive challenges require leaders who can change the beliefs, priorities, and roles of their followers. For instance, a basement-dwelling football team hires a new coach. She can’t simply say “Okay fellas, go out their and win more games!” She has to be prepared to develop a new team culture, rearrange the lineups, and institute a new playbook. In other words, she has to adapt.
Technical and adaptive challenges are those that combine the straightforward kind of problems mentioned earlier with the more complex ones.
If you’re wondering the best way to practice adaptive leadership, here are six strategies.
First, get on the balcony. This simply means stepping away from the fray to see the big picture.
Second, identify the adaptive challenge. Adaptive leaders have a knack for recognizing when a shift in views or priorities is necessary
Third, regulate distress. Change is hard, and is often followed by anxiety. When this occurs, adaptive leaders provide their followers direction, protection, and conflict management. They also help orient people to their new roles and establish productive norms.
The fourth strategy you should employ is to maintain disciplined attention. When followers are reluctant to change, the leader can help focus their attention on the task at hand by providing a safe place to confront new challenges.
Fifth, give the work back to the people. Leaders are not supposed to be dictators. It’s vital to provide direction, but also make sure followers know they are an integral part of achieving group goals.
And finally, the sixth strategy is to protect leadership voices from below. It’s important to listen to followers’ opinions even when they are unpopular or nonconforming. While it may seem easier to brush these views under the rug, it’s actually more productive to hear out low-status voices.
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Inclusive leadership prioritizes the belonging and uniqueness of followers.
In recent years, there has been an emerging body of scholarship devoted to the benefits of inclusion in an array of settings. But what, exactly, does it mean to be “inclusive?” Well, it turns out inclusion is all about satisfying two needs: belongingness and uniqueness.
Belongingness refers to the desire to be included, while uniqueness refers to the desire to keep one’s own identity. Balancing these two priorities is the delicate notion of inclusion.
Inclusive leaders value followers for their unique views, values, and background. This enables them to feel like they belong, while also maintaining their own unique identity as individuals.
Inclusive behaviors consist of promoting diversity of viewpoints, making input accessible to everyone, and incorporating followers’ unique talents into the group’s work.
So, what are the effects of this kind of inclusion? Research suggests that members feel more valued and supported in such environments. Inclusion has also been shown to improve work engagement, creativity, and innovation.
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Ethical principles separate good leaders from bad ones.
As we’ve previously discussed, leadership is about exerting influence over a group of people for a specific goal. The goal in question, however, can be positive or negative. Because history is rife with examples of leaders leveraging their influence to harm others, it’s vital to be able to recognize when it happens.
This kind of malign influence is called psuedo-transformational leadership. So, what makes this kind of leader? Look out for the toxic triangle, as it’s called: the behavior of these destructive leaders, the kinds of followers they attract, and the environments in which they arise.
What makes a destructive leader? Lack of integrity, unchecked ambition, arrogance, and a disregard for their actions are hallmarks. These faux leaders are also charismatic, narcissistic, and hateful.
They gain followers by enticing two kinds of people: conformers and colluders. Conformers are those with low self-esteem who are looking for belonging and guidance. Colluders, on the other hand, are those who share the bad values of the leader, and are similarly ambitious.
These destructive leaders thrive in moments of instability when people feel threatened, and take advantage of systems where checks and balances are missing.
Northouse argues what separates destructive leaders from productive leaders is ethics — the morals and values they practice and promote. If you want to be an ethical leader, here are five principles to adopt: respect, service, justice, honesty, and community.
Respect in leadership means treating others as people, and not like instruments to achieve your personal objectives. It also entails empathy, understanding, and tolerance.
Service in leadership means practicing beneficence — the duty to help others achieve their goals.
Practicing justice as a leader means treating others fairly and not exhibiting favoritism.
Honesty in leadership means telling the truth. It also means being transparent, meeting your obligations, and being accountable for your actions.
Building community in leadership means taking account of the unique needs of everyone in the group, and caring for the common good writ large.
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There are a host of theories about what leadership is, where it comes from, and how to exercise it effectively. We’ve also delineated five types of leadership styles, exploring how they are distinct, highlighting examples of their use, and providing tips for how you can adopt them. Finally, we discussed how to identify a destructive leader, and touched on the ways ethics promotes quality leadership.
August 31, 2015
Hard to rate a book that's meant to be a more academic overview type of book. Was it the most exciting book in the world to read? No. But did it do for me what I'd hoped--give me a really good overview of a lot of different leadership models? Yes--absolutely. This book helped me think through relationships between different models/theories and what components I may want to explore further. The way the chapters are formatted are very helpful--a description of the theory, strengths and weaknesses, case studies, and quick summaries at the end so I could at least get a feel for a few models that I didn't want to read thoroughly. Very well done.
January 10, 2016
The book tackles leadership as theories, instead of preparing ppl. It's goog if you are the analytical type of person. Otherwise I wouldn't recommend it.
March 5, 2024
I will reference this book for many years to come!
This was a textbook that I was required to read for a class. The presentation of the material was structured in a way that was templated and very interesting. Each chapter/theory is presented with supporting references, practical models, strengths, criticisms, and case studies. Each chapter/theory also provides the reader with an assessment that can be taken to show them where they fall on the scale of each theory.
The knowledge gained by reading this book was life-changing in that it opened my mind to concepts I never knew existed. Not only that, it allows me to recognize each theory in a practical way as I observe leaders in action (or inaction) around me.
This was a textbook that I was required to read for a class. The presentation of the material was structured in a way that was templated and very interesting. Each chapter/theory is presented with supporting references, practical models, strengths, criticisms, and case studies. Each chapter/theory also provides the reader with an assessment that can be taken to show them where they fall on the scale of each theory.
The knowledge gained by reading this book was life-changing in that it opened my mind to concepts I never knew existed. Not only that, it allows me to recognize each theory in a practical way as I observe leaders in action (or inaction) around me.
May 31, 2022
A great primer on leadership theory that provides in-depth yet easy to understand analyses of leadership theories and practices. Northouse combines strengths, weaknesses, and applications in ways that allow for depth of practice and continuing thought/research.
December 11, 2020
Leadership: Theory and Practice by Northouse - in its eighth edition - for a reason.
First, this book offers an overview of Leadership Theories following a semi-chronological development. This provides a good overview of how theories have developed, deviated, and nuanced through the 20th Century and into the 21st. I really enjoyed this layout.
Second, this book is well laid out. The chapters all follow the same format. This makes the material very well organized and easy to read.
Third, this book is an academic text. The reading level is not extremely high, but there are abundant citations. Each chapter has a reference list - which I enjoyed (there are plenty of "recommended reading" options here).
Fourth, the reader can clearly see that the leadership theories from the most recent half century are basically nuances, focusing on attributes, principles, values, and priorities. So, once you have the basic skills down you can focus on specific areas you want or need to develop.
One complaint, the chapter on Global Leadership was, in my opinion, a bit weak. I would also like to see an full chapter devoted to Cross Cultural or Intercultural Leadership as that is different from Global Leadership (though the two do intersect at certain points).
Overall, this book offers a great introduction to Leadership in both theory and practice - so the title is spot on. Since it is in the eighth edition, you know the book as been finely tuned - I didn't find fluff or waste in the 500+ pages. It also includes about 3 case studies per chapter. Good for provoking pondering!
If you want an overview or Leadership Styles/Theories, this is the book for you! Grab a copy and enjoy!
First, this book offers an overview of Leadership Theories following a semi-chronological development. This provides a good overview of how theories have developed, deviated, and nuanced through the 20th Century and into the 21st. I really enjoyed this layout.
Second, this book is well laid out. The chapters all follow the same format. This makes the material very well organized and easy to read.
Third, this book is an academic text. The reading level is not extremely high, but there are abundant citations. Each chapter has a reference list - which I enjoyed (there are plenty of "recommended reading" options here).
Fourth, the reader can clearly see that the leadership theories from the most recent half century are basically nuances, focusing on attributes, principles, values, and priorities. So, once you have the basic skills down you can focus on specific areas you want or need to develop.
One complaint, the chapter on Global Leadership was, in my opinion, a bit weak. I would also like to see an full chapter devoted to Cross Cultural or Intercultural Leadership as that is different from Global Leadership (though the two do intersect at certain points).
Overall, this book offers a great introduction to Leadership in both theory and practice - so the title is spot on. Since it is in the eighth edition, you know the book as been finely tuned - I didn't find fluff or waste in the 500+ pages. It also includes about 3 case studies per chapter. Good for provoking pondering!
If you want an overview or Leadership Styles/Theories, this is the book for you! Grab a copy and enjoy!
October 15, 2020
Literally one of the worst textbooks I've ever read (and this is coming from someone who read through microbiology and biochem textbook and found them rather interesting). The author cannot seem to describe major concepts and theories in a clear and concise manner and there are a lot of superfluous/trivial details in the book. If you're taking a course that uses this textbook, I strongly recommend going over the powerpoint slides your prof made, it's a lot more efficient to learn from the slides.
July 13, 2011
Read this as part of the Teacher Leader program at EKU. It is well written and honest about the major leadership theories. The fact that it includes the negative sides is refreshing. Good starter text but it does lack the implementation tools that some other text have. A lot of theory and case study readings make it an interesting read overall but not the best in the field at large.
September 25, 2014
Forced to read for class. Not a bad book, but there really is nothing new in here if you know anything about leadership skills. If you are not, this is a great place to start. Mainly focusing on theory, Northouse walks you through trait, skill, style, and situational approaches as well as many different theories related to leadership. great assessments inside as well.
October 15, 2020
Information is really basic. Gives a comprehensive look at different theories of leadership, but pretty dry and boring, and a bit superficial in terms of discussing different complexities and pitfalls. Chapters looking at gender and cultural diversity are really basic and though probably well meaning fall into the same sexist and ethnocentric shenanigans that they're trying to explain.
February 25, 2022
I’m not actually done with this book—I have to read it all semester for a class. Leadership theory makes pretty little sense to me—it’s a practical skill that gets better when you are intentional about practicing it. However, there are some helpful things in this book. AND the chapter on inclusive leadership is inadequate at best; unethical and offensive at worst.
May 6, 2012
I just read this book for my MBA Leadership class and very much enjoyed it. Most of the books I read for classes are painful - but this was not only easy to ready, it was interesting and something that was relevant.
April 5, 2015
A great textbook for an introduction to leadership theory class. It is very readable and includes charts, tables, and an assessment at the end of each chapter. We used it in my graduate leadership class and one that I will reference in the years to come and future papers.
February 9, 2009
My "go to" leadership book!
April 19, 2010
this is a psych book. ok. just made me think more about some terrible "leaders" i know at work.
September 10, 2013
It's definitely one of the better textbooks I've read recently.
June 5, 2025
A very comprehensive book regarding many different kinds of leadership approaches, all applicable in the modern world, some more than others. After finishing, I've come to the conclusion that a universal way to be a perfect leader does not exist and perhaps never will--the number of variables is simply too large. The last few chapters of this book were the most informative, consolidating a lot of the major factors that are in play in a leadership/follower environment, such as gender, race, stereotypes, prejudices, etc.
Unfortunately being a perfect leader does not exist; there is no 'guaranteed method' that one can apply to be liked and followed by all, but what this book states is that there is a sort of general set of skills one can use to get as close as possible. Obviously the situation you find yourself in will cause some of these attributes to be more important than others, but generally, people reciprocate kindness, they admire ambitious and trustworthy people more than the egocentric and dictatorial kinds.
My overall consensus of Leadership: Theory and Practice is that you will get further in life, whether a leader or follower, by having a strong set of values, caring for others, and in general being a decent human being.
Unfortunately being a perfect leader does not exist; there is no 'guaranteed method' that one can apply to be liked and followed by all, but what this book states is that there is a sort of general set of skills one can use to get as close as possible. Obviously the situation you find yourself in will cause some of these attributes to be more important than others, but generally, people reciprocate kindness, they admire ambitious and trustworthy people more than the egocentric and dictatorial kinds.
My overall consensus of Leadership: Theory and Practice is that you will get further in life, whether a leader or follower, by having a strong set of values, caring for others, and in general being a decent human being.
February 15, 2021
Nope nope nope. Lots of theories of leadership with little relevance to or acknowledgement of anyone other than western white cis straight men with economic means. Chapter 15 is about women and leadership...and rigidly adheres to the gender binary and has one sentence about the intersection of gender with other identities. Chapter 16 is about culture and leadership and is at best trying to be a cheat sheet for how different leadership traits read in different geographic areas. This book upholds the status quo in harmful ways. It’s maddening that it’s considered such a classic textbook on leadership when the people we need more of in leadership positions are completely or all but ignored by it.
The upside: if you get assigned to read this book like I did, the summaries at the end of each chapter are reasonable proxies for the info in the chapters themselves. I got a little more out of reading the full chapters. And it helped me feel like I had a stronger position from which to drag the book during class discussion. But if you just need to be responsible for the material, the summaries are definitely sufficient.
The upside: if you get assigned to read this book like I did, the summaries at the end of each chapter are reasonable proxies for the info in the chapters themselves. I got a little more out of reading the full chapters. And it helped me feel like I had a stronger position from which to drag the book during class discussion. But if you just need to be responsible for the material, the summaries are definitely sufficient.
December 18, 2019
Adopted at more than 1600 institutions and translated into 13 different languages, this book provides an in depth review of the present theories and models of leadership. After providing leadership definitions from 1900 to the present, chapters present all the current theories, providing an academic account of each theory. The theories covered are as follows:
2. Trait Approach
3. Skills Approach
4. Behavioral Approach
5. Situational Approach
6. Path-Goal Approach
7. Leader-Member Exchange Approach
8. Transformational Approach
9. Authentic Approach
10. Servant Approach
11. Adaptive Approach
12. Followership
13. Leadership Ethics
14. Team Leadership
15. Gender and Leadership
16. Culture and Leadership
All theories are presenting by reviewing their development, noting strengths and criticisms, case studies, and instruments available to measure the theory. Each chapter also ends with a brief summary of the theory under consideration.
An exceptional resource to review leadership theories and models from a robust academic standpoint.
2. Trait Approach
3. Skills Approach
4. Behavioral Approach
5. Situational Approach
6. Path-Goal Approach
7. Leader-Member Exchange Approach
8. Transformational Approach
9. Authentic Approach
10. Servant Approach
11. Adaptive Approach
12. Followership
13. Leadership Ethics
14. Team Leadership
15. Gender and Leadership
16. Culture and Leadership
All theories are presenting by reviewing their development, noting strengths and criticisms, case studies, and instruments available to measure the theory. Each chapter also ends with a brief summary of the theory under consideration.
An exceptional resource to review leadership theories and models from a robust academic standpoint.
May 1, 2022
I appreciated this book as a historical literature review on the different researched styles of leadership. The beginning chapters leave much to be desired if you have read books that narrow in their focus on a particular kind of leadership. I also did not like how so many chapters were leadership "styles" that were essentially personality-tests. These should not have held near the same weight as those skill- and value-based styles of leadership that aren't discussed until further along in the book. I understand that they were included because people definitely do consider heavily those styles as what leadership is, and it can definitely be viewed as "the book lists the most simplistic and vain styled ways of talking about leadership to the more complex and skill and value styles." It doesn't change my mind that I felt my time was wasted by reading those beginning chapters.
The case studies that MOST interested me were the ones that were linked to famed leadership writers and historical characters like Betty Ford.
The case studies that MOST interested me were the ones that were linked to famed leadership writers and historical characters like Betty Ford.
March 6, 2019
This is my 4th book on leadership. I’m very tempted to rate it 5 stars but still feel too new to leadership books to know if this is truly is one of the best leadership books out there. As I’m in my first semester of my doctorate in education, I may change this rating later. I really like this book and the fact that is has chapters on servant leadership, ethics leadership, gender and leadership, culture and leadership, & so many others! I really like the format of the book that each chapter gives an easy to read overview, strengths weaknesses, case studies, and instruments to measure the leadership style in your own organization. For some of the theories, it left me wanting to know more- like how to really dig in and apply the leadership theory in more detail. I’m definitely going to keep this book though, defense it often, and possibly use a chapter or two with my team at work.
July 14, 2020
This was a textbook for a class I’m taking on ethics and leadership. It takes concepts around leadership, which can tend to sound like a lot of business buzzwords, and puts them into academic frameworks that can be studied and put into practice. It’s helped me organize my thoughts on leadership and challenged some of my ideas about what it means to be a servant leader. Prior to this course and reading this book, I took all of the conflicting leadership advice as a “well, it’s all the same”; now, I can more fully appreciate these kinds of advice. I recommend this book for everyone: teachers, consultants, engineers, parents. It’s definitely helped me understand this abstract idea that is leadership.
March 27, 2024
This book was a required text for a leadership course. I appreciated that each chapter has an easy-to-follow format, including theory, strengths, weaknesses, application, case studies with questions, and a self-scored leadership instrument. The chapter topics were well-organized and focused. The text itself is written at an accessible level that could be easily understood in non-academic contexts. The tables and other additions do a good job of adding value but not overwhelming. As far as textbooks go, this one was an easier read and it helped me view leadership differently, as well as recognize my own leadership behaviors. This book briefly covers various leadership models that may prompt you to start evaluating the leadership of those around you.
August 18, 2018
I read this as an introductory textbook for my Master's of Organizational Leadership program. This book is a really clear, effective summation of the various academic theories and approaches to leadership. Each chapter is structured the same way, which is very helpful, and the writing is really concise and clear. This book was a great way to give a broad overview of the field of leadership studies, and was filled with many thought provoking ideas and insights and perspectives about leadership. I enjoyed reading it and I learned a lot! This book really helped me determine what areas of leadership studies I want to focusing on during my program.
February 12, 2019
The textbook focuses more on the theories of leadership. It's an excellent introduction for those interested in doing research in the field. Newport summarizes each leadership theory, with practical examples, and concludes with a set of questions on the strengths and criticism for each approach, which provides an amply opportunity for further research. The last few chapters are written by guest authors.
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