Madison O.

Clement Definitions of Leadership

Definitions of Leadership Coming up with a leadership definition is surprisingly difficult. There is even a fair amount of confusion in the business schools where we see many professors act as though leader and manager are the same role. According to James MacGregor Burns, author of the Nobel prize-winning book Leadership, there are more than 130 definitions of leadership in use today; while Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus, in their book Leaders: Strategies for Taking Charge, claim there are at least 350. Here are a few: - A Dictionary: Leadership Definition Function: noun, 1: The office or position of a leader; 2: Capacity to lead, 3: The act or an instance of leading. Source: Merriam-Webster On-line - Leadership Definition 1 Leadership is a process by which a person influences others to accomplish an objective and directs the organization in a way that makes it more cohesive and coherent. Kenneth Boulding in The Image: Knowledge in Life and Society Leadership Definition 2 Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal. Northouse's (2007, p3) - Leadership Definition 3 "My definition of a leader . . . is a man who can persuade people to do what they don't want to do, or do what they're too lazy to do, and like it." Harry S. Truman, 1884-1972, Thirty-third President of the United States, Miller, More Plan Speaking - Leadership Definition 4 "You cannot manage men into battle. You manage things; you lead people." Grace Hopper, Admiral, U. S. Navy (retired), Nova ( PBS TV), 1986 - Leadership Definition 5 "The superior leader gets things done with very little motion. He imparts instruction not through many words but through a few deeds. He keeps informed about everything but interferes hardly at all. He is a catalyst, and though things would not get done well if he weren't there, when they succeed he takes no credit. And because he takes no credit, credit never leaves him." Lao Tse, Tao Te Ching - Leadership Definition 6 "Leadership occurs when one person induces others to work toward some predetermined objectives." Massie Leadership Definition 7

Madison O. Clement Definitions of Leadership "Leadership is the ability of a superior to influence the behavior of a subordinate or group and persuade them to follow a particular course of action." Chester Bernard - Leadership Definition 8 "Leadership is the art of influencing and directing people in such a way that will win their obedience, confidence, respect and loyal cooperation in achieving common objectives." U. S. Air Force - Leadership Definition 9 "The feminine leadership style emphasizes cooperation over competition; intuition as well as rational thinking in problem solving, team structures where power and influence are shared within the group . . . interpersonal competence; and participative decision making." Marilyn Loden, Founder and president, Loden Associates, Management Review, December 1987 - Leadership Definition 10 "The first job of a leader is to define a vision for the organization.... Leadership of the capacity to translate vision into reality." Warren Bennis, President, University of Cincinnati, University of Maryland symposium, January 21, 1988 - Leadership Definition 11 "The ultimate test of practical leadership is the realization of intended, real change that meets peoples enduring needs." James MacGregor Burns - Leadership Definition 12 "Managers have subordinatesleaders have followers." Murray Johannsen - Leadership Definition 13 "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." John Quincy Adams quotes (American 6th US President (1825-29), eldest son of John Adams, 2nd US president. 1767-1848) - Leadership Definition 14 "I am looking for a lot of men who have an infinite capacity to not know what can't be done." Henry Ford - Leadership Definition 15 "Leadership is a two-way street, loyalty up and loyalty down. Respect for one's superiors; care for one's crew." Grace Hopper, Admiral, U. S. Navy (retired), Speech, Washington, D. C., February 1987 - Leadership Definition 16 "A manager takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don't necessarily want to go but ought to." Rosalyn Carter

Madison O. Clement Definitions of Leadership A Final Word . . . "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those timid souls who know neither victory or defeat." Theodore Roosevelt, American President

Perhaps the best way for you to begin to understand the complexities of leadership is to see some of the ways leadership has been defined. Leadership researchers have defined leadership in many different ways:

The process by which an agent induces a subordinate to behave in a desired manner (Bennis, 1959).

Directing and coordinating the work of group members (Fiedler, 1967).

An interpersonal relation in which others comply because they want to, not because they have to (Merton, 1969). Transforming followers, creating visions of the goals that may be attained, and articulating for the followers the ways to attain those goals (Bass, 1985; Tichy &Devanna, 1986). The process of influencing an organized group toward accomplishing its goals(Roach & Behling, 1984). Actions that focus resources to create desirable oppo rtunities (Campbell, 1991). The leaders job is to create conditions for the team to be effective (Ginnett, 1996). The ends leadership involve involves getting results through others, and the means of leadership involve the ability to build cohesive, goal-oriented teams. Good leaders are those who build teams to get results across a variety of situations (Hogan,Curphy, & Hogan, 1994).

Madison O. Clement Definitions of Leadership

Leadership Is Both a Science and an Art Saying leadership is both a science and an art emphasizes the subject of leadership as a field of scholarly inquiry, as well as certain aspects of the practice of leadership. The scope of the science of leadership is reflected in the number of studiesapproximately 8,000cited in an authoritative reference work, Bass & Stogdills Handbook of Leadership: Theory, Research, & Managerial Applications (Bass, 1990). However, being an expert on leadership research is neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition for being a good leader. Some managers may be effective leaders without ever having taken a course or training program in leadership and some scholars in the field of leadership may be relatively poor leaders themselves. This is not to say that knowing something about leadership research is irrelevant to leadership effectiveness. Scholarship may not be a prerequisite for leadership effectiveness, but understanding some of the major research findings can help individuals better analyze situations using a variety of perspectives. That, in turn, can give leaders insight about how to be more effective. Even so, because the skill in analyzing and responding to situations varies greatly across leaders, leadership will always remain partly an art as well as a science.