LEADERSHIP—WHAT IS IT?
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LEADERSHIP—WHAT IS IT?
CEOs tell us that their most pressing need is for more leaders in their organizations—not the consummate role-players who seem to surround them.
—Rob Goffee and Gareth Jones
G
ary Yukl (2006) defines leadership as “the process of influencing others to understand and agree about what needs to be done and how to do it, and the process of facilitating individual and collective efforts to accomplish shared objectives” (p. 8). Peter Northouse (2007) defines leadership as “a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal.” These definitions suggest several components central to the phenomenon of leadership. Some of them are as follows: (a) Leadership is a process, (b) leadership involves influencing others, (c) leadership happens within the context of a group, (d) leadership involves goal attainment, and
(e) these goals are shared by leaders and their followers. The very act of defining leadership as a process suggests that leadership is not a characteristic or trait with which only a few, certain people are endowed with at birth. Defining leadership as a process means that leadership is a transactional event that happens between leaders and their followers.
Viewing leadership as a process means that leaders affect and are affected by their followers either positively or negatively. It stresses that leadership is a two-way, interactive event between leaders and followers rather than a linear, one-way event in which the leader only affects the followers. Defining leadership as a process makes it available to everyone—not just a select few who are born with it. More important, it means that leadership is not restricted to just the one person in a group who has formal position power
(i.e., the formally appointed leader).
Leadership is about influence—the ability to influence your subordinates, your peers, and your bosses in a
3/26/2007
12:53 PM
Page 1
1
LEADERSHIP—WHAT IS IT?
CEOs tell us that their most pressing need is for more leaders in their organizations—not the consummate role-players who seem to surround them.
—Rob Goffee and Gareth Jones
G
ary Yukl (2006) defines leadership as “the process of influencing others to understand and agree about what needs to be done and how to do it, and the process of facilitating individual and collective efforts to accomplish shared objectives” (p. 8). Peter Northouse (2007) defines leadership as “a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal.” These definitions suggest several components central to the phenomenon of leadership. Some of them are as follows: (a) Leadership is a process, (b) leadership involves influencing others, (c) leadership happens within the context of a group, (d) leadership involves goal attainment, and
(e) these goals are shared by leaders and their followers. The very act of defining leadership as a process suggests that leadership is not a characteristic or trait with which only a few, certain people are endowed with at birth. Defining leadership as a process means that leadership is a transactional event that happens between leaders and their followers.
Viewing leadership as a process means that leaders affect and are affected by their followers either positively or negatively. It stresses that leadership is a two-way, interactive event between leaders and followers rather than a linear, one-way event in which the leader only affects the followers. Defining leadership as a process makes it available to everyone—not just a select few who are born with it. More important, it means that leadership is not restricted to just the one person in a group who has formal position power
(i.e., the formally appointed leader).
Leadership is about influence—the ability to influence your subordinates, your peers, and your bosses in a
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