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Chapter 3

UNDERSTANDING THE FOUNDATION OF LEADERSHIP

The attempt to understand leadership has been taking place for many

years. A number of efforts have been and are being made to create a model
or theory that captures key principles of the art of leadership. It is not the
purpose of this book to detail those efforts, but it is useful to take a look at
some of the leading concepts on leadership so that the reader can gain a
better perspective on this important topic.

Leadership Models and Theories

Considerable debate exists in the scientific community about the
definitions of a “model” or “theory.” Suffice it to say for our purposes that
a leadership model or theory contains ideas on how to lead effectively
and/or become a better leader. Numerous theories and versions of
theories on leadership exist. However, the general conclusion of leadership
research is that leadership principles are timeless, while the models that
examine those principles may change.

Regardless, it is useful to review some of the key theories in order to gain a
clearer perspective on what constitutes leadership. Some, but certainly not
all, of these key theories are discussed in this chapter, including trait
theory, behavior theory, and contingency or situational theory. Certain

relevant aspects of these theories will make their way into the discussion of
leadership in the various subsequent chapters.

Leadership Trait Theory

One of the early approaches to understanding leadership was the
identification of specific “traits” that leaders supposedly possessed.
Leadership traits represent the personal characteristics that differentiate

leaders from followers. In psychology, a trait is a stable characteristic that

David Kolzow 17