Student ID number: 11019066

Module name: Essence of Leadership

Assignment Title: Final Essay

Assignment deadline: May 08 2012

Effective word count: 5848

I confirm that I have read the University regulations on plagiarism, and that this assignment is my own work.

“I declare that I am the sole author of this assignment and the work is a result of my own investigations, except where otherwise stated. All references have been duly cited”

ii

Table of Contents
List of Tables List of Figures iv v

Abstract............................................................................................................................. 6 Literature Review
The

table

below

demonstrates

the

many

variations

of

leadership definitions over the past years.

8

• • •

• • • •

• • •

Leadership is “the behaviour of an individual…directing the activities of a group toward a shared goal.” (Hemphill & Coons 1957, pg7) Leadership is “the influential increment over and above mechanical compliance with the routine directives of the organization.” (Katz & Kahn, 1978, pg 528) “Leadership is exercised when persons…mobilize…institutional, political, psychological, and other resources so as to arouse, engage, and satisfy the motives of followers,” (Burns, 1978, pg.18) “Leadership is realized in the process whereby one or more individuals succeed in attempting to frame and decline the reality of others.” (Smircich & Morgan, 1982, pg. 258) “Leadership is “the process of influencing the activities of an organized group toward goal achievement.” (Rauch & Behling, 1984, pg. 46) “Leadership is about articulating visions, embodying values and creating the environment within which things can be accomplished.” (Richard & Engle, 1986, pg. 206) “Leadership is a process of giving purpose (meaningful direction) to collective effort, and causing willing effort to be expended to achieve purpose.” (Jacobs & Jaques, 1990, pg. 281) Leadership “is the ability to step outside culture…to start evolutionary change processes that are more adaptive.” (Schein, 1992,