Theory of ‘Great Leadership’ is Missing!

Abstract

It is only ‘change’ that always remained unchanged in the universe. With technological advancements and various ‘Revolutions’ the world is facing changes not only in an increasing number but also in the ‘pace’ of changes resulting in shorter life cycle not only for products but also for organizations. Only those organizations, small or big or giant, will survive, prosper, and grow only when the changes (future) are managed successfully. Hence managing changes is all the more critical in the days to come. In nutshell, bring about a change requires a leader, bringing about a great change requires a great leader! The text books and Management literature provide various theories, and their empirical verification for validity, on leadership traits, attributes, behaviour, styles, situations and contingencies, functional, transactional and transformational, emotions, information, and verities of individual powers etc for the effectiveness of the organization. This paper attempts to point out that these theories explain the influence of leaders only during their life-time and that these theories do not seem to explain the tremendous influence, in some cases seemingly everlasting influence, of ‘great leaders’ on others after their death, in some cases, for thousands of years. These personalities are ‘great leaders’ because, unlike the life-time leaders, their leadership influence continues for a very long time even after their death!