Instances Of Leadership Research Articles

It does not add up: Comparing episodic and general leadership ratings

In review of the extant leadership literature, assumptions inherent to behaviorally based leadership studies and transformational leadership in particular, have received attention. This study empirically investigated the following assumption: leadership ratings are based on cumulative experience with one’s leader. Ratings from 143 employed adults were collected each working day, and before and after the work week began and ended. Multivariate repeated measures ANCOVA showed that daily transformational leadership ratings were relatively stable, and significantly lower than transformational leadership ratings collected at the beginning and end of the work week. These results suggest that employees’ leadership ratings are not based on their cumulative experience with leaders, thus begging the question, “Upon what evidence do employees base their leadership ratings?” I argue that key instances of leadership disproportionately influence leadership ratings. In addition to challenging transformational leadership theory and proposing areas for future transformational leadership research, this study urges the field to (1) be more cautious in drawing conclusions about the importance of frequency of leadership behaviors and (2) emphasize when – not how frequently, leadership behaviors were enacted.

The Importance of Political Leadership in Achieving a World Free of Nuclear Weapons

The dramatic injection of energy into the debate over the importance of nuclear disarmament in recent years presents a historic opportunity to make the world safer from the unacceptable risks posed by its most powerful weapons. We cannot allow this moment to pass. The positive steps taken by President Obama have added crucial momentum to the disarmament and non-proliferation agenda, but we cannot rely on him alone. No one leader, regardless of their vision, can carry such a burden. After the years of nuclear atrophy since the end of the Cold War, a sustained effort is needed at the highest levels to reverse the damage done by successive failures of political leadership. This article outlines the key features of political leadership, explains its importance, examines historical instances of leadership and highlights instances of successful political leadership. In this multi-polar world, it is only through multilateral action that we can achieve a world free of nuclear weapons, and this requires proactive multilateral political leadership.

Legitimising Leadership: A Framework for Institutional Leadership

Different theoretical frameworks on leadership influence process are briefly reviewed. Particularly the process of leadership legitimisation crisis in organisations is highlighted and the transition of leadership influence process, from the transactional perspective to transformational leadership perspective, is discussed. The paper argues that leadership influence process is important and the intensity and resilience of this influence process makes a difference in organisational functioning and growth, which is rooted in the legitimacy of leadership in the eyes of the followers. The crisis of legitimacy and ways and means for attaining legitimacy, has been a major concern for many leaders and researchers. While acknowledging the inherent strength in the transformational leadership model as a major step towards legitimising the leadership influence process, this paper illustrates certain gaps in the existing transformational leadership framework. Based on later research and instances of leadership influences in organisations, a value based institutional leadership framework is proposed. It is argued that the value based institutional leadership will legitimise the leadership influence process in organisations and will be pervasive and enduring.

The Aesthetic Face of Leadership

To speak of leadership in general, like speaking of creativity in general, is to engage in very lofty talk indeed. Neither concept is close to the ground. Even when adjectivally qualified, as in educational, military, corporate, or political leadership, it is doubtful that there is any one trait, or even set of defining traits, that would enable us to say, Well, that's the essence of leadership in that domain.l On the other hand, again like creativity, we have little trouble identifying particular instances of leadership, precisely because such judgments, however variable, are rooted in observable achievements within a domain. Was Picasso creative? Did Churchill show