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Running head: DEFINITION OF LEADERSHIP Definition of Leadership: A Philosophy Paper Michael N. Colella The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
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Page 1: Definition of Leadership: A Philosophy Paper Michael N ...d2oqb2vjj999su.cloudfront.net/users/000/069/600/... · Definition of Leadership: A Philosophy Paper Leadership can be concretely

Running  head:  DEFINITION  OF  LEADERSHIP  

Definition of Leadership:

A Philosophy Paper

Michael N. Colella

The Chicago School of Professional Psychology

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DEFINITION  OF  LEADERSHIP       2  

Definition of Leadership:

A Philosophy Paper

Leadership can be concretely defined, but that does not mean that it is not complex in

nature. Asking five different people for their definition of leadership could produce five unique

results. Leadership is a process, not a destination. Moreover, it is not a wondrous, esoteric

concept, but rather a skill that is to be practiced and developed over time. Leadership is

dependent upon multiple intelligences, part power, part influence, part talent management and

acquisition and part style. Effective leadership is the product of extensive training.

In order to properly understand leadership, the core components of leadership must first

be concretely defined. Foremost, in regards to the multiple intelligences inherent in

contemporary and successful leadership models, cultural intelligence (CQ) requires that leaders

have a “Global Leadership Competence” (Chin, 2006, p. 1), with a clear focus on culture. Chin

(2006) goes on to describe the fact that leadership is multipart and that it implicates specific

situations with key players. Beyond, just CQ, though, is emotional intelligence (EQ) and

intellectual intelligence (IQ) (Chin, 2006). These facets of leadership, or characteristics of a

leader, then must mix and manifest in an individual that is directive and empowering in order to

foster a shared leadership experience (Murphy and Riggio, 2003).

Next, a leader must understand how to get the players in a shared leadership experience

to work efficiently toward a common goal. This implies talent acquisition and management. Out

of all of the author’s research on leadership development, perhaps the most powerful quote that

sums these paradigms up is, "Talent management is about getting the right people in the right

jobs doing the right things with the right people at the right time for the right company goals and

objectives" (Goulet, Jefferson and Szwed, 2012, p. 28). Namely, it must be cautioned that the

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DEFINITION  OF  LEADERSHIP       3  

success of an organization is dependent upon the leadership practices of that institution (Nawab,

2011). This creates a need for up-to-date management practices based on current, pertinent

research.

Further breaking down leadership into its component parts, one can recognize that it can

be authoritarian (i.e., autocratic), participative (i.e., democratic) or delegatory (i.e., free reign) in

nature. Effective leadership may also be a mix of all three leadership styles. The point is, though,

that transformational leadership acts to modify the purpose of leadership and to surpass positions

in an organizational hierarchy (Harrison, 2011). This transformational exchange of leadership is

then a process through which a leader can influence individuals that are interested in working

towards a common goal (Frum, 2011). A nuance of leadership as a process is that a central

management may exist, but it is not absolutely requisite - consider the different leadership styles

(i.e., delegatory, participative and authoritarian) (Frum, 2011).

Leadership, like all strong institutions, manifests out of necessity and matters because

leaders face challenges (Murphy & Riggio, 2003). This obliges the existence of trained

professionals whom understand that leadership is a scholarship. These comments beg the

question: what spawns an effective leader? Li, Arvey, Zhang and Song (2012) purport that

leadership is heritable. At this point, a strong basis for leadership has been established. It is also

now understood that leadership is not only genetic in nature, but epigenetic, as well. The

paradigms mentioned thus far are only a brief snapshot of leadership – this necessitating the need

for extensive leadership training. The goal, of course, is to fail while learning how to lead so that

when one is called upon to lead, they succeed.

To better understand leadership, one can compare and contrast it to management.

Leadership and management are two connected concepts, but there are undoubtedly inherent

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differences. To begin with, one must consider the fact that management refers to planning and

organizing; leadership, on the other hand, implies inspiration and innovation. Enz (2012) has

done research regarding implementation strategies and innovation. Enz (2012) states that,

“Implementation strategies are the ways in which information about a new service innovation are

shared with those employees who must execute on the innovation” (p. 187). This comment

underscores the dichotomy between leadership and management.

Specifically, the different modalities emphasized are those between individuals receiving

the instruction on the fashion in which they must execute said innovation as compared to those

that are sharing the concept of the innovation and those that are doing the actual innovating. The

leader is the innovator. This individual may or may not also be the one managing individuals that

must execute the innovation. Although, the fact that leader did the innovating and the fact that

this individual is managing are two separate paradigms that purport two independent, but related

sets of skills and talents. One may be a strong leader, but a poor manager. In other words, they

may inspire others to contribute blood, sweat and tears to an organization, but they may or may

not fail at coordinating the processes by which this is done.

Enz (2012) supports these assertions by explaining that, “A mix of

execution strategies including implementation by persuasion, leader intervention, participation

and even edict were linked to service innovation success” (p. 187). In a clarifying statement,

Enz (2012) also explains, “Participative employee-centered implementation strategies emerged

as the most critical in the diffusion of service innovations” (p. 187). Moreover, it must be

emphasized that this was facilitated through leader intervention. This is explicitly stated with the

idea of clarifying that there are individuals that function as leaders in a leadership role.

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DEFINITION  OF  LEADERSHIP       5  

Furthermore, it is explicitly stated that persuasion was involved because this clarifies what is

meant by leading versus leadership. The afore mentioned is the talent/skill and the latter a role.

Ultimately, the previously mentioned aspects of leadership and leaders underscore the

need for them and leadership as an institution in the global economy today. Innovation implies

originality, whereas management implies a role that can be mirrored in parallel organizations.

Both institutions are necessary, as they are linked because certain tasks need to be completed by

leaders (i.e., implying management), but also done well (i.e., implying effective leadership).

Johnson, Johnson, Nicholson, Potts, Raiford and Shelton (2012) discuss transformational

leadership and shared governance as it relates to the healthcare field. This is directly applicable

to the discipline in which the author of this paper practices. Johnson et al. (2012) specify that

“transformational leadership and shared governance work together to advance the nursing

profession and are key elements in the development of a healthy, successful work environment”

(p. 12).

Johnson et al. (2012) go on to postulate that there are challenges in implementing

transformational leadership for managers. This, again, clarifies the dichotomy between

leadership and management. Leaders and leadership are needed in medicine to such an extent

that “shared governance and transformational leadership were listed as the core criteria of the

Magnet Recognition Program® announced by the American Nurses Credentialing Center

(ANCC)” (Johnson et al., 2012, p. 12). This is a bold claim, but no surprise, considering the fact

that medicine is a field concerning the physical and mental well being of individuals. This is a

serious responsibility because this can concern such effects as life and death.

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As one can see, there is difference between leadership and management and a serious

value placed on leadership and a concurrent demand for leaders in the medical field. The medical

filed concerns not only patient safety, but quality of care and sometimes life and death in

emergency settings. This is no matter that should be taken lightly; thus, the medical field,

perhaps more than any other field, necessitates leaders that are working to effect positive

changes in processes that can improve the health-related quality of life for patients.

The author’s view on leadership can aptly be described using three common leadership

models that are backed by sufficient academic research. For one, there is the Self-Determination

Theory (SDT) perspective (Trépanier, Fernet & Austin, 2012). This model, discussed by Deci

and Ryan (1985) and Williams, McGregor, Zeldman, Freedman and Deci (2004) (as cited in

Trépanier et al., 2012), positions that there is an inherent strength in “autonomous motivation”

and “perceived competence” (p. 272). Trépanier et al. (2012) specify that, “Autonomous

motivation refers to the sense of volition and self-endorsement of one’s own behavior. It

involves engaging freely in an action for its inherent satisfaction (intrinsic motivation) or

because one identifies with its value or meaning (identified regulation)” (p. 272). In other words,

there is a sense of agency prevalent in the SDT. This not only clarifies that leadership has an

empowering aspect, but also that it promotes a sense of affiliated accomplishment.

Furthering the SDT is White (2007) (as cited in Trépanier et al., 2012) with the idea that,

“Perceived competence refers to the perception of being efficient in one’s social interactions and

being able to control important outcomes,” (p. 272). This takes leadership beyond just agency

and promotes a locus of control over outcomes. This implies that desired outcomes can be

planned for. Success can follow proper planning and subsequent execution. It is not enough to

exhibit the desire to succeed and to plan for success; it must be acted upon. Action is the

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DEFINITION  OF  LEADERSHIP       7  

component that takes great ideas and causes them to manifest in real time. It is important to add

that the strength of employee relations will be a factor in this actionable process. Gerstner and

Day (1997) (as cited in Trépanier et al., 2012) elucidate, “Indeed, in high-quality relationships,

managers appear more likely to believe that they will succeed in promoting positive changes and

attaining organizational objectives because they feel that their subordinates will trust them and

adhere to their vision” (p. 272).

This confab of leadership stratagems evident in the author’s approach to leadership

cannot be complete without a discussion of evidence-based leadership theories (Elliott, 2011).

According to Elliott (2011), evidence-based leadership theories support coaching for goal

attainment. Grant and Cavanagh (2007) (as cited in Elliott, 2011) explain that:

Coaching psychologists use a wide range of theoretical frameworks, including

psychodynamic, systemic, cognitive behavioral, solution-focused and positive

psychology in their work. It is this focus on the systematic application of evidence-based

behavioral science that distinguishes coaching psychology from the atheoretical

proprietary approaches to coaching commonly seen in the market. In general terms,

contemporary coaching psychology can be seen to sit at the intersection of clinical,

counseling, sport, organizational and health psychology. (p. 47)

Essentially, what this refers to is the employment of theory into practice. There are

numerous theories regarding leadership out there, but evidence-based practice operationalizes

theories and applies them to inspiring employees and colleagues to work supportively toward a

collective goal. Organizations have missions and this habit turns missions into a reality and lays

out a conceptual framework for doing so. Leadership is more than an idea; it is a practice.

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Purporting a tertiary level of elucidation is the concept of complexity leadership theory

(Weberg, 2012). This framework “conceptualizes leadership as a continual process that stems

from collaboration, complex systems thinking, and innovation mindsets” (Weberg, 2012, p. 268).

As stated in the beginning of this paper, leadership can be concretely defined, but that does not

mean that it is not complex in nature. Complexity leadership is known to promote cost

effectiveness and deliver quality (Weberg, 2012). Marion and Uhl-Bien (2001) argue that, "[...]

complexity theory focuses leadership efforts on behaviors that enable organizational

effectiveness, as opposed to determining or guiding effectiveness" (p. 389). Thus, leadership is

so much more than solely a method of procedure. Marion and Uhl-Bien (2001) simplify that

leadership is a set of interactions that embolden effectiveness.

The take away message is that complexity guides leadership. Marion & Uhl-Bien (2002)

integrate social exchange into their discussion of complexity theory and leadership, concluding

that social relationships create social capital that leads to desired outcomes (Marion & Uhl-Bien,

2002). This is a quaternary component of leadership that supports the idea that there is a cultural

proficiency needed in leadership practice. Cumulatively, this discussion provides a

comprehensive outlook on leadership that the author tries to employ in his everyday practices.

The last three mentioned theories of leadership (i.e., complexity theory, evidence-based theory

and SDT) are three aspects of leadership that must be assumed in order to comprehend the

author’s concept of leadership. Ultimately, leadership is a fluid concept that must adapt to the

organizations that it functions to serve, respective to their industry.

A lack of coherent and comprehensive leadership risks the efficiencies and effectiveness

of organizations. Moreover, if a leader does not have a fluency in the understanding of leadership

principles, there is a chance that an organization will be lead astray from its goals. Theoretical

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DEFINITION  OF  LEADERSHIP       9  

frameworks of leadership have been established with the idea that, in-theory, they will lead an

organization to success. The trick is to test them; that is, to put them into practice. In other words,

leaders ought to operate with a philosophy saturated with pragmatism. Progress needs to be

closely monitored and policies and procedures need to be adjusted appropriately within

organizations based on evidenced success.

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Personal Mission Statement: A Foundation for Personal Leadership

I am here to inspire others to be better and do better. I aspire to be a force of change that

multiplies individual and organizational strengths, while eliminating weaknesses. As a leader,

my purpose is to keep those around me focused on their tasks and ready to handle future

challenges. Inspiring others is at the forefront of strong leadership because it necessitates

implementation strategies by which employees can themselves innovate (Enz, 2012). As a leader,

I resolve to keep those around me not only focused, but productive as well. This means being a

good manager as part of being a strong leader.

Furthermore, being an effective leader resources remaining flexible in approaches to

problem solving and effectively managing the talent acquired. Individuals present unique

strengths and those ought to be multiplied by the strong leader. This implies an aspect of

effective management (i.e., talent acquisition), but part of this is also a sense of “Global

Leadership Competence” (Chin, 2006, p. 1), There ought to be not only an operational

understanding of processes by an effective leader, but also and understanding of how the culture

of different employees may play a part in their usefulness to an organization. As a leader, I aspire

to use diversity and adversity as tools for fostering progress. For example, an individual with an

a working-proficiency in Chinese (i.e., Mandarin) might be best suited for an assignment in

China because of their training in the language native to this land.

The bottom line is that effective leaders ought to remain interested in their organizations

as well as fluid in their approaches to handling the different problems that arise. One size fits all

is an outdated approach to problem-solving and providing solutions. Approaches to solving a

problem ought to be as varied as the problems themselves. Leaders play a central role in

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DEFINITION  OF  LEADERSHIP       11  

governing their organizations, as well as in effectively finding solutions to problems with an

interdisciplinary approach in mind. As a leader, the foundation I aspire to lay down for my

followers is a strong one based off of an interdisciplinary approach, oriented to perpetuate and

immortalize a strong social and organizational consciousness.

Moreover, the purpose that the author of this paper resolves to fulfill is one that increases

the efficiency and productiveness of those around him. The previously mentioned methods and

concepts of remaining interdisciplinary, remaining flexible in approaches to solving problems

and being inspiring and innovating are part of this process. These are essential principles that

must be incorporated into strong leadership, but a leader must also keep the goal of leading in

mind: results. As a leader, the author of this paper holds it as a mission of his to hyper-focus

those around him to be morally and ethically sound, as well as productive. This implies a mission

of being productive in a certain fashion: a moral and ethical fashion. This is ultimately why the

author of this paper believes he is here.

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Personal Value Statement: A Foundation for Personal Leadership

A leader is one who not only inspires colleagues and followers, but also an individual that

understands the importance of building strong relationships with peers based off of personal

values that he or she recognizes and sticks to. Leaders must have a strong ethical foundation to

build on and work from. This first necessitates being aware of the values one holds. This is

important because a leader is bound to favor those. As a leader, the author of this paper believes

that one should adhere to principles that will foster and promote organizational and personal

growth, while simultaneously maximizing return on investment (i.e., ROI; whether that mean an

increase in profits or an increase in human capital) and minimizing short-term and long-term

liabilities. The life cycle of an organization is dependent upon a leader providing guidance based

on pragmatism in order to promote a long-term and sustainable life cycle for their company, and

thus maximize job satisfaction for colleagues, followers and employees.

Leaders will make policies and manage based off of the personal values he or she stand

for, regardless of whether or not they are consciously aware of it or not. It is then essential for

leaders to take time to examine their personal values so that they understand the ethical

foundation that they are building their organization off of. Furthermore, leaders make decisions

based off of what they value and the first thing that the author of this paper values is authenticity.

This implies the same transparency that is required of presidential candidates. Honesty and a

strong moral foundation are at the core of this personal leadership value. As a professional

business trainer, Gitomer (2012) maintains that authenticity is everything. Gitomer (2012)

clarifies, “Leaders who are preoccupied with making the last dime for their shareholders will

find that their time is better spent communicating continually inside and outside their

organization” (p. 38).

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This provides a perfect transition to the second personal value that the author of this

paper maintains as central to his foundation of leadership: being a strong communicator. This

means being intentional in thoughts and actions and relaying concept messages concisely, clearly

and efficiently to staff and colleagues. Communication is the umbilical cord of strong leadership

and the success of any organization. Communication is a tool that can be used to curtail negative

effects resulting from change and provide a lifeline for an organization – this being why the

author of this paper holds it as so central to his leadership practices. De Vries, Bakker-Pieper and

Oostenveld (2010) note the importance of a leader’s “supportiveness, assuredness and

preciseness when communicating with subordinates” and note that one of the most essential

elements of leadership is strong interpersonal communication (p. 367).

The third personal value that the author of this paper holds as central to his approach on

life and leadership is the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to change. Change is

inevitable for organizations, especially because those that refuse to change are often left behind.

Assuming that organizations want to grow and that progress is a process, leaders must adapt to

these changes and bring their surfboard. The waves of change may arrive one at a time or all at

once, but either way, they are inevitable. This is the time in which leaders develop; looking at

problems and the proposed solutions that were implemented to solve them in hindsight provides

an opportunity to assess leadership development.

Leadership development is a process, not a destination. Maintaining interdisciplinarity in

one’s approach to problems and solutions is key to solving problems while simultaneously

considering all of the implications of those solutions. This importance is highlighted by the

following comment by Kandiko (2012) that, “Many organizations are under increasing pressures

to recruit and retain creative individuals as a core asset in the emerging knowledge economy. In

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DEFINITION  OF  LEADERSHIP       14  

universities, such people are often academics who focus on high impact, innovative

and interdisciplinary research” (p. 191).

The fourth pillar that the author of this paper maintains as an important personal value is

accountability. If everyone is being held accountable for a task, then it is no one’s responsibility.

It is important to take ownership for decisions and to be held accountable for actions and for

inaction. This implies delegation of tasks. The author of this paper believes in assigning specific

tasks to specific individuals in order to ensure that a task is completed. The author of this paper

is an advocate of taking responsibility for actions and following through on promises. According

to Møller (as cited in Mullick & Deppeler, 2011), “A managerial approach to accountability is

one which makes leadership practices to follow hierarchical system control” (p. 275). Structure

is essential to any organization and accountability is a value at its core.

As one can see, the author of this paper holds being authentic, being a strong

communicator, maintaining an interdisciplinary approach to change and accountability as the

four personal values at the core of his practices. The author of this paper asserts that these are

important because they provide a strong backbone for an organization to operate with. The

author of this paper would like to note that it is also important to remain fluid in any approaches

to leading an organization. It is none-the-less important to recognize personal values at the core

of decisions, but to also allow them to change over time if this is empirically supported by real-

world interactions over time.

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Personal Vision Statement: A Direction for Leadership

The author of this statement would like to share that his inspiration comes from the idea

that effective leadership is an indispensible force that can drive innovation. This vision provides

the framework for his organizational planning and for addressing any issues that may come to

fruition in his organization, as well as the goals of his organization. The author of this statement

aspires to take his organization forward and be a force of progress. This personal vision

statement is intended to fan the flames that are the passion of his team members, by providing

insight as to the driving forces that guide his leadership practices. Within the next four years, the

author of this statement would like to see his organization become the chief organization within

its field while concurrently increasing revenue and satisfaction of all customers and stakeholders.

The author of this statement would like his team to be rated as outstanding by those that

have the opportunity to work with the team. This ought to be the result of the combination of

exemplary customer service, attention to detail and leadership. This is related to management

and the principles that guide effectively guide it as a skill separate from leadership (i.e., as

previously mentioned in this paper). By effectively managing organizations and employing an

interdisciplinary approach to problem-solution processes, the author of this paper will operate

with the goal of seeing his organization and team excel in every aspect of practice.

Specifically, this implies a strong emphasis on clear communication and the collaborative

efforts of coworkers. As a leader, the author of this paper would like his organization to be a

principal provider of products and services. This can be done with persistence and the idea that

no problem is too tough to fix and no complaint is too trivial to address. Each and every

employee’s input matters and will be considered. As a unit, the team is the strongest and most

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DEFINITION  OF  LEADERSHIP       16  

important part of the organization. This necessitates a digression from the emphasis and

discussion of solitary performers and instead an emphasis on teamwork as the driving force of

performance. This implies a collectivistic nature of the organization – customers, stakeholders

and employees are part of one group. The organization is here to serve. Working collaboratively

is an essential element to this organization, as problem-solution processes are a shared

undertaking. There ought to be a bottom-up approach to everything in the organization to

promote a shared team mental prototype, as this is characteristic of high-performing teams

(DeFranco et al., 2011).

United the team is a force of change and progress that can exceed the expectations of

customers and stakeholders, while simultaneously and continuously increasing efficiency, work

output, revenue and return on investment.

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Personal Leadership

The author of this paper has a largely transactional and transformational view of

inspirational leadership. Per Northouse (2004) (as cited in Harrison, 2011), this necessitates

being inspiring and innovating, but also focusing on exchanges between leaders and followers.

According to Northouse (2004) (as cited in Harrison, 2011), transformational leadership implies

a connection between followers and leaders while simultaneously providing an emphasis on

motivation that is intended to cause followers to want to better themselves (e.g., do more and

achieve higher) within an organization. The author of this paper aspires to continually exhibit a

transformative presence in the organizations that he is a part of.

In regards to the transactional aspects of his practices, as a leader, the author of this paper

intends to compensate hard work and strong performance by providing the necessary incentives

(e.g., positive reviews, monetary awards). Transformation, inspiration and transactions can be

used to mold the followers within an organization. To perpetuate a transformational approach to

leadership, it is necessary for the author of this paper to remain cognizant of the fact that

providing leadership means approaching adversity and obstacles with a positive and

opportunistic outlook. These opportunities ought to then be capitalized on.

These dimensions of leadership provide a basis to evaluate the strengths of the leadership

practices employed by the author. The author of this paper is fully committed to being

transformational, this being a key component of his approach to innovation. This is undoubtedly

a strength of his, especially when combined with a stress on the utility of a transactional

approach to leadership. Furthermore, the author of this paper genuinely advocates an

authoritarian, delegative and participative approach to leadership. This is a strength, as it

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DEFINITION  OF  LEADERSHIP       18  

promotes the work and value of colleagues within an organization. A participative emphasis is

democratic in nature and a delegative style establishes the primary responsibilities of each team

member.

There are also associated weaknesses of the author of this paper in regards to his

leadership style. The author of this paper may be too democratic in nature at times, this being

important because at a certain point it can distract from being productive and completing the

tasks at hand. Leadership ought not to distract from the efficiency of an organization – it ought to

add to it. Furthermore, the author of this paper ought to be careful with his authoritarian

approach to leadership. A weakness of the author is that he needs to refrain from being too

authoritarian if he wants to promote the existence of a truly democratic organization. It has been

the author’s experience within organizations that once a conclusion he prefers has been reached

on how to handle adversity, he employs it without fully considering the input of others.

In other words, this is simultaneously a strength of the leadership style of the author, as

he recognizes his deficiency in this area and subsequently takes extra time not to error in

employing an overly authoritarian mentality. Another strength of the author in regards to his

leadership style is his openness to coworker assessments of his leadership strengths and

weaknesses. This is notable because an interdisciplinary approach to leadership is ideal. This

emphasizes the importance of the statement by Kandiko (2012) that, “Many organizations are

under increasing pressures to recruit and retain creative individuals as a core asset in the

emerging knowledge economy” (p. 191). This is done through collaboration and is a

manifestation of valuing the input of others.

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As one can see, leadership is multidimensional. There are specific components that

comprise it, as it should exist in an organization oriented toward progress, innovation and the

future. The components have been outlined by the author of this paper to be transformational,

transactional, delegative, participative and authoritarian in nature. What effective leadership

boils down to is accountability. As a leader, the author of this paper takes responsibility for the

organizations he is involved in to heart. Strong communication and an interdisciplinary approach

to problems in order to change them into opportunities for advancement of an organization are

important to the author.

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DEFINITION  OF  LEADERSHIP       20  

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