Theories of Leadership
Professional and Staff Development
FSPSD200
Leadership Theory Simplified
Allisen Penn
Assistant Professor
Leadership Development
“Pop leadership” philosophy abounds in our culture today.
Book stores have shelves full of books on leader ship. Leaders and leadership are discussed daily on tele vision, radio, newspapers, magazines and on the web. As a result, many mixed messages about leadership are expressed. So – how do you decide what is accurate?
Read the inside cover of a leadership book and you may find that the book is more about manage ment and business than leadership. A magazine or newspaper may just express the opinion of a famous person about leadership. While the perspective of a well-known leader or the insight offered in a book may be valuable, you may want to ask – is this information supported by research? An understanding of the existing leadership research may help you shape your own opinion about what is good leadership. Once you determine what is good leader ship, you can begin to develop your own leadership approach.
Arkansas Is
Our Campus
Visit our web site at: http://www.uaex.edu What is leadership? There are almost as many definitions of leader ship as there are books and opinions about leadership. You may want to define leadership for yourself.
Write your definition of leadership:
A commonly accepted definition of leadership is a process used by an individual to influence a group of members toward a common goal
(Bass, 1990; Howell and Costley,
2001). Maxwell (1993) simply states that leadership is influence.
The following overview of leadership theories is intended to provide a synopsis of some of the research conducted on leadership in the last 50 years. There is a list of suggested reading (page 4) to help you learn more about the theories that appeal to you.
University of Arkansas, United States Department of Agriculture, and County Governments
FSPSD200
Leadership Theory Simplified
Allisen Penn
Assistant Professor
Leadership Development
“Pop leadership” philosophy abounds in our culture today.
Book stores have shelves full of books on leader ship. Leaders and leadership are discussed daily on tele vision, radio, newspapers, magazines and on the web. As a result, many mixed messages about leadership are expressed. So – how do you decide what is accurate?
Read the inside cover of a leadership book and you may find that the book is more about manage ment and business than leadership. A magazine or newspaper may just express the opinion of a famous person about leadership. While the perspective of a well-known leader or the insight offered in a book may be valuable, you may want to ask – is this information supported by research? An understanding of the existing leadership research may help you shape your own opinion about what is good leadership. Once you determine what is good leader ship, you can begin to develop your own leadership approach.
Arkansas Is
Our Campus
Visit our web site at: http://www.uaex.edu What is leadership? There are almost as many definitions of leader ship as there are books and opinions about leadership. You may want to define leadership for yourself.
Write your definition of leadership:
A commonly accepted definition of leadership is a process used by an individual to influence a group of members toward a common goal
(Bass, 1990; Howell and Costley,
2001). Maxwell (1993) simply states that leadership is influence.
The following overview of leadership theories is intended to provide a synopsis of some of the research conducted on leadership in the last 50 years. There is a list of suggested reading (page 4) to help you learn more about the theories that appeal to you.
University of Arkansas, United States Department of Agriculture, and County Governments