Food for Thought for Knowledge Strategists: Looking at Leadership from a Different Perspective

 [Ed. Note: We welcome as our Guest Blogger Gregory D. Bailey PhD(c) at KP,Inc. USA Founder, Chief Disruptor- KEMITArchitecture Designs. Knowledge Economic Management Innovation Transfer Technology Models. Dr. Bailey responded  to a recent post and agreed to have SMR International share his post. – Guy St. Clair]

How Has Leadership Been Defined By Various Theorists Over the Years?

Leadership research at the core: must have the central theme the tenet of respect and dignity of humanity.

Research on leadership is not triviality; neither should it be seen by academician and scholars –practitioners as an approach, taken as another academic exercise. The core of our very existence is enmeshed in understanding leaders and leadership development. Idakwoji, 2010, p.174) …

Hence, we can conveniently define leadership as the builder of special values, definer of societal mission, the setter of societal or organizational goals, and facilitator of the attainment of such goals, (Idakwoji, 2001).

Without the individual there is no bunch, without the bunch there is no group, without the group, there is no team, without the team, there is no for the leader to lead or leaders to develop. Perrow (1972) reported: Leadership and Performance: The relationship between attitudes and performance is a simple statement of the productivity problem.

More sophisticated is the attempt to determine the effect of leadership behavior on human performance. (p. 88). Perrow (1972) goes on to state … the reasoning here if one can find out what makes a good leader, and if one can then teach people to be good leaders, or at least find ways to select good leaders, then presumably most of our organizational problems would be solved. (p.88).

Interestingly enough, the leadership conversation, and what entails the justifications for leadership; is still out in academic juries, (p.88), and therefore, only provides; limited answers, to questions about leadership and leadership development. Revisiting the academic conversation of Perrow (1972) the author suggested in the research:

Indeed, we could solve our national and even international problems, for, as everyone knows, “what we need is good leadership.” The results of this quest, still going on, have been as disillusioning as the more simple attempt to show that good attitudes results in good performance.

As we shall see, the results might be summed up as saying “it all depends….”

Until Next Time: Positively Believe, and Act Positively on those Beliefs.

– October 28, 2014