Search results

We live in a postindustrial/knowledge‐based society, the ramifications of which are transforming both manufacturing and service‐based organizations in the public and private sectors. The industrial models of leadership which were often autocratic and compliance demanding, are incongruent with the needs of people who search for intrinsic satisfaction from daily activities in an environment of rapid complex change, turbulence, ambiguity, diversity of interests, and information overload. New models of leadership such as post‐industrial, post‐heroic, collaborative, and critical theory, offer some measure of congruence with our postindustrial society. These models provide coherence with new organizational philosophies such as the learning organization. Building bridges or “microworlds” which provide a way in which leaders can investigate, analyze, interpret and build confidence in new models of leadership and the principles of the learning organization, are vitally important to the future of organizations and communities. Realistic, custom designed, table top, non‐computer‐based simulations, such as LeadSimm can be used to build such bridges.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief historical perspective of leadership and management theories in the twentieth century to demonstrate that those theories are still prevalent today and underpin the latest “revolutionary” leadership models.

Research carried out by AQR Ltd, a provider of assessment products, and a team from the University of Hull headed by Dr Peter Clough looked to map a leader's style as a tool for matching it to organizational requirements. This research was carried out with support from the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM). The research included a review of existing leadership models and primary data collection from nearly 2,000 practicing leaders and managers.

The data collected were analyzed to produce six dimensions that form the Integrated Leadership Measure (ILM72), which represents different types of management behavior: task v. person; flexible v. dogmatic; de‐centralized v. centralized; reward v. punishment; the means v. the end; and structured v. organic. The research found that how a particular leader behaves at any time in any situation depends on their personal preferences, but also on the organization and its culture. The research also identified three global values that people want from their leadership: determination to deliver; individual cohesion; and team cohesion.

Training and development activities can be used to help people become more effective leaders, however if the organization limits their ability to use this learning they will become frustrated. Leadership style and organizational requirements need to be aligned.

The author suggests that there is very little new in terms of leadership ideas; the challenge of today and the future is to adapt leadership styles to fast changing business environments.

IT is seldom that I can bring myself to write anything for publication, and as I had a longish article on “The education of librarians in Great Britain” printed as recently as 1964 in the Lucknow Librarian (which is edited by my friend Mr. R. P. Hingorani) I had not contemplated any further effort for some time to come. But as THE LIBRARY WORLD evidently wishes to cover all the British schools of librarianship it would be a pity for Brighton to be left out, even though, coming as it does towards the end of a gruelling series, I can see little prospect of this contribution being read. Perhaps, therefore, I need not apologise for the fact that, as my own life and fortunes have been (and still are) inextricably bound up with those of the Brighton school, any account which I write of the school is bound to be a very personal one.

There are five ideas at the center of the endlessly debated and recycled findings and insights on leaders and leadership that produce a stream of leadership books. The paper aims to help practitioners separate the hype from the proven.

The paper assesses the five big leadership ideas, proposes four research challenges and offers five prescriptions for leadership improvement.

The five big ideas are as follows. Character – competent (get the right job done) and ethical (act with integrity) are at the essence of character. No best way to lead – no single model fits all situations. Today, the favored model for leadership is the self‐effacing, humanistic individual; co‐creation of unique customer value is today's mantra for enlightened leaders. Leaders must collaborate – good leaders design and manage a collaborative process of decision making and conflict resolution to which all the stakeholders subscribe. In the absence of such a process, implementation of strategy falters or fails. Adaptability is key to longevity – helping organizations adapt to change is perhaps the single most important leadership competency. Leaders are self‐made – although leadership theory and principles can be taught, effective leadership behavior must be learned.

Managers can use the paper's insights to discount the hype used to promote many leadership books and training.

The paper offers a broad, long‐term perspective on leadership theory and practice.