What is Leadership?

“Workers will do what their told if they are paid to do so, and therefore [leaders] should study the best ways for tasks to be performed and then scientifically select and train workers to perform those tasks.” (Fredrick Taylor, 1911)

“People change their behavior when they know they are being observed.” (Hawthorne studies – Roethlisberger & Dickson, 1939)

“We are likely to modify our own behavior when we participate in problem analysis and solution and when we are more likely to carry out decisions we have helped make.” (Weisbord, 1987)

“Leadership must assume that people are lazy, uninvolved and motivated solely by money. Therefore, a command-and-control leadership is required to bring about desired results.” (Theory X - McGregor, 1960)

“Traditional top-down models of leadership that we associate with groups such as the military are outdated and unworkable in modern society—even in the military” (Denhardt & Denhardt, 2009)

“Leadership…will become an increasingly intricate process of multilateral brokerage…more and more decisions will be public decisions; that is, the people they affect will insist on being heard” (Bennis, 1983)

“In this country, leadership is dispersed among all elements of society and down through all levels, and the system simply won’t work as it should unless large numbers of people throughout society are prepared to take leader-like action to make things work at their level.” (Gardner, 1987)

“Leadership is not just about doing things right; it is about doing the right things.” (Bennis & Nanus, 1985)

Transactional v. Transformational Leadership