Great Comprehensive Guide to Leadership Theory and practice 9th

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The Leadership Book That Shows Us How to Lead

The Leadership: Theory and Practice book tells us something really surprising it helps people learn about leading in more than 1,600 schools across 89 different places in the world. They even translated the words into 15 different languages so more people could read them. Before I stumbled upon it, I didn’t know that so many people everywhere use this book to learn about being good leaders.

The thing I find interesting is how the newest version, number nine, has fresh material that makes me excited to share. They added a whole new chapter about making sure everyone feels welcome when you’re leading, and they tell 17 new stories about real leaders from all over. It’s pretty amazing, but not surprising, that they also talk about how people led during the hard times of COVID-19, and they tell us about leaders like Elon Musk and Jacinda Ardern.

I enjoy thinking about how this book makes everything easy to understand by putting similar things in each chapter. That way, you can see how different ideas about leading compare. The book shows us that being a leader isn’t just about being the boss – it’s about working with others, helping groups do well together, and making sure everyone wants the same good things to happen.

With an abundance of contentment, I learned that you can get better at leading by learning three important things: how to do the work well (that’s technical skills), how to work nicely with people (that’s human skills), and how to think about big ideas (that’s conceptual skills). The Leadership: Theory and Practice book takes all these sharp and informed ideas about being a leader and makes them downright simple to understand.

How People Started Learning About Leadership

“The single biggest way to impact an organization is to focus on leadership development. There is almost no limit to the potential of an organization that recruits good people, raises them up as leaders and continually develops them.” — John C. Maxwell, Leadership expert and bestselling author

The Leadership: Theory and Practice book tells us that smart people have been thinking about leadership since ancient times – people like Plato, Sun Tzu, and Machiavelli. It’s really surprising how we only started studying it as a school subject within the last 60 years. The thing I find interesting is how our ideas about being a good leader changed from thinking people were born as leaders to seeing that it’s more like a puzzle with many pieces that fit together.

How Ideas About Leadership Changed Over Time

For comparison, one may liken this to being similar to watching a tree grow – leadership ideas grew and changed over time too. First, there was this idea called the Great Man Theory back in the 1800s. These sharp and informed people thought leaders were just born special like they got some magical gift. They mostly looked at rich people who got to be leaders because their families were important.

Then came the Trait Theories, where people thought you could either be born with leadership skills or learn them. But something surprising happened – even after looking hard, they couldn’t find any traits that all good leaders had. It’s pretty amazing, but not surprising, that some companies still use tests to look for these traits when hiring people.

With an abundance of contentment, I learned that in the middle of the 1900s, people started thinking differently. They came up with Behavioral Theories that said leaders are made, not born. They watched what leaders did instead of just thinking about what made them special. Then came Situational and Contingency Theories, which showed that being a good leader depends on what’s happening around you.

Now, we have what they call New Leadership Theories. These new ideas say:

• Leaders should help their team members first
• Everyone can become a leader
• Leading is like conducting an orchestra where everything works together

Important Things We Learned About Leadership

I enjoy thinking about how leadership isn’t just about one person being in charge – it’s about how leaders and followers work together. Back in the 1940s, some sharp and informed people found two main things leaders do: they organize work and care about people.

Before I stumbled upon it, I didn’t know that being a good leader means doing different things in different situations. It is frequently confusing on matters such as why some leaders need to be strict sometimes and friendly other times.

The Leadership: Theory and Practice book shows us that good leaders need to be honest and real. Some people, like Robert K. Greenleaf in 1970, said the best leaders are the ones who want to help others. Now we know leadership is like a big dance where everyone – leaders, followers, and situations – all move together.

How These Ideas Help Real Leaders

These leadership ideas help people learn to be better leaders. It’s downright simple – instead of just looking for “natural” leaders, we can teach people how to lead well. Now, programs help people learn to:

• Talk better with others
• Help their team grow
• Work with all kinds of people

The University of Michigan shows us five important things leaders need to do, like talking well and solving problems. They also have special tools to help leaders understand what they’re good at and what they need to work on.

To end my writing, it’s a bit similar to being a detective. You have to watch all the clues to ascertain how different ideas about leadership work together. The best leaders know how to use different ideas to help their teams do well.

Two Ways to Think About Being a Leader

I enjoy thinking about whether leaders are born special or if they learn to be good leaders. The Leadership: Theory and Practice book shows us two different ways to look at this: one way says leaders are born with special qualities, and the other way says people can learn to be leaders.

Are Some People Just Born to Lead?

Before I stumbled upon it, I didn’t know that for over 100 years, sharp and informed people thought leaders were just born special. They believed some people naturally had what it takes to lead others.

The thing I find interesting is what some scientists at University College London found out – about 25% of how people lead comes from their genes. But that means 75% comes from other things! It’s pretty amazing, but not surprising, that companies still try to find people who are “natural” leaders instead of helping their workers become better leaders [21, 22].

What Makes a Good Leader Special?

With an abundance of contentment, I learned that good leaders usually have these important things:

• They’re smart and can solve problems well
• They believe in themselves
• They don’t give up easily
• They’re honest and trustworthy
• They’re good at making friends with people

Some leaders are also good at understanding feelings, making decisions, being brave, and knowing themselves well. It is frequently confusing on matters such as whether these things are something you’re born with or something you can learn.

Learning to Be a Leader

For comparison, one may liken this to being similar to learning to play music – you need different skills for different parts. The Leadership: Theory and Practice book says instead of looking for born leaders, we should help people learn leadership skills.

A sharp and informed person named Katz said leaders need three main skills:

1. Knowing how to do the work well
2. Being good at working with people
3. Understanding big ideas and plans

Just like some young individuals need drawings or different colors to know what to do better than just words, different leaders need different skills depending on their jobs. The really good news is that anyone can become a leader if they learn these skills [28, 29].

Looking at Both Ideas Together

To end my writing, it’s a bit similar to being a detective. You have to watch all the clues to ascertain whether being born special or learning new things makes someone a good leader. Some people think you need to find natural leaders, but others say anyone can learn.

It’s really surprising how 52% of top business leaders think leaders are made, not born, while only 19% think people are born to be leaders. A helpful analogy is the following: different parts of who you are and what you learn fit together to make you a leader.

The Leadership: Theory and Practice book shows us that some people might find it easier to lead, but everyone can get better at it if they try hard and learn a lot.

How Leaders Act and Change Their Style

“Situational leadership articulates that effective leaders are the ones able to change their behavior according to the situation at hand. It identifies leadership styles relevant to specific situations.” — Michael Nir, Leadership expert and author

The Leadership: Theory and Practice book shows us something really interesting – instead of wondering what makes someone a leader, sharp and informed people started looking at what good leaders do. I enjoy thinking about how leaders need to act differently with different people and in different situations.

What Leaders Do Every Day

Before I stumbled upon it, I didn’t know that back in the 1950s, some smart people at Ohio State University and the University of Michigan found two main ways leaders act. It’s pretty amazing, but not surprising, that leaders need to:

• Help people get work done (like making clear plans)
• Take care of their people (like being friendly and helpful)

The thing I find interesting is how good leaders need to do both things well. They can’t just focus on getting work done or just being nice to people. With an abundance of contentment, I learned that we can teach people these leadership behaviors. But sometimes it gets tricky because different situations need different kinds of leads.

Changing How You Lead for Different People

It is frequently confusing on matters such as why some leaders act strict sometimes and friendly other times. Two sharp and informed people named Paul Hersey and Kenneth Blanchard figured this out in 1969. They said good leaders change how they act based on how ready their people are to do the work.

They came up with four ways to lead:

1. Telling/Directing: When people are new and need lots of help
2. Selling/Coaching: When people know a little but need encouragement
3. Participating/Supporting: When people know what to do but aren’t sure of themselves
4. Delegating: When people can work well by themselves

For comparison, one may liken this to being similar to how teachers work with students – some need step-by-step help, while others just need a little guidance. When leaders change their style this way, it helps people feel safe to share their thoughts.

Helping People Reach Their Goals

A helpful analogy is the following: leaders are like coaches who help clear the path for their team to score. Robert House thought about this in 1971 and said leaders should:

• Make sure people know they can do the work
• Help them see how their work matters
• Show them they’ll get good things for doing well

House found four ways leaders can help:

• Tell people exactly what to do when things aren’t clear
• Make work feel good when tasks are boring or hard
• Let people help make decisions when they care a lot about the work
• Set big goals and show people they can reach them

To end my writing, it’s a bit similar to being a detective. You have to watch all the clues to ascertain what kind of help your people need [59, 60]. When leaders give the right kind of help, people do better work and feel happier about it.

How Leaders Build Special Connections with People

The Leadership: Theory and Practice book tells us something really important – leaders who make good friendships with their team do better than leaders who just tell people what to do. I enjoy thinking about how these connections help everyone work better together.

Special Ways Leaders Connect with Each Person

Before I stumbled upon it, I didn’t know that leaders make different kinds of friendships with different people on their teams. The thing I find interesting is how this idea, called the Leader-Member Exchange theory, shows us that some people become part of the leader’s close group, while others stay more formal [63, 64].

When leaders expect great things from their close group, these people usually do well – it’s like magic! With an abundance of contentment, I learned that these special connections happen because:

• People are similar to each other
• Someone is good at their job
• People are friendly and work hard

These friendships include different good things like:

• Caring about each other
• Staying loyal
• Working hard together
• Respecting each other’s good work

It’s pretty amazing, but not surprising, that when leaders and team members have good connections, people like their jobs more and work better. Even doctors and nurses feel less tired and stressed when they have good relationships with their leaders.

Leaders Who Help Everyone Grow

For comparison, one may liken this to being similar to a gardener who helps all the plants grow strong. Some sharp and informed people call this transformational leadership because it changes people in good ways.

These special leaders do four important things:

• Help people think in new ways
• Care about each person
• Show everyone an exciting future
• Be someone people want to copy

It is frequently confusing on matters such as why some leaders just give orders while others make everyone excited about work. Really good leaders help their teams feel important and find meaning in their work.

Studies show teams do better work when they have these kinds of leaders. People feel more excited and stronger when their leader believes in them.

Looking at Both Ways of Leading

To end my writing, it’s a bit similar to being a detective. You have to watch all the clues to ascertain which way of leading works best. Some sharp and informed people found that:

• The special friendships (LMX) help keep people from quitting
• The growing-together way helps teams do extra-good work [77, 78]

A helpful analogy is the following: different parts of leading work better in different places. Like when teams work far apart, it’s harder for growing-together leaders to inspire people. And in some places, like Asia, the friendship way works different than in Western places.

The best leaders know how to use both ways – making special connections with each person and helping everyone grow together. They know leadership isn’t just about being the boss – it’s about caring about people and helping them do great things.

Three Special Ways to Be a Good Leader

The Leadership: Theory and Practice book shows us that being a good leader isn’t just about getting work done – it’s about doing what’s right and helping others. I enjoy thinking about how leaders need to be honest and care about their people more than ever before.

Being an Honest Leader

Before I stumbled upon it, I didn’t know that a leader’s sense of right and wrong is like a compass that helps everyone do good work. The thing I find interesting is how honest leaders:

• Take responsibility for their actions
• Think about what’s good for everyone
• Tell the truth even when it’s hard [82, 83]

It’s pretty amazing, but not surprising, that when leaders do what’s right, their companies do better and people want to stay and work hard. But when leaders don’t care about doing right, people don’t work as well and many leave their jobs.

Leaders Who Help Others First

With an abundance of contentment, I learned about something called servant leadership from a sharp and informed person named Robert Greenleaf in 1970. He said, “The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first”.

For comparison, one may liken this to being similar to a parent who puts their children’s needs first. Instead of wanting all the power, these leaders share it and help others grow [87, 88]. They do special things like:

• Listen well without interrupting
• Understand what makes each person special
• Help people have good work and home lives
• Talk nicely to get everyone to agree
• Keep everyone moving toward good goals

It is frequently confusing on matters such as why some leaders want all the power while others focus on helping their teams grow [89, 90]. The really good news is that when leaders help others first, people feel more excited about their work.

Being True to Yourself as a Leader

A helpful analogy is the following: just like a tree needs strong roots to grow tall, leaders need strong values to lead well. The Leadership: Theory and Practice book tells us that good leaders:

• Know who they are and what they believe
• Share good things with their team
• Care about others’ feelings
• Work hard to make good things happen [92, 93]

To end my writing, it’s a bit similar to being a detective. You have to watch all the clues to ascertain if leaders are being real with their teams. Studies show that when leaders are true to themselves, their teams work better and feel happier. These leaders take time to think about themselves and listen to what others say about their leadership.

The best part is that when leaders are honest, help others, and stay true to what they believe, everyone around them does better work and feels good about what they do.

How Leaders Work in Today’s Changing World

The Leadership: Theory and Practice book tells us that leading people is changing fast these days. Before I stumbled upon it, I didn’t know that leaders need to learn new ways to help their teams deal with all the changes happening around them.

Leaders Who Can Change with the Times

I enjoy thinking about how some sharp and informed people from Harvard, Ronald Heifetz, and Marty Linsky, figured out that leaders need to be like water – able to flow and change shape when things get different. It’s pretty amazing, but not surprising, that some problems need more than just simple answers – they need everyone to think and act in new ways.

The thing I find interesting is how good leaders can change:

• Know themselves really well
• Care about how others feel
• Try new things bravely
• Keep going when things get hard

For comparison, one may liken this to being similar to a tree that bends in the wind but doesn’t break. These leaders let people try new things and learn from mistakes, which helps everyone get through tough times together.

Making Everyone Feel Welcome as Leaders

With an abundance of contentment, I learned that when leaders make everyone feel important, their teams do much better. Studies show that when leaders include everyone, up to 70 more people out of 100 feel like they belong and can share their ideas safely.

It is frequently confusing on matters such as why some companies do better than others. But here’s something surprising – companies with leaders who welcome everyone are:

• 73% better at making new things
• 70% better at finding new places to sell things
• 36% better at making money

A helpful analogy is the following: different parts of who you are and what you bring to make the team stronger, just like different instruments make music better.

Making Sure Everyone Gets a Fair Chance to Lead

To end my writing, it’s a bit similar to being a detective. You have to watch all the clues to ascertain why some people get more chances to be leaders than others. For every 100 men who become managers, only 85 women get the same chance. It’s even harder for women of color – only 58 Black women and 71 Latina women get these chances.

This happens even though women:

• Make up almost half of all workers
• Get more college degrees than men

The really good news is that when companies fix these problems and let different kinds of people lead, they do better work and make more money. Just as some young individuals need different ways to learn, companies need different kinds of leaders to grow strong.

How People Work Together as Leaders and Followers

The Leadership: Theory and Practice book tells us something really surprising – while everyone talks about leaders, the people who follow them might be responsible for 80% of what makes companies successful. Before I stumbled upon it, I didn’t know that you can’t have leaders without followers – they’re like two sides of the same coin.

Understanding How Following is Just as Important as Leading

The thing I find interesting is how good followers don’t just do what leaders say. Instead, both leaders and followers work together toward something important they all care about. A sharp and informed person named Robert E. Kelley found five different ways people follow:

• Some think for themselves and work hard
• Some just do what they’re told
• Some don’t do much at all
• Some disagree with everything
• Some do whatever works best

With an abundance of contentment, I learned that really good followers stick up for their leaders when they should, but also tell them nicely when they might be wrong. They know themselves well and care about what’s good for everyone.

Leading Teams Like an Orchestra

For comparison, one may liken this to being similar to conducting an orchestra – everyone plays different instruments but needs to make music together [112, 113]. It’s pretty amazing, but not surprising, that just like conductors help musicians play beautiful music, leaders help their teams work well together. They do this by:

• Showing everyone where they’re going
• Helping people talk to each other well
• Making sure everyone works well together

Good Ways to Lead Teams

I enjoy thinking about how the best team leaders do certain things to help their teams. They:

• Make clear plans that everyone can understand
• Make it safe for people to share their thoughts
• Let people have different ideas, because that’s how new things get created
• Know when to help and when to let people work on their own

It is frequently confusing on matters such as how leaders and followers affect each other. A helpful analogy is the following: different parts of who you are and what’s around you fit together to make teams work well. To end my writing, it’s a bit similar to being a detective. You have to watch all the clues to ascertain how leaders and followers can work together to do great things.

What We Learned About Leading Others

The Leadership: Theory and Practice book shows us how our ideas about being a leader have changed a lot since people first started studying it. I enjoy thinking about how we moved from thinking leaders were just born special to seeing all the different ways people can lead well.

Before I stumbled upon it, I didn’t know that being a good leader today needs more than just knowing how to do the job or being born with special traits. The thing I find interesting is how leaders need to:

• Help others grow (like servant leaders do)
• Make people excited about changes (like transformational leaders do)
• Understand feelings well
• Always do what’s right
• Make good connections with people

With an abundance of contentment, I learned that the best leaders know how to change how they lead based on what’s happening and who they’re leading. For comparison, one may liken this to being similar to a skilled musician who knows exactly which instrument to play at the right time. When leaders combine:

• Being good at their job
• Understanding feelings
• Doing what’s right
• Making everyone feel welcome

Their teams work better together, come up with more new ideas, and get more done.

It is frequently confusing on matters such as what leading will look like in the future. Things keep getting more complicated, and leaders will need to:

• Be ready to change quickly
• Welcome all kinds of people
• Make it safe for people to share ideas
• Show everyone where they’re going

A helpful analogy is the following: different parts of who you are and what you learn fit together to make you a better leader. To end my writing, it’s a bit similar to being a detective. You have to watch all the clues to ascertain that while some people might find it easier to lead, anyone can become a good leader if they learn and practice enough.

FAQs

Q1. What are the key components of the Leadership: Theory and Practice 9th Edition? The 9th Edition includes a new chapter on inclusive leadership, 17 new real-world case studies, discussions on leadership during COVID-19, and profiles of notable leaders like Elon Musk and Jacinda Ardern. It maintains a consistent chapter structure for easy comparison of different leadership theories.

Q2. How has the understanding of leadership evolved? Leadership understanding has evolved from simple trait-based models to complex frameworks that consider context, relationships, and ethical dimensions. Modern perspectives recognize leadership as a dynamic process involving influence, group dynamics, and shared goals, rather than just innate characteristics.

Q3. What is the difference between the trait approach and the skills approach to leadership? The trait approach focuses on inherent characteristics that make good leaders, suggesting leaders are born. In contrast, the skills approach emphasizes learned abilities, proposing that leadership can be developed through education and experience.

Q4. How does situational leadership theory differ from other leadership approaches? Situational leadership theory, developed by Hersey and Blanchard, suggests that effective leadership requires adapting one’s style based on the maturity of followers and specific situations. Unlike fixed models, it emphasizes flexibility in the leadership approach.

Q5. What are some emerging trends in leadership studies? Emerging trends include a focus on adaptive leadership for navigating uncertainty, inclusive leadership to embrace diversity, and addressing gender bias in leadership roles. There’s also increasing emphasis on the importance of followership and effective team leadership in complex organizational environments.