Leadership

Leadership is the process through which one or more people influence other group members in a way that motivates them to contribute to the achievement of group goals. As such, it is a group process that is demonstrated through the followership of others. Over time, the field of leadership research has moved through several distinct phases. Initially, a classical approach viewed leadership as a reflection of particular individuals' special qualities. This was then supplanted by a contextual approach which supplemented this analysis with considerations of social and organizational context. More recently, an identity approach has emphasized the importance of the psychological bond between leaders and followers. This progression represents a response to four key observations about the leadership process: (1) different forms of leadership are required in different contexts, (2) followers' perceptions of leaders are critical, (3) leaders and followers motivate and influence each other, and (4) in the process of developing the power to change the world, leaders and followers are themselves transformed.