13L

January 2007

The Definition of Leadership

By Scott Derrick - Washington, DC

It's true. Finding a broadly consistent definition for leadership is nigh impossible. There are just as many definitions for leadership as there are books and articles that have been written on the subject. No doubt that you have also read about the variations on theme through such terms as servant leadership, emergent leadership, charismatic leadership, situational leadership, transactional leadership, and transformational leadership. The list is endless.

In the search for an acceptable definition of leadership, it's important to keep Philosopher Stephen Toulmin's keen observation in mind: "Definitions are like belts. The shorter they are, the more elastic they need to be." Undoubtedly it is a uncomfortable stretch for some people to begin exploring an issue without first clearly defining it.

When exploring the definition of leadership, Professor Peter G. Northouse's book Leadership: Theory and Practice is a good place to start. Because Northouse's book is intended primarily for undergraduate and graduate students studying business, management, and communication, he takes an academic yet straightforward approach to the topic. Despite the many ways that leadership has been conceptualized, Northouse maintains that four specific components are central to the phenomenon of leadership:

(1) Leadership is a process.

(2) Leadership involves influence.

(3) Leadership occurs in a group context.

(4) Leadership involves goal attainment.

Northouse is spot on in his observations, and that is why I tend to favor his definition: Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal. One could argue against the concept of always needing a common goal, given that some followers are driven to follow because of a strong reverence for the leader, irrespective of the leader's stated or perceived goal. Still, I think this definition holds up quite well to others presented in the many leadership books inundating the nation's mega-bookstores.

While the introduction to Northouse's book does an admirable job of outlining the definition of leadership, the rest of the book should also be an informative read for all. Indeed, I think that Northouse is rather successful in carrying out his goal as specified in the book's preface: to bridge the gap between the simplistic approaches to leadership and the more abstract theoretical approaches. Leadership: Theory and Practice is a terrific resource for providing an introductory yet comprehensive overview of leadership theory and a dialogue of how it applies to real life situations.