Evolution of Leadership Definition: An Outline
Introduction
This paper is a historical analysis of how the definition of power has evolved and how leadership conceptually differs from power.
Body
(a). Leadership
Most leadership definitions have tended to lean into any of the following three principles or is multifaceted to acknowledge the multiple principles.
Internal qualities of a leader
Leaders behaviors
Leaders traits and context
(b). Power
This section will demonstrate that Power is different from the person exercising it by describing sources of power.
Conclusion
Power and leadership are conceptually different.
Leadership is a social phenomenon that has been examined historically by both contemporary and classical western and eastern researchers. This paper is a historical analysis of how the definition of power has historically evolved and how leadership conceptually differs from power. The paper argues that leadership is conceptually different from power.
There are many definitions of leadership and power that have been constructed just as there are leadership theories (Day & Antonakis, 2012). The first attempt to define leadership examined internal qualities separating leaders from followers, examined the physical, personality and mental characteristics of leaders, and assumed that leaders were born and not made (Avolio, Walumbwa & Weber, 2009). A second attempt examined a leader’s behavior to determine who successful leaders were, considering the context of organizations a leader operated in. The third approach involved an analysis of leader’s traits, leader’s behavior and the context that leaders were acting in, analyzing the intricacies and complexity of this interaction.
Power is separate from the person exercising it in the organization as it extends from the person’s formal authority or title in the organization. Leaders access their power to influence their followers on the basis of position, charisma, relationship, information, and expertise, ability to reward and punish performance (Hollander & Offermann, 1990). From this basis, a leader must leverage and appreciate each base of leadership to be effective.
There has never been a universal definition as to what leadership because researchers have tended to approach this topic from the views of traits, behaviors or situations of a leader. Leaders use power, which is achieved via position or expertise, to control and influence the followers to achieve set goals. This paper has shown that though most people treat leadership as same as power, they are different entities.
Reference
Avolio, B. J., Walumbwa, F. O., & Weber, T. J. (2009). Leadership: Current theories, research, and future directions. Annual review of psychology, 60, 421-449.
Day, D. V., & Antonakis, J. (2012). Leadership: Past, present, and future. The nature of leadership, 3-25
Hollander, E. P., & Offermann, L. R. (1990). Power and leadership in organizations: Relationships in transition. American psychologist, 45(2), 179.
