Leadership

Enhancing the Lessons of Experience

McGraw-Hill, 1999

15 min read

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What's inside?

Bright and lively leadership lessons from the world of business scholarship explain that management and leadership are not the same things, that power and influence are not the same things, and that leadership is both a science and an art, which are not the same things at all.

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Can a textbook be delightfully written? This one is. Authors Richard L. Hughes, Robert C. Ginnett, and Gordon J. Curphy explore every aspect of leadership and smoothly weave research conclusions into the narrative. Examples abound, from Colin Powell to Walt Disney. The authors are all psychologists who specialize in leadership issues. They have written conversationally and intelligently, using plenty of sidebar material (even famous cartoons) to bring their reporting to life. getAbstract.com recommends this classic (now in its third edition) to everyone interested in leadership.

Summary

Leadership is a Process, Not a Position

You don’t turn into a leader simply because you gain a title or position. Leadership "involves something happening as a result of the interaction between a leader and followers." People who conduct leadership research disagree more than you might realize about what leadership really is, because leadership involves a complex relationship of leader, followers, and situation. Many definitions of leadership differ from each other. "There is not single correct definition. The various definitions show us that we must appreciate the many factors that affect leadership and the different perspectives from which to view it."

Scholars view leadership as both a science and an art. Literally thousands of studies have focused on leadership. Being an expert on leadership is not necessary to being a good leader, and doesn’t make you one. But leaders will find it helpful to know about leadership research.

Leadership has rational and emotional factors; the delicate balance between the two is key. Emotions can inspire people to follow a leader. And emotions can be used positively or negatively. "As images of Adolph Hitler’s mass rallies or...

About the Authors

Richard Hughes is a licensed clinical psychologist with a Ph.D. from the University of Wyoming. Robert Ginnett, a psychologist with a Ph.D. in organizational behavior from Yale University, was a tenured professor at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Both are former faculty members at the U.S. Air Force Academy who are now based at the Center for Creative Leadership in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Gordon Curphy, a psychologist with a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota, manages Personnel Decision, Inc., a psychologically based management consulting firm in Denver, Colorado.

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A. G. 6 years ago

This is a good section , book summary give you suffient material and thinking how a leader look like . Am sure you are one of them but needs to fine tune certain things.

Gordon J. Curphy, Robert C. Ginnett and Richard L. Hughes