Theoretical perspectives on leadership

This chapter discusses the main theoretical perspectives on leadership, noting how these have shifted over time. It begins by considering the philosophical foundations of contemporary leadership theory, looking at the significance of Chinese and Greek philosophers, in particular. The chapter then summarizes the development of contemporary leadership theory from a predominant focus on the ‘leader’, to the relationship between ‘leaders’ and ‘followers’ and, more recently, the notion of leadership as a social process. It concludes with a working definition of leadership which is used throughout the book. The chapter proposes that leadership is a process of social influence to guide, structure, and/or facilitate behaviours, activities, and/or relationships to achieve shared aims and/or mobilize change in groups, organizations, and society.