Leadership Effectiveness

     This chapter has defined leadership as the process of influencing people to direct their efforts toward the attainment of some particular goal or goals. What makes an individual an effective leader? Some people feel the answer rests with personal traits and, to some degree, they are right. However, situational theory is more commonly accepted today-that is, some leadership styles are more effective than others; "best" depends on the situation.

     One way of studying leadership is by placing the elements of leadership on a continuum. Rensis Likert's research, for example, shows that an employee-centered manager is more effective than a job-centered manager. But in recent years scholars and practitioners alike have found a two-dimensional model more realistic, since it sidesteps an either-or approach and allows consideration of two factors. The Ohio State leadership research and the Blake-Mouton grid are illustrations of the two dimensional approach.

     The most widely accepted approach now is probably Fred Fiedler's contingency model, which places prime emphasis on three major situational variables: leader-member relations, task structure, and position power. Fiedler's model is important because it stresses effectiveness, illustrates that no one leadership style is best, and encourages management to match the leader with the situation. More recently, Robert House has postulated the path-goal theory. Meanwhile, at the Center for Leadership Research at Ohio University, a life cycle theory of leadership has been formulated. All three of these theories emphasize the importance of the adaptive leader who can rise to the demands of the situation.

     The last part of the chapter examined new dimensions in leadership inquiry. Particular attention was given to the declining work ethic, the importance of matching the leader and the strategy, and the role of corporate culture. All three are of importance in the study of leadership effectiveness. A related area is that of human resource development, a topic that will be the focus of attention in the next chapter.