Leadership Theory
We can divide literature about theory into three time periods. The first beginning in
the 1940s is generally known as the Great Man era of leadership theory. Researchers
attempted to explain the differences between those who were leaders and those who
remained followers. This work was guided by a rigid notion of leadership as arising from
individual endowments or given internal states. Towards the end of this period, Barnard
and Follett argued that leaders need to look at the relations among workers as well as
organizational tasks.
The next approach to the study of leadership relied on measures of leader attitude,
performance and behavioral styles. As researchers began to look at these traits, they
identified a distinction between leadership styles including task orientation and relationship
orientation. (Bell & Chase, 1995)
In his classic survey of leadership literature, Stogdill (1948) concluded that an
adequate analysis of leadership involves not only a study of the leaders, but also of
situations.(Bell & Chase, 1995)
Bell and Chase ( 1995) identify the third period as beginning around 1970. This
period looks at not only how the leader behaves, but also how situations and context
shape the leaders activities. It is often referred to as the contingency approach.
The Getzels-Guba model... have provided the framework for many studies of the
socialization of school administrators. Professional literature has focused on the process of
acquiring educational roles. Researchers have identified four features of professional
socialization for principals: duration, mechanisms, relationships between expectations and
the realities of the job, and formal and informal preparation. (Ortiz & Marshall, 1995)
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Introduction
What makes Women Different
Barriers to Success
Job Satisfaction
Leadership Styles
Overall Expectations
Emotional Managers
Career Paths
Mentorship
Here Come the Women
References
Bibliography
