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An Introduction to Leadership

ou will most likely nd yourselfyour interests and your attitudesreected on every page of this book, regardless of your age, gender, race, ethnicity, or academic major. You can nd ideas that apply to your interests whether you are majoring in engineering or English or are planning a career in journalism, education, or law. Any number of other majors pertain to leadership as well. Your habits are also reected here. You might like details or you might only focus on the big picture. You might think best by speaking aloud or by turning thoughts over in your head before saying anything. However you work and think best, your perspective is distinctly yours and is represented in these pages. Your unique experiences have shaped your view of yourself as a leader or member of a group. Think of the various leadership roles you have held or observed. Think about the various ways you have led formally, led informally, or been an active participant in various groups. Think about the leadership exhibited by the people you have admired in the national or international news, in your home community, on campus, at work, or in the career eld you are choosing. Think ahead to the places and relationships in which you could become more activeyour classes, class projects, student employment position, residence hall, honor societies, student government, Greek organizations, athletic teams, PTA meetings, your family,

EXPLORING LEADERSHIP

friendship groups, your off-campus work, community service settings, your church or templethe possibilities are endless. You draw on your personal characteristics, experiences, and the settings in which you might be involved for different leadership purposes. Some readers may want to further personal development; others may want to enhance a career skill, still others to accomplish social change. Whatever your purpose, your journey through the leadership process will make a difference in all aspects of your life.

Chapter Overview
In this chapter, we introduce key concepts and models that will be developed throughout the book, and we provide an overview of what we mean by leader, follower, and leadership. We show that new views on leadership are neededviews that call for ethical collaborationsand we describe ways to understand these new views. We assert our belief that leadership develops best when organizations and the individuals in them are open to learning together.

Foundational Principles
We encourage you to critique and analyze the perspectives and frames we present in this book. You will probably agree and connect with some ideas and disagree with others. But try to gure out why you agree or disagree. Exercising critical thinking is a key to furthering your understanding about leadership. We encourage you to learn about leadership using different perspectives. To do that, you will need to identify the principles that are important to you and relate those beliefs to these perspectives. The foundational principles in this book are as follows: 1. Leadership is a concern of all of us. As individuals and groups, we have a responsibility to contribute effectively as members of organizations, local communities, nations, and in the world community. Members of communities (work, learning, living, and ide-

An Introduction to Leadership

ological communities) are citizens of those various groups and have a responsibility to develop shared leadership and participatory governance. 2. Leadership is viewed and valued differently by various disciplines and cultures. A multidisciplinary approach to leadership develops a shared understanding of differences and commonalities in leadership principles and practices across professions and cultures. 3. Conventional views of leadership have changed. Leadership is not static; it must be practiced exibly. The rapid pace of change leads people to continually seek new ways of relating to shared problems. 4. Leadership can be exhibited in many ways. These ways of leading can be analyzed and adapted to varying situations. Different settings might call for different types of leadership. Pluralistic, empowering leadership values the inclusion of diverse people and diverse ideas, working toward common purposes. 5. Leadership qualities and skills can be learned and developed. Todays leaders are made, not born. Leadership effectiveness begins with self-awareness and self-understanding and grows to an understanding of others. 6. Leadership committed to ethical action is needed to encourage change and social responsibility. Leadership happens through relationships among people engaged in change. As a relational process, leadership requires the highest possible standards of credibility, authenticity, integrity, and ethical conduct. Ethical leaders model positive behaviors that inuence the actions of others. Leadership development is greatly enhanced when you understand how important relationships are in leadership; that is, when you see the basic relational foundation of the leadership process. Three basic principles are involved: knowing, being, and doing: Knowing. You must knowyourself, how change occurs, and how and why others may view things differently than you do.

EXPLORING LEADERSHIP

Being. You must beethical, principled, open, caring, and inclusive. Doing. You must actin socially responsible ways, consistently and congruently, as a participant in a community, and on your commitments and passions. It is unrealistic to think that certain proven behaviors are required if you are to be an effective leader or collaborator in this time of rapid change. Leadership cannot be reduced to a number of easy steps. It is realistic, however, to develop a way of thinkinga personal philosophy of leadershipand identify core values that can help you work with others toward change. In todays complex times, we need a set of principles to guide our actions.

Leadership is an electric current of believing. The energy created from people believing in each other fuels a constant positive reaction to work together and achieve.Lisa M. Stevens attended the Jepson School of Leadership Studies at the University of Richmond and was active in the Womens College Government Association and at the campus radio station.

Rapidly Changing Times

Peter Vaill (1989, 1991, 1996, 1998) describes these times as similar to swirling rapidspermanent white water. We can easily feel overwhelmed; we gasp for air as we navigate our fast-paced days with our many responsibilities. Your clock radio may awaken you to the news of suicide bombers and the latest horric crimes in your community. You go to class to learn something you hope you can apply to real life, but you often nd the material irrelevant. Just as you settle in to write a paper for class, one of your children falls and breaks her leg, changing your plans for days to come. You get to your