Leadership

Module code: MN7627

Leadership is not easy to define, let alone isolate, measure and study.  Indeed, even influential leadership academics have admitted that robust, empirical evidence in the field of leadership can sometimes be embarrassingly scarce.

One could argue that leadership issues are at the heart of the big problems facing humanity today, as well as their solutions.  The growing global environmental crisis, economic and financial problems, poverty, war, natural disasters, disease and epidemics all demand outstanding leadership (and followership) for their solutions. These complex problems will require wisdom, initiative and motivation as well as much cooperation to achieve the implementation of coordinated, global solutions.

In business, leadership is being increasingly seen as a potential source of competitive advantage.  We see the word leadership mentioned in the requirements of many job adverts or job descriptions, and leadership development is now a global multi-billion dollar industry.  Indeed, some argue that everything rises or falls on leadership – whether it is a sports team, a business or even a country.  For example, if a sports team is consistently failing, the response is often to replace the manager.

But is leadership simply about the leader? Or is leadership a complex process and a relationship between (1) the leader (or leaders), (2) the individual members of the group or team, (3) the team as a whole, and (4) the team’s goal or objective, whatever that is? Also, does leadership only reside in the appointed leader, or can leadership be shared and displayed by different members of the team at different organisational levels, at different times? These are some of the issues that we shall explore in this module.