Of the 35+ leadership theories in current circulation, transformational leadership is the one nearest and dearest to my heart due to its focus on leadership ethics. But transformational leadership is also the most misunderstood theory, because many fail to realize that it’s not just about having a charismatic leader or an altruistic vision statement.
Tag Archives: leadership development
Is Leadership Different from Management?
The study of leadership is ancient, as old as Greek philosophy and the earliest Hindu, Daoist, and Confucian scriptures. In contrast, the study of management is new, beginning shortly after the advent of the industrial revolution. But ever since, the study of management has proliferated like wildfire, eclipsing the study of leadership by orders of magnitude in frequency and reach. Naturally this raises the question as to whether the subjects are substantively different rather than different words for the same thing.
Read MoreThe Four-V Model of Ethical Leadership
When it comes to leadership development models, one thing’s for sure: there’s no shortage. We have the great man, behavioral, situational, transactional, transformational, transforming, diamond, authentic, principled, adaptive, directive, supportive, group-centered, team-based, participative, servant and, let us never forget—the one-minute!
Many of these models broach the subject of ethics in leadership.1,2,3 Usually it’s relegated to a subsection of the related book or article, sometimes a chapter. The Four-V Model of Ethical Leadership is different in this regard. Ethics is not an aspect of the model. It’s the whole enchilada, the model’s ends and its means. According to the Four-V model, ethics is the sine qua non of leadership, and an unethical leader is a contradiction in terms.
Read More