leadership research essay

• Browse All Articles
• Newsletter Sign-Up

Leadership →

• 02 Jul 2024

Five Essential Elements to Build the Capital You Need to Lead

The path to leadership can seem unclear in competitive organizations. In the book The Treasure You Seek, Archie L. Jones offers a roadmap to help aspiring leaders discover their strengths, communicate effectively, and build meaningful connections.

• 11 Jun 2024
• In Practice

The Harvard Business School Faculty Summer Reader 2024

What's on your vacation reading list? Harvard Business School faculty members plan to explore not only sober themes, such as philosophy and climate policy, but classic mysteries and hip-hop history.

• 01 May 2024
• What Do You Think?

Have You Had Enough?

James Heskett has been asking readers, “What do you think?” for 24 years on a wide variety of management topics. In this farewell column, Heskett reflects on the changing leadership landscape and thanks his readers for consistently weighing in over the years. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

• 26 Apr 2024

Deion Sanders' Prime Lessons for Leading a Team to Victory

The former star athlete known for flash uses unglamorous command-and-control methods to get results as a college football coach. Business leaders can learn 10 key lessons from the way 'Coach Prime' builds a culture of respect and discipline without micromanaging, says Hise Gibson.

• 26 Mar 2024
• Cold Call Podcast

How Do Great Leaders Overcome Adversity?

In the spring of 2021, Raymond Jefferson (MBA 2000) applied for a job in President Joseph Biden’s administration. Ten years earlier, false allegations were used to force him to resign from his prior US government position as assistant secretary of labor for veterans’ employment and training in the Department of Labor. Two employees had accused him of ethical violations in hiring and procurement decisions, including pressuring subordinates into extending contracts to his alleged personal associates. The Deputy Secretary of Labor gave Jefferson four hours to resign or be terminated. Jefferson filed a federal lawsuit against the US government to clear his name, which he pursued for eight years at the expense of his entire life savings. Why, after such a traumatic and debilitating experience, would Jefferson want to pursue a career in government again? Harvard Business School Senior Lecturer Anthony Mayo explores Jefferson’s personal and professional journey from upstate New York to West Point to the Obama administration, how he faced adversity at several junctures in his life, and how resilience and vulnerability shaped his leadership style in the case, "Raymond Jefferson: Trial by Fire."

• 24 Jan 2024

Why Boeing’s Problems with the 737 MAX Began More Than 25 Years Ago

Aggressive cost cutting and rocky leadership changes have eroded the culture at Boeing, a company once admired for its engineering rigor, says Bill George. What will it take to repair the reputational damage wrought by years of crises involving its 737 MAX?

• 02 Jan 2024

Do Boomerang CEOs Get a Bad Rap?

Several companies have brought back formerly successful CEOs in hopes of breathing new life into their organizations—with mixed results. But are we even measuring the boomerang CEOs' performance properly? asks James Heskett. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

• Research & Ideas

10 Trends to Watch in 2024

Employees may seek new approaches to balance, even as leaders consider whether to bring more teams back to offices or make hybrid work even more flexible. These are just a few trends that Harvard Business School faculty members will be following during a year when staffing, climate, and inclusion will likely remain top of mind.

• 12 Dec 2023

Can Sustainability Drive Innovation at Ferrari?

When Ferrari, the Italian luxury sports car manufacturer, committed to achieving carbon neutrality and to electrifying a large part of its car fleet, investors and employees applauded the new strategy. But among the company’s suppliers, the reaction was mixed. Many were nervous about how this shift would affect their bottom lines. Professor Raffaella Sadun and Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna discuss how Ferrari collaborated with suppliers to work toward achieving the company’s goal. They also explore how sustainability can be a catalyst for innovation in the case, “Ferrari: Shifting to Carbon Neutrality.” This episode was recorded live December 4, 2023 in front of a remote studio audience in the Live Online Classroom at Harvard Business School.

• 05 Dec 2023

Lessons in Decision-Making: Confident People Aren't Always Correct (Except When They Are)

A study of 70,000 decisions by Thomas Graeber and Benjamin Enke finds that self-assurance doesn't necessarily reflect skill. Shrewd decision-making often comes down to how well a person understands the limits of their knowledge. How can managers identify and elevate their best decision-makers?

• 21 Nov 2023

The Beauty Industry: Products for a Healthy Glow or a Compact for Harm?

Many cosmetics and skincare companies present an image of social consciousness and transformative potential, while profiting from insecurity and excluding broad swaths of people. Geoffrey Jones examines the unsightly reality of the beauty industry.

• 14 Nov 2023

Do We Underestimate the Importance of Generosity in Leadership?

Management experts applaud leaders who are, among other things, determined, humble, and frugal, but rarely consider whether they are generous. However, executives who share their time, talent, and ideas often give rise to legendary organizations. Does generosity merit further consideration? asks James Heskett. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

• 24 Oct 2023

From P.T. Barnum to Mary Kay: Lessons From 5 Leaders Who Changed the World

What do Steve Jobs and Sarah Breedlove have in common? Through a series of case studies, Robert Simons explores the unique qualities of visionary leaders and what today's managers can learn from their journeys.

• 06 Oct 2023

Yes, You Can Radically Change Your Organization in One Week

Skip the committees and the multi-year roadmap. With the right conditions, leaders can confront even complex organizational problems in one week. Frances Frei and Anne Morriss explain how in their book Move Fast and Fix Things.

• 26 Sep 2023

The PGA Tour and LIV Golf Merger: Competition vs. Cooperation

On June 9, 2022, the first LIV Golf event teed off outside of London. The new tour offered players larger prizes, more flexibility, and ambitions to attract new fans to the sport. Immediately following the official start of that tournament, the PGA Tour announced that all 17 PGA Tour players participating in the LIV Golf event were suspended and ineligible to compete in PGA Tour events. Tensions between the two golf entities continued to rise, as more players “defected” to LIV. Eventually LIV Golf filed an antitrust lawsuit accusing the PGA Tour of anticompetitive practices, and the Department of Justice launched an investigation. Then, in a dramatic turn of events, LIV Golf and the PGA Tour announced that they were merging. Harvard Business School assistant professor Alexander MacKay discusses the competitive, antitrust, and regulatory issues at stake and whether or not the PGA Tour took the right actions in response to LIV Golf’s entry in his case, “LIV Golf.”

• 01 Aug 2023

As Leaders, Why Do We Continue to Reward A, While Hoping for B?

Companies often encourage the bad behavior that executives publicly rebuke—usually in pursuit of short-term performance. What keeps leaders from truly aligning incentives and goals? asks James Heskett. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

• 05 Jul 2023

What Kind of Leader Are You? How Three Action Orientations Can Help You Meet the Moment

Executives who confront new challenges with old formulas often fail. The best leaders tailor their approach, recalibrating their "action orientation" to address the problem at hand, says Ryan Raffaelli. He details three action orientations and how leaders can harness them.

How Are Middle Managers Falling Down Most Often on Employee Inclusion?

Companies are struggling to retain employees from underrepresented groups, many of whom don't feel heard in the workplace. What do managers need to do to build truly inclusive teams? asks James Heskett. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

• 14 Jun 2023

Every Company Should Have These Leaders—or Develop Them if They Don't

Companies need T-shaped leaders, those who can share knowledge across the organization while focusing on their business units, but they should be a mix of visionaries and tacticians. Hise Gibson breaks down the nuances of each leader and how companies can cultivate this talent among their ranks.

Four Steps to Building the Psychological Safety That High-Performing Teams Need

Struggling to spark strategic risk-taking and creative thinking? In the post-pandemic workplace, teams need psychological safety more than ever, and a new analysis by Amy Edmondson highlights the best ways to nurture it.

• A-Z Publications

Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior

Volume 9, 2022, review article, the science of leadership: a theoretical model and research agenda.

• Andrew M. Carton 1
• View Affiliations Hide Affiliations Affiliations: Management Department, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; email: [email protected]
• Vol. 9:61-93 (Volume publication date January 2022) https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-012420-091227
• First published as a Review in Advance on November 10, 2021
• Copyright © 2022 by Annual Reviews. All rights reserved

I review the empirical literature on leadership, focusing on papers published since 2010. To do so, I introduce a framework composed of two features: whether theories ( a ) involve the study of leaders or leading (i.e., the person versus the process) and ( b ) conceptualize leadership as a cause or a consequence (i.e., an independent versus dependent variable). This framework can enable future research to accumulate in a more programmatic fashion and help scholars determine where their own studies are located within the landscape of leadership research. I end the review by critically evaluating existing work, arguing that the most popular subcategory of leadership research—lumped conceptualizations of leading, in which scholars examine multiple leader behaviors within a single construct—has significant limitations and may need to be replaced by a greater focus on split conceptualizations of leading, wherein scholars isolate single leader behaviors.

Article metrics loading...

Full text loading...

Literature Cited

• Alvesson M , Einola K 2019 . Warning for excessive positivity: authentic leadership and other traps in leadership studies. Leadersh. Q. 30 : 4 383– 95 [Google Scholar]
• Amundsen S , Martinsen ØL 2014 . Empowering leadership: construct clarification conceptualization and validation of a new scale. Leadersh. Q. 25 : 3 487– 511 [Google Scholar]
• Antonakis J , Bastardoz N , Jacquart P , Shamir B 2016 . Charisma: an ill-defined and ill-measured gift. Annu. Rev. Organ. Psychol. Organ. Behav. 3 : 292– 319 [Google Scholar]
• Antonakis J , House RJ , Simonton DK. 2017 . Can super smart leaders suffer from too much of a good thing? The curvilinear effect of intelligence on perceived leadership behavior. J. Appl. Psychol. 102 : 7 1003– 21 [Google Scholar]
• Ashford SJ , Sitkin SB 2019 . From problems to progress: a dialogue on prevailing issues in leadership research. Leadersh. Q. 30 : 4 454– 60 [Google Scholar]
• Ashford SJ , Wellman N , Sully de Luque M , De Stobbeleir KE , Wollan M 2018 . Two roads to effectiveness: CEO feedback seeking vision articulation and firm performance. J. Organ. Behav. 39 : 1 82– 95 [Google Scholar]
• Badura KL , Grijalva E , Galvin BM , Owens BP , Joseph DL. 2020 . Motivation to lead: a meta-analysis and distal-proximal model of motivation and leadership. J. Appl. Psychol. 105 : 4 331– 54 [Google Scholar]
• Balkundi P , Kilduff M , Harrison DA 2011 . Centrality and charisma: comparing how leader networks and attributions affect team performance. J. Appl. Psychol. 96 : 6 1209– 22 [Google Scholar]
• Bass BM , Avolio BJ. 1994 . Improving Organizational Effectiveness Through Transformational Leadership Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage [Google Scholar]
• Bedeian AG , Hunt JG. 2006 . Academic amnesia and vestigial assumptions of our forefathers. Leadersh. Q. 17 : 2 190– 205 [Google Scholar]
• Bedi A , Alpaslan CM , Green S. 2016 . A meta-analytic review of ethical leadership outcomes and moderators. J. Bus. Ethics 139 : 3 517– 36 [Google Scholar]
• Brands RA , Menges JI , Kilduff M. 2015 . The leader-in-social-network schema: perceptions of network structure affect gendered attributions of charisma. Organ. Sci. 26 : 4 1210– 25 [Google Scholar]
• Breevaart K , Zacher H. 2019 . Main and interactive effects of weekly transformational and laissez-faire leadership on followers’ trust in the leader and leader effectiveness. J. Occup. Organ. Psychol. 92 : 2 384– 409 [Google Scholar]
• Burns JM. 1978 . Leadership . New York: Harper and Row [Google Scholar]
• Carton AM. 2018 .. “ I'm not mopping the floors, I'm putting a man on the moon”: how NASA leaders enhanced the meaningfulness of work by changing the meaning of work. Adm. Sci. Q. 63 : 2 323– 69 [Google Scholar]
• Carton AM , Lucas BJ. 2018 . How can leaders overcome the blurry vision bias? Identifying an antidote to the paradox of vision communication. Acad. Manag. J. 61 : 6 2106– 29 [Google Scholar]
• Carton AM , Murphy C , Clark JR 2014 . A (blurry) vision of the future: how leader rhetoric about ultimate goals influences performance. Acad. Manag. J. 57 : 6 1544– 70 [Google Scholar]
• Carton AM , Rosette AS. 2011 . Explaining bias against black leaders: integrating theory on information processing and goal-based stereotyping. Acad. Manag. J. 54 : 6 1141– 58 [Google Scholar]
• Chatterjee A , Hambrick DC 2011 . Executive personality, capability cues, and risk taking: how narcissistic CEOs react to their successes and stumbles. Admin. Sci. Q. 56 : 2 202– 37 [Google Scholar]
• Chang D , Johnson RE 2010 . Not all leader–member exchanges are created equal: importance of leader relational identity. Leadersh. Q. 21 : 5 796– 808 [Google Scholar]
• Chen G , Sharma PN , Edinger SK , Shapiro DL , Farh JL. 2011 . Motivating and demotivating forces in teams: cross-level influences of empowering leadership and relationship conflict. J. Appl. Psychol. 96 : 3 541– 57 [Google Scholar]
• Chen J , Nadkarni S. 2017 . It's about time! CEOs’ temporal dispositions temporal leadership and corporate entrepreneurship. Adm. Sci. Q. 62 : 1 31– 66 [Google Scholar]
• Chen Z , Zhu J , Zhou M. 2015 . How does a servant leader fuel the service fire? A multilevel model of servant leadership, individual self identity, group competition climate, and customer service performance. J. Appl. Psychol. 100 : 2 511– 21 [Google Scholar]
• Cheong M , Yammarino FJ , Dionne SD , Spain SM , Tsai CY. 2019 . A review of the effectiveness of empowering leadership. Leadersh. Q. 30 : 1 34– 58 [Google Scholar]
• Chiu CYC , Balkundi P , Weinberg FJ. 2017 . When managers become leaders: the role of manager network centralities, social power, and followers' perception of leadership. Leadersh. Q. 28 : 2 334– 48 [Google Scholar]
• Colbert AE , Witt LA. 2009 . The role of goal-focused leadership in enabling the expression of conscientiousness. J. Appl. Psychol. 94 : 3 790– 96 [Google Scholar]
• Cronbach LJ , Gleser GC. 1957 . Psychological Tests and Personnel Decisions Champaign: Univ. Ill. Press [Google Scholar]
• Day DV. 2000 . Leadership development: a review in context. Leadersh. Q. 11 : 4 581– 613 [Google Scholar]
• Day DV , Dragoni L. 2015 . Leadership development: an outcome-oriented review based on time and levels of analyses. Annu. Rev. Organ. Psychol. Organ. Behav. 2 : 133– 56 [Google Scholar]
• Day DV , Sin HP. 2011 . Longitudinal tests of an integrative model of leader development: charting and understanding developmental trajectories. Leadersh. Q. 22 : 3 545– 60 [Google Scholar]
• Den Hartog DN 2015 . Ethical leadership. Annu. Rev. Organ. Psychol. Organ. Behav. 2 : 409– 34 [Google Scholar]
• DeRue DS , Ashford SJ. 2010 . Who will lead and who will follow? A social process of leadership identity construction in organizations. Acad. Manag. Rev. 35 : 4 627– 47 [Google Scholar]
• DeRue DS , Nahrgang JD , Ashford SJ. 2015 . Interpersonal perceptions and the emergence of leadership structures in groups: a network perspective. Organ. Sci. 26 : 4 1192– 1209 [Google Scholar]
• DeRue DS , Nahrgang JD , Hollenbeck JR , Workman K. 2012 . A quasi-experimental study of after-event reviews and leadership development. J. Appl. Psychol. 97 : 5 997– 1015 [Google Scholar]
• DeRue DS , Nahrgang JD , Wellman E , Humphrey SE 2011 . Trait and behavioral theories of leadership: an integration and meta-analytic test of their relative validity. Pers. Psychol. 64 : 1 7– 52 [Google Scholar]
• Dinh JE , Lord RG. 2012 . Implications of dispositional and process views of traits for individual difference research in leadership. Leadersh. Q. 23 : 4 651– 69 [Google Scholar]
• Eisenberger R , Karagonlar G , Stinglhamber F , Neves P , Becker TE et al. 2010 . Leader–member exchange and affective organizational commitment: the contribution of supervisor's organizational embodiment. J. Appl. Psychol. 95 : 6 1085– 1103 [Google Scholar]
• Emrich CG , Brower HH , Feldman JM , Garland H. 2001 . Images in words: presidential rhetoric, charisma, and greatness. Adm. Sci. Q. 46 : 3 527– 57 [Google Scholar]
• Epitropaki O , Martin R. 2004 . Implicit leadership theories in applied settings: factor structure, generalizability, and stability over time. J. Appl. Psychol. 89 : 2 293– 310 [Google Scholar]
• Feng JM , Liu SS , Wu KJ , Wang HC. 2014 . A review of the literature of humble leadership. Foreign Econ. Manag. 36 : 38– 48 [Google Scholar]
• Foti RJ , Hansbrough TK , Epitropaki O , Coyle PT 2017 . Dynamic viewpoints on implicit leadership and followership theories: approaches, findings, and future directions. Leadersh. Q. 28 : 2 261– 67 [Google Scholar]
• Foulk TA , Lanaj K , Tu MH , Erez A , Archambeau L 2018 . Heavy is the head that wears the crown: an actor-centric approach to daily psychological power, abusive leader behavior, and perceived incivility. Acad. Manag. J. 61 : 2 661– 84 [Google Scholar]
• Gabriel AS , Lanaj K , Jennings RE. 2020 . Is one the loneliest number? A within-person examination of the adaptive and maladaptive consequences of leader loneliness at work. J. Appl. Psychol. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000838 . In press [Crossref] [Google Scholar]
• Gardner WL , Cogliser CC , Davis KM , Dickens MP. 2011 . Authentic leadership: a review of the literature and research agenda. Leadersh. Q. 22 : 6 1120– 45 [Google Scholar]
• Gary MS , Yang MM , Yetton PW , Sterman JD. 2017 . Stretch goals and the distribution of organizational performance. Organ. Sci. 28 : 3 395– 410 [Google Scholar]
• Gerpott FH , Lehmann-Willenbrock N , Voelpel SC , Van Vugt M. 2019 . It's not just what is said but when it's said: a temporal account of verbal behaviors and emergent leadership in self-managed teams. Acad. Manag. J. 62 : 3 717– 38 [Google Scholar]
• Glynn MA , Raffaelli R. 2010 . Uncovering mechanisms of theory development in an academic field: lessons from leadership research. Acad. Manag. Ann. 4 : 1 359– 401 [Google Scholar]
• Gobet F. 2005 . Chunking models of expertise: implications for education. Appl. Cogn. Psychol. 19 : 2 183– 204 [Google Scholar]
• Gottfredson RK , Wright SL , Heaphy ED 2020 . A critique of the Leader-Member Exchange construct: Back to square one. Leadersh. Q. 31 : 6 101385 [Google Scholar]
• Grant AM. 2012 . Leading with meaning: beneficiary contact, prosocial impact, and the performance effects of transformational leadership. Acad. Manag. J. 55 : 2 458– 76 [Google Scholar]
• Grant AM , Gino F , Hofmann DA 2011 . Reversing the extroverted leadership advantage: the role of employee proactivity. Acad. Manag. J. 54 : 3 528– 50 [Google Scholar]
• Gravetter FJ , Forzano LAB. 2011 . Research Methods for the Behavioral Sciences Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. , 4th ed.. [Google Scholar]
• Griffin MA , Parker SK , Mason CM 2010 . Leader vision and the development of adaptive and proactive performance: a longitudinal study. J. Appl. Psychol. 95 : 1 174– 82 [Google Scholar]
• Guillén L , Mayo M , Korotov K. 2015 . Is leadership a part of me? A leader identity approach to understanding the motivation to lead. Leadersh. Q. 26 : 5 802– 20 [Google Scholar]
• Gündemir S , Carton AM , Homan AC. 2019 . The impact of organizational performance on the emergence of Asian American leaders. J. Appl. Psychol. 104 : 1 107– 22 [Google Scholar]
• Gupta A , Misangyi VF. 2018 . Follow the leader (or not): the influence of peer CEOs’ characteristics on interorganizational imitation. Strateg. Manag. J. 39 : 5 1437– 72 [Google Scholar]
• Hall RJ , Lord RG , Foster KE. 2009 . Considerations in applying the social relations model to the study of leadership emergence in groups: a leadership categorization perspective. Multi-Level Issues in Organizational Behavior and Leadership Bingley, UK: Emerald Group [Google Scholar]
• Heath C , Heath D. 2007 . Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die New York: Random House [Google Scholar]
• Hogg MA , van Knippenberg D , Rast DE III 2012 . The social identity theory of leadership: theoretical origins, research findings, and conceptual developments. Eur. Rev. Soc. Psychol. 23 : 1 258– 304 [Google Scholar]
• Hollenbeck JR , Beersma B , Schouten ME. 2012 . Beyond team types and taxonomies: a dimensional scaling conceptualization for team description. Acad. Manag. Rev. 37 : 1 82– 106 [Google Scholar]
• House RJ. 1996 . Path-goal theory of leadership: lessons legacy and a reformulated theory. Leadersh. Q. 7 : 3 323– 52 [Google Scholar]
• Hu J , Erdogan B , Jiang K , Bauer TN , Liu S. 2018 . Leader humility and team creativity: the role of team information sharing, psychological safety, and power distance. J. Appl. Psychol. 103 : 3 313– 23 [Google Scholar]
• Hu J , Liden RC. 2011 . Antecedents of team potency and team effectiveness: an examination of goal and process clarity and servant leadership. J. Appl. Psychol. 96 : 4 851– 62 [Google Scholar]
• Hunt JG. 1999 . Transformational/charismatic leadership's transformation of the field: an historical essay. Leadersh. Q. 10 : 2 129– 44 [Google Scholar]
• Jackson EM , Johnson RE 2012 . When opposites do (and do not) attract: interplay of leader and follower self-identities and its consequences for leader–member exchange. Leadersh. Q. 23 : 3 488– 501 [Google Scholar]
• Johnson MK , Rowatt WC , Petrini L. 2011 . A new trait on the market: Honesty–Humility as a unique predictor of job performance ratings. Pers. Individ. Differ. 50 : 6 857– 62 [Google Scholar]
• Johnson RE , King DD , Lin SHJ , Scott BA , Walker EMJ , Wang M. 2017 . Regulatory focus trickle-down: how leader regulatory focus and behavior shape follower regulatory focus. Organ. Behav. Hum. Decis. Process. 140 : 29– 45 [Google Scholar]
• Johnson RE , Venus M , Lanaj K , Mao C , Chang CH 2012 . Leader identity as an antecedent of the frequency and consistency of transformational consideration and abusive leadership behaviors. J. Appl. Psychol. 97 : 6 1262– 72 [Google Scholar]
• Judge TA , Bono JE , Ilies R , Gerhardt MW 2002 . Personality and leadership: a qualitative and quantitative review. J. Appl. Psychol. 87 : 4 765– 80 [Google Scholar]
• Judge TA , Piccolo RF , Ilies R. 2004 . The forgotten ones? The validity of consideration and initiating structure in leadership research. J. Appl. Psychol. 89 : 1 36– 51 [Google Scholar]
• Kalshoven K , Den Hartog DN , De Hoogh AH 2011 . Ethical leadership at work questionnaire (ELW): development and validation of a multidimensional measure. Leadersh. Q. 22 : 1 51– 69 [Google Scholar]
• Kearney E , Shemla M , van Knippenberg D , Scholz FA. 2019 . A paradox perspective on the interactive effects of visionary and empowering leadership. Organ. Behav. Hum. Decis. Process. 155 : 20– 30 [Google Scholar]
• Kenny DA , Livi S. 2009 . A componential analysis of leadership using the social relations model. Multi-Level Issues in Organizational Behavior and Leadership Bingley, UK: Emerald Group [Google Scholar]
• Kenny DA , Zaccaro SJ. 1983 . An estimate of variance due to traits in leadership. J. Appl. Psychol. 68 : 4 678– 85 [Google Scholar]
• Kim Y. 2018 . Enhancing employee communication behaviors for sensemaking and sensegiving in crisis situations: strategic management approach for effective internal crisis communication. J. Commun. Manag. 22 : 4 451– 75 [Google Scholar]
• Kniffin KM , Detert JR , Leroy HL. 2020 . On leading and managing: synonyms or separate (and unequal)?. Acad. Manag. Discov. 6 : 4 544– 71 [Google Scholar]
• Koenig AM , Eagly AH , Mitchell AA , Ristikari T. 2011 . Are leader stereotypes masculine? A meta-analysis of three research paradigms. Psychol. Bull. 137 : 4 616– 42 [Google Scholar]
• Kozlowski SWJ , Klein KJ 2000 . A multilevel approach to theory and research in organizations: contextual, temporal, and emergent processes. Multilevel Theory, Research, and Methods in Organizations: Foundations, Extensions, and New Directions KJ Klein, SWJ Kozlowski 3– 90 San Francisco: Jossey-Bass [Google Scholar]
• Kozlowski SWJ , Mak S , Chao GT. 2016 . Team-centric leadership: an integrative review. Annu. Rev. Organ. Psychol. Organ. Behav. 3 : 21– 54 [Google Scholar]
• Kwok N , Hanig S , Brown DJ , Shen W. 2018 . How leader role identity influences the process of leader emergence: a social network analysis. Leadersh. Q. 29 : 6 648– 62 [Google Scholar]
• Lacerenza CN , Reyes DL , Marlow SL , Joseph DL , Salas E 2017 . Leadership training design delivery and implementation: a meta-analysis. J. Appl. Psychol. 102 : 12 1686– 1718 [Google Scholar]
• Lam W , Lee C , Taylor MS , Zhao HH 2018 . Does proactive personality matter in leadership transitions? Effects of proactive personality on new leader identification and responses to new leaders and their change agendas. Acad. Manag. J. 61 : 1 245– 63 [Google Scholar]
• Lanaj K , Hollenbeck JR. 2015 . Leadership over-emergence in self-managing teams: the role of gender and countervailing biases. Acad. Manag. J. 58 : 5 1476– 94 [Google Scholar]
• Landay K , Harms PD , Credé M. 2019 . Shall we serve the dark lords? A meta-analytic review of psychopathy and leadership. J. Appl. Psychol. 104 : 1 183– 96 [Google Scholar]
• Latham GP , Pinder CC. 2005 . Work motivation theory and research at the dawn of the twenty-first century. Annu. Rev. Psychol. 56 : 485– 516 [Google Scholar]
• Lemoine GJ , Blum TC , Roman PM. 2016 . Detrimental effects of “stretch” goals in specialty substance use disorder treatment organizations. J. Subst. Abuse Treat. 64 : 13– 23 [Google Scholar]
• Lepisto D. 2021 . Ritual work and the formation of a shared sense of meaningfulness. Acad. Manag. J. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2018.0854 . In press [Crossref] [Google Scholar]
• Leslie LM , Manchester CF , Dahm PC. 2017 . Why and when does the gender gap reverse? Diversity goals and the pay premium for high potential women. Acad. Manag. J. 60 : 2 402– 32 [Google Scholar]
• Lewis A , Clark J 2020 . Dreams within a dream: multiple visions and organizational structure. J. Organ. Behav. 41 : 1 50– 76 [Google Scholar]
• Li WD , Li S , Feng JJ , Wang M , Zhang H , Frese M , Wu CH 2020 . Can becoming a leader change your personality? An investigation with two longitudinal studies from a role-based perspective. J. Appl. Psychol. 106 : 6 882– 902 [Google Scholar]
• Liberman N , Trope Y. 1998 . The role of feasibility and desirability considerations in near and distant future decisions: a test of temporal construal theory. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 75 : 1 5– 18 [Google Scholar]
• Liden RC , Anand S , Vidyarthi P. 2016 . Dyadic relationships. Annu. Rev. Organ. Psychol. Organ. Behav. 3 : 139– 66 [Google Scholar]
• Liden RC , Wayne SJ , Liao C , Meuser JD. 2014 . Servant leadership and serving culture: influence on individual and unit performance. Acad. Manag. J. 57 : 5 1434– 52 [Google Scholar]
• Lin SHJ , Ma J , Johnson RE. 2016 . When ethical leader behavior breaks bad: how ethical leader behavior can turn abusive via ego depletion and moral licensing. J. Appl. Psychol. 101 : 6 815– 30 [Google Scholar]
• Liu H , Chiang JTJ , Fehr R , Xu M , Wang S. 2017 . How do leaders react when treated unfairly? Leader narcissism and self-interested behavior in response to unfair treatment. J. Appl. Psychol. 102 : 11 1590– 99 [Google Scholar]
• Locke EA. 1999 . The Essence of Leadership: The Four Keys to Leading Successfully Washington, DC: Lexington Books [Google Scholar]
• Lord RG , Brown DJ. 2001 . Leadership values and subordinate self-concepts. Leadersh. Q. 12 : 2 133– 52 [Google Scholar]
• Lord RG , Epitropaki O , Foti RJ , Hansbrough TK. 2020 . Implicit leadership theories, implicit followership theories, and dynamic processing of leadership information. . Annu. Rev. Organ. Psychol. Organ. Behav. 7 : 49– 74 [Google Scholar]
• Lord RG , Foti RJ , De Vader CL. 1984 . A test of leadership categorization theory: internal structure information processing and leadership perceptions. Organ. Behav. Hum. Perform. 34 : 3 343– 78 [Google Scholar]
• Lord RG , Gatti P , Chui SL. 2016 . Social-cognitive relational and identity-based approaches to leadership. Organ. Behav. Hum. Decis. Process. 136 : 119– 34 [Google Scholar]
• Lorinkova NM , Pearsall MJ , Sims HP Jr 2013 . Examining the differential longitudinal performance of directive versus empowering leadership in teams. Acad. Manag. J. 56 : 2 573– 96 [Google Scholar]
• Lyness KS , Grotto AR. 2018 . Women and leadership in the United States: Are we closing the gender gap?. Annu. Rev. Organ. Psychol. Organ. Behav. 5 : 227– 65 [Google Scholar]
• MacCallum R , Browne MW. 1993 . The use of causal indicators in covariance structure models: some practical issues. Psychol. Bull. 114 : 533– 41 [Google Scholar]
• MacLaren NG , Yammarino FJ , Dionne SD , Sayama H , Mumford MD et al. 2020 . Testing the babble hypothesis: Speaking time predicts leader emergence in small groups. Leadersh. Q. 31 : 5 101409 [Google Scholar]
• Macrae CN , Bodenhausen GV. 2000 . Social cognition: thinking categorically about others. Annu. Rev. Psychol. 51 : 93– 120 [Google Scholar]
• Marinova SV , Moon H , Kamdar D 2013 . Getting ahead or getting along? The two-facet conceptualization of conscientiousness and leadership emergence. Organ. Sci. 24 : 4 1257– 76 [Google Scholar]
• Martin SR , Côté S , Woodruff T 2016 . Echoes of our upbringing: how growing up wealthy or poor relates to narcissism leader behavior and leader effectiveness. Acad. Manag. J. 59 : 6 2157– 77 [Google Scholar]
• Mayer DM , Nurmohamed S , Treviño LK , Shapiro DL , Schminke M. 2013 . Encouraging employees to report unethical conduct internally: It takes a village. Organ. Behav. Hum. Decis. Process. 121 : 1 89– 103 [Google Scholar]
• McClean EJ , Martin SR , Emich KJ , Woodruff CT. 2018 . The social consequences of voice: an examination of voice type and gender on status and subsequent leader emergence. Acad. Manag. J. 61 : 5 1869– 91 [Google Scholar]
• McClean ST , Barnes CM , Courtright SH , Johnson RE. 2019 . Resetting the clock on dynamic leader behaviors: a conceptual integration and agenda for future research. Acad. Manag. Ann. 13 : 2 479– 508 [Google Scholar]
• Meindl JR. 1995 . The romance of leadership as a follower-centric theory: a social constructionist approach. Leadersh. Q. 6 : 3 329– 41 [Google Scholar]
• Miscenko D , Guenter H , Day DV. 2017 . Am I a leader? Examining leader identity development over time. Leadersh. Q. 28 : 5 605– 20 [Google Scholar]
• Ones DS , Viswesvaran C. 1996 . Bandwidth–fidelity dilemma in personality measurement for personnel selection. J. Organ. Behav. 17 : 6 609– 26 [Google Scholar]
• Ou AY , Tsui AS , Kinicki AJ , Waldman DA , Xiao Z , Song LJ 2014 . Humble chief executive officers’ connections to top management team integration and middle managers’ responses. Adm. Sci. Q. 59 : 1 34– 72 [Google Scholar]
• Ouchi WG. 1980 . Markets, bureaucracies, and clans. Adm. Sci. Q. 25 : 1 129– 41 [Google Scholar]
• Owens BP , Johnson MD , Mitchell TR 2013 . Expressed humility in organizations: implications for performance teams and leadership. Organ. Sci. 24 : 5 1517– 38 [Google Scholar]
• Park SH , Westphal JD. 2013 . Social discrimination in the corporate elite: how status affects the propensity for minority CEOs to receive blame for low firm performance. Adm. Sci. Q. 58 : 4 542– 86 [Google Scholar]
• Paustian-Underdahl SC , Walker LS , Woehr DJ 2014 . Gender and perceptions of leadership effectiveness: a meta-analysis of contextual moderators. J. Appl. Psychol. 99 : 6 1129– 45 [Google Scholar]
• Pearce CL , Wassenaar CL , Berson Y , Tuval-Mashiach R. 2019 . Toward a theory of meta-paradoxical leadership. Organ. Behav. Hum. Decis. Process. 155 : 31– 41 [Google Scholar]
• Petriglieri G , Stein M. 2012 . The unwanted self: projective identification in leaders’ identity work. Organ. Stud. 33 : 9 1217– 35 [Google Scholar]
• Pfeffer J. 1977 . The ambiguity of leadership. Acad. Manag. Rev. 2 : 1 104– 12 [Google Scholar]
• Podsakoff PM , MacKenzie SB , Lee JY , Podsakoff NP 2003 . Common method biases in behavioral research: a critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. J. Appl. Psychol. 88 : 5 879– 903 [Google Scholar]
• Qin X , Chen C , Yam KC , Huang M , Ju D. 2020 . The double-edged sword of leader humility: investigating when and why leader humility promotes versus inhibits subordinate deviance. J. Appl. Psychol. 105 : 7 693– 712 [Google Scholar]
• Rosette AS , Leonardelli GJ , Phillips KW. 2008 . The White standard: racial bias in leader categorization. J. Appl. Psychol. 93 : 4 758– 77 [Google Scholar]
• Rosette AS , Tost LP 2010 . Agentic women and communal leadership: how role prescriptions confer advantage to top women leaders. J. Appl. Psychol. 95 : 2 221– 35 [Google Scholar]
• Ryan MK , Haslam SA , Hersby MD , Bongiorno R. 2011 . Think crisis–think female: the glass cliff and contextual variation in the think manager–think male stereotype. J. Appl. Psychol. 96 : 3 470– 84 [Google Scholar]
• Ryan RM , Deci EL. 2000 . Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: classic definitions and new directions. Contemp. Educ. Psychol. 25 : 1 54– 67 [Google Scholar]
• Schaubroeck JM , Hannah ST , Avolio BJ , Kozlowski SWJ , Lord RG et al. 2012 . Embedding ethical leadership within and across organization levels. Acad. Manag. J. 55 : 5 1053– 78 [Google Scholar]
• Schilpzand P , Houston L , Cho J 2018 . Not too tired to be proactive: daily empowering leadership spurs next-morning employee proactivity as moderated by nightly sleep quality. Acad. Manag. J. 61 : 6 2367– 87 [Google Scholar]
• Schlenker BR , Weigold MF 1989 . Goals and the self-identification process: constructing desired identities. Goal Concepts in Personality and Social Psychology LA Pervin 243– 90 Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum [Google Scholar]
• Shao Y , Nijstad BA , Täuber S. 2019 . Creativity under workload pressure and integrative complexity: the double-edged sword of paradoxical leadership. Organ. Behav. Hum. Decis. Process. 155 : 7– 19 [Google Scholar]
• Shondrick SJ , Lord RG 2010 . Implicit leadership and followership theories: Dynamic structures for leadership perceptions, memory, and leader-follower processes. Int. Rev. Ind. Organ. Psychol. 25 : 1– 33 [Google Scholar]
• Sluss D , Ployhart RE , Cobb MG , Ashforth BE. 2012 . Generalizing newcomers' relational and organizational identifications: processes and prototypicality. Acad. Manag. J. 55 : 4 949– 75 [Google Scholar]
• Stam D , Lord RG , Knippenberg DV , Wisse B. 2014 . An image of who we might become: vision communication, possible selves, and vision pursuit. Organ. Sci. 25 : 4 1172– 94 [Google Scholar]
• Staw BM , DeCelles KA , de Goey P. 2019 . Leadership in the locker room: how the intensity of leaders’ unpleasant affective displays shapes team performance. J. Appl. Psychol. 104 : 12 1547– 57 [Google Scholar]
• Steffens NK , Haslam SA. 2013 . Power through ‘us’: leaders’ use of we-referencing language predicts election victory. PLOS ONE 8 : 10 e77952 [Google Scholar]
• Sy T , Shore LM , Strauss J , Shore TH , Tram S et al. 2010 . Leadership perceptions as a function of race–occupation fit: the case of Asian Americans. J. Appl. Psychol. 95 : 5 902– 19 [Google Scholar]
• Tepper BJ , Simon L , Park HM. 2017 . Abusive supervision. Annu. Rev. Organ. Psychol. Organ. Behav. 4 : 123– 52 [Google Scholar]
• Tost LP , Gino F , Larrick RP 2013 . When power makes others speechless: the negative impact of leader power on team performance. Acad. Manag. J. 56 : 5 1465– 86 [Google Scholar]
• Van Dierendonck D. 2011 . Servant leadership: a review and synthesis. J. Manag. 37 : 4 1228– 61 [Google Scholar]
• van Dijke M , De Cremer D , Mayer DM , Van Quaquebeke N. 2012 . When does procedural fairness promote organizational citizenship behavior? Integrating empowering leadership types in relational justice models. Organ. Behav. Hum. Decis. Process. 117 : 2 235– 48 [Google Scholar]
• van Knippenberg D , Hogg MA. 2003 . A social identity model of leadership effectiveness in organizations. Res. Organ. Behav. 25 : 243– 95 [Google Scholar]
• van Knippenberg D , Sitkin SB. 2013 . A critical assessment of charismatic—transformational leadership research: Back to the drawing board?. Acad. Manag. Ann. 7 : 1 1– 60 [Google Scholar]
• Vroom VH , Jago AG. 2007 . The role of the situation in leadership. Am. Psychol. 62 : 1 17– 24 [Google Scholar]
• Wang AC , Chiang JTJ , Tsai CY , Lin TT , Cheng BS 2013 . Gender makes the difference: the moderating role of leader gender on the relationship between leadership styles and subordinate performance. Organ. Behav. Hum. Decis. Process. 122 : 2 101– 13 [Google Scholar]
• Wang G , Oh IS , Courtright SH , Colbert AE. 2011 . Transformational leadership and performance across criteria and levels: a meta-analytic review of 25 years of research. Group Organ. Manag. 36 : 2 223– 70 [Google Scholar]
• Wang G , Van Iddekinge CH , Zhang L , Bishoff J. 2019 . Meta-analytic and primary investigations of the role of followers in ratings of leadership behavior in organizations. J. Appl. Psychol. 104 : 1 70– 106 [Google Scholar]
• Wang L , Restubog S , Shao B , Lu V , Van Kleef GA 2018 . Does anger expression help or harm leader effectiveness? The role of competence-based versus integrity-based violations and abusive supervision. Acad. Manag. J. 61 : 3 1050– 72 [Google Scholar]
• Wang XHF , Howell JM. 2010 . Exploring the dual-level effects of transformational leadership on followers. J. Appl. Psychol. 95 : 6 1134– 44 [Google Scholar]
• Yammarino FJ , Dionne SD , Chun JU , Dansereau F 2005 . Leadership and levels of analysis: a state-of-the-science review. Leadersh. Q. 16 : 6 879– 919 [Google Scholar]
• Yukl G. 2008 . How leaders influence organizational effectiveness. Leadersh. Q. 19 : 6 708– 22 [Google Scholar]
• Yukl G , Gordon A , Taber T 2002 . A hierarchical taxonomy of leadership behavior: integrating a half century of behavior research. J. Leadersh. Organ. Stud. 9 : 1 15– 32 [Google Scholar]
• Zapata CP , Carton AM , Liu JT. 2016 . When justice promotes injustice: why minority leaders experience bias when they adhere to interpersonal justice rules. Acad. Manag. J. 59 : 4 1150– 73 [Google Scholar]
• Zhang C , Nahrgang JD , Ashford SJ , DeRue DS. 2020 . The risky side of leadership: conceptualizing risk perceptions in informal leadership and investigating the effects of their over-time changes in teams. Organ. Sci. 31 : 5 1138– 58 [Google Scholar]
• Zhang X , Bartol KM. 2010 . Linking empowering leadership and employee creativity: the influence of psychological empowerment, intrinsic motivation, and creative process engagement. Acad. Manag. J. 53 : 1 107– 28 [Google Scholar]
• Zhang Y , LePine JA , Buckman BR , Wei F. 2014 . It's not fair… or is it? The role of justice and leadership in explaining work stressor–job performance relationships. Acad. Manag. J. 57 : 3 675– 97 [Google Scholar]
• Zhang Y , Waldman DA , Han YL , Li XB 2015 . Paradoxical leader behaviors in people management: Antecedents and consequences. Acad. Manag. J. 58 : 2 538– 66 [Google Scholar]

Data & Media loading...

• Article Type: Review Article

Most Read This Month

Most cited most cited rss feed, conservation of resources in the organizational context: the reality of resources and their consequences, self-determination theory in work organizations: the state of a science, burnout and work engagement: the jd–r approach, psychological safety: the history, renaissance, and future of an interpersonal construct, employee voice and silence, psychological capital: an evidence-based positive approach, how technology is changing work and organizations, research on workplace creativity: a review and redirection, abusive supervision, the psychology of entrepreneurship.

• How to Structure a Leadership Essay (Samples to Consider)

Leadership is a complex concept, but it’s essential for boosting your career. That’s why a leadership essay focuses on applying the theoretical models and concepts of successful management to real-life situations. 

If you don’t know where to start writing such a paper, please read on for professional tips!

What Is Leadership Essay?

A leadership essay is a paper that analyzes leadership concepts and their application to real-life situations that may involve everyday business management, crisis situations, and other scenarios. 

Every essay on leadership is about defining a concept. Then, it’s either comparing it to similar management tools or proving that it’s useful (or not).

While some students enjoy writing such papers, other learners hate them. The below samples will come in handy, no matter which group is yours.

What Does Leadership Mean to You? (Essay Sample)

It is one of the most popular topics for a leadership essay. If you need to write a paper like that, ask yourself:

• Who is a good leader?  
• What style do they use?  
• What are the situations when they might switch styles?

You may take a more personal approach to such an essay if your professor allows you to. In the example below, you will see the academic approach to this topic. It analyzes three leadership styles to discover which one corresponds to the meaning of leadership if one thinks of it as guidance and support.

Why I Want to Participate in a Leadership Program (Essay Sample)

It’s another example of a popular topic. Such papers often have a meaning beyond the classroom since they may decide whether you plan to participate in a specific program. It’s critical to make them as effective and compelling as possible.

A personalized approach is the best when it comes to essays like this. In the example below, you will see the paper that relies on individual beliefs and a personal life story to explain why it’s so important for the specific student to participate in the chosen program.

How to Write a Leadership Essay

Like every other essay, this paper has an introduction, several body paragraphs, and a conclusion summarizing your thoughts. (1) The most important part of the introduction is the final sentence,  aka  a thesis statement. That’s where you state your claim to prove or develop in your leadership essay.

Each body paragraph should correspond to the purpose of your essay. To ensure you don’t stray from the aim you’ve established in the thesis statement, write the topic sentences for all your paragraphs in the outline . In simple words, write the first sentence of every paragraph to define its development in advance and see if you cover everything you need.

And now, to the conclusion:

Its most essential element is thesis restatement or the first sentence of that paragraph. It’s not just paraphrasing your thesis; it’s also considering the new information you’ve discovered while writing the essay.

Structure :

• Introduction (End it with a thesis statement.)
• Body paragraphs (Each one starts with a topic sentence.)
• Conclusion (Start it with a thesis restatement.)

Understand the purpose of a leadership essay

When starting to write, think about why you’re creating this paper. Before you sit down and type the words, think about the ideas you want to convey and their meaning in your life:

Can this essay teach you to take responsibility? Or maybe will it help you understand how to be a leader in crisis situations? When you’ve answered the “why” question, begin outlining.

Build a strong thesis

Always start with your thesis statement. It will help incorporate your answer to that notorious “why” question into your essay. Once done, you can plan out the rest of the paper and start working on the body paragraphs as soon as you finish the introduction.

There’s another important tip —don’t rush into writing the conclusion before you finish everything else!

It might seem like a good idea to create a thesis statement and thesis restatement right off the bat. However, you’ll find yourself with more refreshing ideas after completing all the research and thinking necessary for the introduction and each body paragraph.

Decide on a structure; format accordingly

Even if your essay about leadership seems not so formal, and you can use personal pronouns, you still need a clear structure.

The best way to write any academic paper is to keep your introduction and conclusion as short as possible. (But no shorter than three sentences and four lines of text). 

Another important tip is to try making all your body paragraphs equal in length. That way, you’ll give the same attention to all the vital points of your essay.

Ready to Write Your Essay on Leadership Now?

Hopefully, this article has helped you understand the most critical elements of a leadership essay. 

Remember the structure, grammar, and appropriate academic style to create a top-level paper. Please don’t forget to answer the “why” question and remember  why  you’re writing. Then you’ll impress everyone with your results!

References:

• https://lsa.umich.edu/onsf/news-events/all-news/directors-blog/writing-leadership-essays.html
• Essay samples
• Essay writing
• Writing tips

Recent Posts

• Writing the “Why Should Abortion Be Made Legal” Essay: Sample and Tips
• 3 Examples of Enduring Issue Essays to Write Yours Like a Pro
• Writing Essay on Friendship: 3 Samples to Get Inspired
• What Is Nursing Essay, and How to Write It Like a Pro

627 Leadership Essay Topics & Examples

Looking for leadership essay topics to write about? Being both an exciting research area and a practical skill, leadership is definitely worth exploring!

• 🔝 Top 10 Essay Topics

📃 Leadership Essay: How to Write

• 🏆 Best Essay Examples
• 👍 Interesting Essay Topics
• 🎓 Simple & Easy Essay Titles
• 📌 Controversial Title Ideas
• 🥇 Good Topics to Write

✍️ Leadership Essay Topics for College

❓ leadership essay questions.

In your leadership essay, you might want to take a look at the sphere of government or elaborate on the role of leadership in business organizations. Here we’ve gathered most catchy leadership title ideas together with leadership essay examples. There are also useful tips on writing your introduction, conclusion, and formulating a thesis statement.

🔝 Top 10 Leadership Essay Topics

• Leadership as a research area and a practical skill
• Theories of leadership
• Functional leadership theory
• Autocratic and democratic leadership styles: compare and contrast
• Task-oriented leadership style: the key features
• Measuring leadership: the main approaches
• Gender and leadership in Western countries
• The concept of leadership: myths and misunderstandings
• Emotional intelligence and leadership: the connection
• Leadership in non-human animals

While writing a leadership essay, you may struggle with the subject, structure, titles, and other components. Don’t worry – these tips will help you to write the best leadership paper!

Tip 1. Choose your subject area first. If your professor did not provide specific topics, you would need to select one on your own. In order to do this, you may focus on an area of leadership that sounds interesting to you.

For example, if you consider working in the hospitality sector in the future, write about leadership in hotels or restaurants. Alternatively, you can browse leadership essay topics online and see if that gives you any clarity.

Tip 2. Narrow down the topic. To ensure that your essay earns high marks, you should avoid choosing an area of leadership that is too broad.

A college level paper should offer enough details and depth to receive an excellent grade. For instance, instead of overviewing a bunch of leadership styles, focus on how certain styles impede or facilitate teamwork. This will give you enough to talk about while limiting the scope of your essay.

Tip 3. Don’t confuse leadership with management! This is a common mistake that students make while writing leadership essays. Although the two concepts overlap, leadership is more about beliefs and vision, whereas managerial work is focused on specific tools and techniques.

Thus, a leader may or may not be a manager. To get more familiar with the subject of leadership, research various leadership styles, such as transformational, autocratic, and servant leadership.

Tip 4. Pay attention to the structure. In a great essay, ideas are always well-organized and follow one another in a logical sequence. First, write an introduction where you present your topic and thesis.

Then, write the main body, where you explain the key concepts and the relationships between them by reviewing relevant research evidence.

Lastly, write a conclusion summarizing your key points. A good leadership essay conclusion should also show how the information can be applied in practice.

Tip 5. Seek to answer any questions that readers might have. For your essay to show excellent depth, you need to address the points that might be interesting to readers in connection with your subject area.

For example, if you are reviewing a particular leadership style, you might want to discuss in which settings it would be useful and what are some of its limitations.

To make this part easier, you could search for leadership essay questions online to clarify what kind of answers readers expect you to cover.

Tip 6. Explain the importance and relevance of your paper. Because leadership is focused on effective strategies that can be applied in real life, you need to provide examples of how your essay may be used to support future practice and research.

Can leaders use the information you provided to improve their relationships with other employees? Can the proposed strategies influence performance?

Think about the potential uses of your research, as well as any gaps that are yet to be studied. Highlighting areas for future research will show your tutor that you are genuinely interested in the subject while also helping you plan for future essays.

We hope that these leadership essay tips will make it easier for you to write an outstanding paper! Make sure to check our website for sample essays on leadership!

🏆 Best Leadership Essay Examples

• Nelson Mandela Leadership Style Mandela’s fight for democracy and fulfilment of the majority will was also seen in his efforts to reconcile Libya with the rest of the world.
• Google Democratic Leadership Style – Compared to Amazon Applying behavioural leadership style theories in Bezos and Schmidt’s case reveals that the Amazon CEO is an autocratic leader while the Google CEO is a democratic leader.
• Transformational Leadership Essay This requires the transformational leader to have the right communication skills to be able to relay the vision they have to a point of winning the willingness of the followers such that they too are […]
• Reed Hastings’ Leadership Style: Netflix CEO’s Strategy Since the work of a leader is crucial for the performance of the whole enterprise, it is essential to analyze the leadership style of a particular business leader through the perspective of his or her […]
• Foundation of Army Leadership Essay The Army leaders therefore, need to be swift, adaptive, and multi-skilled both in the country and across the world. This ensures obedience of the Army to the authority of the President and his authority from […]
• Nigerian Poor Governance and Leadership In the paper under consideration, we will examine the concepts of the good governance and leadership, the problems concerning the implementation of these concepts in the Nigerian government; then we will investigate the history of […]
• Leadership Case Study This is mainly achieved through setting a pace in serving as a role model and creation of a working environment that allows members of the organization or employees to feel honored as part of the […]
• Mahatma Gandhi’s Leadership This report is an analysis of the behaviour and leadership style of Ghandi, the transactional and transformative aspects of his leadership and the way he used the power he had to help India gain Independence.
• Bill Gates’s Leadership and Impact on Organization This problem grew out of the practice that was common in Microsoft to challenge the ideas of one another, doubt them, and put them to the test.
• Mercedes Company: Leadership and Management Essentials The idea behind theoretical investigation is to obtain enough background information on leadership styles, which might be applied to analysing the performance of Mercedes Benz in the light of the theory’s implications on the practice […]
• Esther’s Leadership Qualities Essay The book of Ester narrates the story of a young Jewish woman who rose to the thrones of power but also reveals the life of the Jews under the Persian reign.
• Teamwork and Leadership From diversity to team hierarchy, many factors influence the eventual output of the team, affecting the leader, team members’ performance, and client’s satisfaction.
• Leadership in Organization Leadership is applicable in the nurturing and development of constructive behavior patterns and organizational culture. Charismatic leadership is appropriate for the development of followers.
• Frederick Douglass Leadership Personality Traits Report (Assessment) The book was so humorous that he feared that he would be enslaved again for the weaknesses that he portrayed in the American lifestyle and how he was able to trick them with the attire […]
• Comparison of Gandhi’s and Hitler’s Leadership The primary direction of Gandhi’s political and social work was the fight against the nationalist movement of the British rule of India.
• Educational Leadership and Management Team leadership is “the ability to solve every problem affecting a given group”. I have understood why every educational leader should use the best leadership styles.
• School Leadership The multi-levelled pedagogic school leaders highly determine the mode of teaching students in schools and the effective application of the learning process.
• Autocratic Leadership Versus Participative Theory It will also critically analyse the effectiveness of both participative and autocratic leadership styles in an organisation to determine the most appropriate style to be adopted for the success of an organisation.
• Comparison of Leadership and Management In leadership, the leader uses his charisma and influence to elicit the help and support of the followers to achieve goals.
• Apple Inc.’s Leadership Effectiveness, Competitive Advantage, and Growth Strategy Apple Inc.’s current success can be attributed to the organization’s effective management and leadership abilities to quickly adapt to a highly dynamic business environment.
• Leadership: Portfolio Project I will start by conducting a comprehensive analysis of my background in order to understand the factors that might have defined my leadership qualities in one way or the other.
• Meg Whitman – Leadership Style: What Do People Do When They Are Leading? This is due to the fact that it influences the extent to which employees are committed to attainment of the set organizational goals.
• Leadership Self-Assessment Essay To a butcher, the organizational goals of increased productivity, the input of both the individual and groups in the organization remains invaluable. To this end, the strengths and weaknesses that are inherent in my style […]
• Conrad Hilton Leadership Styles and Principles Leaders in this category want to transcend the basic needs of a human being and to have a sense of life success.
• Nelson Mandela’s Leadership in the “Invictus” Film The film “Invictus” is a 2009 drama and biography that depicts the challenging initiative of Nelson Mandela to unite the country with the help of sport.
• Management and Leadership: Nokia Corporation The approach of the company is to have an innovative and outstanding teamwork; though the company has a departmental approach, the company ensures that it has teams in all sections that are mandated and empowered […]
• Ursula Burns Leadership Style in Xerox Company By suggesting that color printing should be made more affordable, as well as reconsidering the company’s organizational behavior and putting a very strong emphasis on the relationships between the managers and the staff, Burns has […]
• Participative Leadership: Strengths and Weakness The paper gives an overview of the approach, followed by the strengths and weakness of participative leadership. Organizational leadership, more so the approach of leadership is critical to the performance of an organization.
• Individual Leadership Philosophy I have also developed new values that will continue to support my leadership objectives. I will also acquire new skills that have the potential to improve my leadership philosophy.
• Nursing: Leadership Development Plan I utilize the nursing process and evidence-based practice to work collaboratively with the core team, including the patient, staff members, primary care provider, registered nurse care manager, and patient support technician, and expanded team, including […]
• Developing Leadership Skills Bearing in mind the fact that the leader is tasked with marshaling the organization’s resources to accomplish some organizational goal, it can be rightfully stated that part of the role of the leader is to […]
• Gibb’s Reflective Cycle in Nursing Leadership To ensure all the processes run effectively in the organization, the leader must reflect on the various encounters to improve the aspect of decision-making and management.
• Foundations of Army Leadership BLC This paper examines the foundation of Army leadership, focusing on its levels and leaders’ characteristic features.
• Starbuck Company Case: Howard Schultz Leadership Style Hence, he spends a lot of time with staff and guarantees that the company helps employees to grow both financially and intellectually.
• Leadership and Management Practice The efficacy of a decision to either lead or manage will base on the closeness of how the insight of the knowledge, expertise and talent of persons trying to pursue the goal matches with the […]
• Servant Leadership in Indian Culture and Hindu Religion The basis of this approach is the reorientation of the values of the leader, who considers the empowerment of followers as a means and goal of his activity.
• Toyota’s Culture and Leadership Strategy Toyota’s Leadership and Culture Irrespective of numerous difficulties, the company is still one of the leaders of the industry. To understand the essence of the lean leadership, it is crucial to consider some peculiarities of […]
• Leadership Philosophy and the Theories of Leadership These theories are the trait theory of leadership, behavioral theory of leadership, and the contingency theory of leadership. In line with the chosen personal leadership philosophy that urges the leader to show empathy, the trait […]
• Leadership in General Electric The third impact of good leadership at GE is that the ability of the organization to retain its employees would be increased.
• Democratic Leadership Style Self-Analysis Democratic leadership style is a participative and consensus-based approach to decision-making in which the leader encourages input from all members of the team and makes decisions that reflect the group’s best interests.

👍 Interesting Leadership Essay Topics

• Unilever Company’s Leadership and Corporate Governance The success of Unilever associated with the company’s commitment to leadership. First, the strategic leadership of Unilever is tied to the company’s long-term goals and objectives.
• The Action-Observation Model: Leadership Discussion In the beginning, I tried to persuade some volunteers to agree with their assignments since they were helping to spread awareness of a good cause; however, as arguments started occurring, I decided that the best […]
• 21st Century Leadership Based on the character of these issues, researchers distinguish six major areas of the new leadership, and each one of them includes a set of practices which are considered to be contributive to the organisational […]
• Inside Bill Gates Leadership Journey of Building Microsoft Microsoft has succeeded in setting a fast pace in the computer software industry and in creating markets in the process. The program took over the market, and it topped the charts in Microsoft products.
• Marriott International Leadership This paper aims to present the analysis of the prevalent leadership style typical of executives and directors in Marriott International; to discuss the connection between the leadership style and ethical practices; to determine possible ethical […]
• Personal Leadership Profile Analysis At the same time, I could also use my drive for learning to develop communication, motivation, conflict resolution, and other relevant skills that could enhance the performance of my team and the work environment in […]
• Leadership Styles in Nigeria, America and China It is important to note that most of the African nations are said to have a high power distance, and Nigeria is not an exception.
• Warren Buffett’s Leadership in Berkshire Hathaway The analysis is conducted within the appropriate business context after the examination of the history, structure, and organizational culture of Berkshire Hathaway.
• General Leadership Style: Norman Schwarzkopf According to the Katz model of leadership, the leader with human skills can leverage the power of the group. When the young Schwarzkopf visited his father in different parts of the world, he had the […]
• Leadership Concepts: Kentucky Fried Chicke This means that if the recipe was revealed to a leader who is not loyal to this organization, he/she would share it with the competitors which could cause the organization to loose many of its […]
• Barack Obama’s Charismatic Leadership In Obama’s Case, the sparkle and invisible energy as defined by Rao pushed him to the presidency and continues allowing him some loyal following albeit the fact that some are being disappointed by the slow […]
• Mark Zuckerberg’s Leadership Style Shareholders have complained about his leadership and failure to increase the stock price of Facebook, and others have claimed he is socially inept and too young and immature to be a CEO of a multi-billion […]
• The Essence of Leadership: Warren Buffet and Oprah Winfrey To understand the concept of leadership, the report evaluates the leadership qualities that the two leaders have developed. The reason behind the conflicts rests on the fact that the organisation, for instance, has no one […]
• Servant Leadership In the context of organizations, leading entails the leader consolidating the efforts and resources of the organization and focusing on the future by setting up a vision for the organization which it intends to achieve […]
• Howard Schultz’s Leadership Style: Strengths and Weaknesses These results are in a large part due to his leadership style which can be characterised as transformational, the strengths of which are openness to new ideas and creativity, and among the weaknesses can be […]
• Leadership of Jerry Yang, Co-Founder of Yahoo The creation of Yahoo is the story of the hobby and knowledge of two Yang people who wanted to make the Internet more convenient.
• Development and Curriculum Leadership: Advanced Curriculum Models This book is of great assistance to educational leaders who want to explain curriculum concepts, analyze and understand the hidden curriculum, explain the contracting nature of curriculum elements and unfold strategies to develop and implement […]
• Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore’s Leadership Hal Moore’s courage to fight on despite the odds that had afflicted his men was the major driving factor that led to the victory of his group over the Vietnamese.
• Orpheus Orchestra’s Leadership and Organizational Practices The orchestra satisfies the needs of every member. This permanent leadership encourages every member to be part of the orchestra.
• Martin Luther King and Winston Churchill’s Leadership Styles This move that paved the way for his growth in the military career later led to his emergence as a renowned leader in Britain and across the world.
• Sundar Pichai’s Leadership and Action Logics As a result, the issue of action logics presented in this paper is vital because it paves the way for leaders to develop practical ways of understanding not only their individual codes of conduct but […]
• BMW Key Strategic Issues Analysis The strong brand name and capital potential of the company is the core elements of the company’s success and popularity across the globe.
• Leadership Concepts in the “Coach Carter” Film Different aspects of group dynamics come out in the scene where Carter introduces himself to the team and asks members to sign a contract on terms of association and operation.
• Ken Lay’s Leadership and Enron Company’s Downfall An analysis of Lay’s ethical conduct outlined below is conducted through the prism of Kidder’s ethical checkpoints, the principles of moral sensitivity, moral judgment, moral motivation, moral character, as well as the CEO’s power and […]
• Strategic Leadership Nevertheless, it is important that for these strategic plans to be implemented properly there is need to have strategic leadership in the organization in order to provide the much needed leadership.
• Leadership and Motivation: FedEx Corporation and UPS Inc. Introduction Leadership is the process of influencing people to contribute willingly to the goals and objectives of the organization. To solve this problem, the managers of FedEx used 360-degree feedback system to identify the causes […]
• Bad Leadership: Causes and Effects This can result in a loss of confidence on the part of employees and may cause them to feel resentment towards their leaders.
• Nursing Leadership and Its Importance I learned that the leader is obliged to organize and adjust the activities of subordinates, motivate and inspire them, set clear goals for them, and represent the interests of their subsidiaries. As a result of […]
• King T’Challa’s Leadership in “Black Panther” However, because Black Panther needed the help of the Jabari, he had to suppress some feelings of pride and act in the interest of his people.
• Carly Fiorina’s Leadership at Hewlett-Packard Company In this respect, the first part of the paper will compare the traits of Carly to the characteristics described in various leadership theories.
• Brian Chesky’s Leadership at Airbnb As the chief executive officer and co-founder of Airbnb Company, Brian Chesky has proved to the world that he is a great leader who exhibits wonderful traits.
• Bernard Arnault’s Leadership One of Arnault’s leadership styles entails identifying brands that are preferred in the market and working on enhancing the quality of these brands. Bernard Arnault is a visionary leader who has helped LVMH to attain […]
• Personal Leadership Development Plan I will continue with such exercises to find answers to existential questions and achieve my personal and religious goals. I identify my managers and supervisors as the best people to offer professional counsel and advice.
• The Impact of Leadership in Higher Education Motivation of staff, effective planning of resources of resources, maintenance of a positive learning environment for students, and the creation of a favourable working environment for the faculty are aspects of leadership, which foster growth […]
• My Leadership Achievements and Services to Our Community As the project coordinator, I was charged with the duty of coming up with a strategy to liaising with the target group that is the community and the members who were to carry out the […]
• A Revolutionary Model of Leadership When the father of Ricardo Semler left his company in the early 80s, he never imagined that his son would transform Semco to be a leading and one of the best-known companies across the globe.
• Leadership and Motivation – Carlos Ghosn The purpose of this paper is to present a discussion of theories and concepts of leadership in current multinational businesses using the leadership style of Carlos Ghosn as a benchmark for effective leadership in the […]
• “Organizational Culture and Leadership” by Schein, Edgar H. The book covers the subject of leadership and culture in three major sections, including the definition of organizational culture and leadership, the dimensions of culture, and leadership’s role in building culture.
• Ethical Leadership: Martin Luther King All individuals were expected to consider his actions and embrace the idea of morality. Through the use of a positive community culture and empowerment tactics, King managed to model such desirable behaviors.
• Organizational Behavior: Teamwork and Leadership The attributes of a strong and successful group encompass effective communication, facilitated morale, excellent leadership, and the ability of the members to perceive themselves as valuable players.

🎓 Simple & Easy Leadership Essay Titles

• Walt Disney and Henry Ford Leadership Styles Disney devoted his time to art and had a dream of becoming a leader in the animation business. The employees started to fear him and could avoid the lobby whenever Disney was passing.
• Hatshepsut’s Leadership and Accomplishments She was the leader of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt and ruled with the help of the two-year old Thutmose III.
• Leadership Styles of Yahoo, Blackberry, and Google Using the identified characteristics of transactional and transformational leadership styles in the literature review, the paper attempts to specify the leadership styles that each of the three organizations deploys using the primary data from the […]
• Leadership Styles: Democratic, Autocratic and Laissez-Faire According to McNichol and Hamer, the participative approach, compared to the other styles, enhances the productivity of employees for a prolonged period of time as it encourages cooperation and increases staff morale. As a democratic […]
• Proactive Leadership: Importance and Characteristics This paper will focus on proactive leadership, the importance of proactive leadership, and the characteristics of proactive leaders. For example, when a team leader is late on product shipment or delivery of products, they try […]
• Leadership Approach in “The Devil Wears Prada” The first point is personal characteristics that can be considered on the example of the film. Thus, whether it is the latest edition of a Harry Potter book that she manages to find or her […]
• Mandela’s Leadership He used his power to better the lives of the public in South Africa and set an example of selfless leadership.
• The Model of Primary Leadership Skills Theo was more successful in the role of manager of the new facility’s development than he was as the operations director because he needed to lead various groups of people that would help him to […]
• The Leadership of Mao Zedong For example, the Great Leap Forward policy resulted in a food crisis that led to the death of many Chinese people. Mao was assertive in the development and implementation of his policies.
• Charismatic Leadership The transformational leaders focus on changing the organizations or the leaders, while the charismatic leader has a focus on commitment and devotion both to the persona values as well as those of the group members […]
• Organizational Leadership and Strategic Positioning for Shangri-la Hotels Shangri-La Hotels is classified among the strongest and iconic leaders in the luxury hotel space in Asia and it has been successful in other places in Europe and around the world.
• Leadership Action Plan To begin with, I will join a toastmaster that can support my communicational and leadership goals. For instance, the decision to join a toastmaster will support most of my needs.
• Reflective Practice in Leadership This model has made me understand that I need to orient myself to the organisational culture and values cherished by my subordinates to enable me to have beneficial exchanges with my subordinates.
• “Spiritual Leadership” by Henry and Richard Blackaby The lack of leadership strategies causes the death of the church1.”Chapter Two: The Leader’s Role: What Leaders Do” The chapter starts with the evaluation of various definitions of leadership.
• Leadership in the hospitality industry His success in business has been attributed to the manner in which he attends to details such as research and collection of information, provision of clean and high quality products and services, and the logical […]
• Strategic Leadership and Organisational Transformation of Walmart In the first quarter of the 2020/2021 fiscal year, the company recorded a financial performance that exceeded the projections of analysts who had predicted poor performance due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Delta Airlines Company’s Traditional and Digital Leadership The aviation industry is one of the most performing sectors of the economy, generating considerable revenues to the respective airline companies across the globe.
• Gender Equality in Higher Education: The Underrepresentation of Women in Educational Leadership A prime example of gender inequality is the underrepresentation of women in educational leadership, and this problem is going to be considered here in detail.
• Leadership Style: Reflection and Analysis The concept of leadership is an essential part of the modern world due to the fact that it is one of the key determinants of successful management.
• Ann Fudge’s Leadership Lessons The reason is in the fact that Fudge is a broad-minded leader who is interested in receiving new experiences. Fudge demonstrates a medium level of extraversion as she is a good motivator and a decisive […]
• Leadership Styles: Abraham Lincoln and Adolf Hitler The human qualities of a leader are in many ways more revealing regarding his or her success, the respect of the people, and the appreciation of descendants than education and professionalism.
• Google Company’s Situational Leadership The current CEO of Google, Larry Page, is a considered a great leader because of his ability to apply situational leadership skills in resolving some of the problems that threaten the success of the company.
• Leadership of Change in an Organization The change process involves developing urgency of change, empowering change groups, developing a vision, frequent and powerful communication of the vision, eliminating change obstacles, creating short-term goals, building on change and incorporating change in the […]
• JC Penney & Ron Johnson: The Failed Leadership Following the failure of Ron Johnson’s vision and strategy, the new CEO, Ulman, faced the challenge of attempting to incorporate and revert to the strategy that had been in place before Ron Johnson’s tenure.
• Entrepreneurial Leadership Characteristics and Types Thus, economic and social entrepreneurial leadership use the same tools in pursuit of improvements in society and the business sector. However, emotional intelligence is positively linked with mental health, excellent job performance, and contributes to […]
• Leadership Management in the Hospitality Industry And the last principle was that management should cooperate with workers in sharing work whereby managers ought to use scientific principles in management to come up with tasks to be performed by workers.
• Leadership and Organizational Psychology of Vince Lombardi The Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator is one of the most renowned personality tests an individual can use to assess one’s leadership journey.
• Emotional Intelligence and Effective Leadership In terms of the assessment of my personality, it portrays that a have to pay critical attention to the emotions and feelings of other individuals, as disregarding them will question my leadership and abilities to […]
• Leadership Theories in the Automotive Industry At the same time, the changes in the industry and the economic environment of the recent years have led to the situation where the leaders of the field lost their definitive advantage and faced a […]
• High Task & High Relationship Leadership Style Discussion of high task-high relationship leadership style The leadership underpinned by high-task-high relationship concerns with the inclusion of both tasks and relationships.
• Contingency Theory of Leadership In order to improve the effectiveness of the leader, the situation should be modified or aligned to the leader’s capabilities. According to this model, the effectiveness of leadership depends on the relevance of the task […]
• Team Leadership: Essential Features & Problems One of the major roles of a manager is to mentor and develop human resources in his organization; they need to understand the potential that their company has and devise mechanisms to develop and tap […]
• Situational Leadership Style According to the two experts, the major responsibility of any situational leader is to become accustomed to their individual leadership style and satisfy the followers’ needs.
• Reflection on an Interview on Leadership However, I realized very quickly that the institute would not teach me what I wanted to learn. I conducted coaching sessions and advised the management of the company in which I worked at the time.
• Nursing Leadership: A Self-Assessment The second goal is to improve my risk management attitude because it is crucial for my practice as a DNP-prepared nurse and as a leader of the team where I work.
• Leadership Vision and Nursing Practice The leadership vision reflects collaborative processes, boundary spanning in practices, and talent transformation to meet new demands and account for the shortage of nurses and specialists.
• Emirates Airline HR Department: Leadership and Its Effect The aim of this research paper is to identify leadership styles and their effect on the performance of employees at the human resource department at the Emirates Airline.
• The Leadership of Lubna Al Qasimi The selection to patronize “The Emergence of UAE Women as an Economic Force” project as well as the position Sheikha Lubna holds in the list of the most powerful women in the world is a […]
• Mary Kay Ash and Her Leadership Style The success of this woman, as well as her contributions to the world of business, may be explained in terms of her biography, milestones, she had to cope with, and the decisions she made during […]
• Martin Luther King Jr.’s and Malcolm X’s Leadership Styles Thesis: Martin Luther King and Malcolm X were both charismatic leaders, but the latter was more of a transformational leader as well because of his idealistic views and his ability to inspire his followers to […]

🥇 Good Leadership Topics to Write

• Leadership Style and Employee Motivation: Burj Al Arab Hotel
• Ricardo Semler’s Leadership at Semco Partners
• Jeff Bezos’s Leadership and the Amazon Revolution
• Stephen Hawking: Visionary and Cross-Cultural Leadership
• Leadership in the “Invictus” Movie
• The Five-Star Hotels Operational Management
• Leadership and Management
• Healthcare Leadership and Economic Models
• Leadership Attributes of Duke Ellington
• Nursing Leadership Skills Development
• Leadership and Diversity Discussion
• Personal Vision Statement in Organizational Leadership
• Colonel Novak’s Effective Leadership Behavior
• Transformational Leadership in Hotel Industry
• Global Leadership Development
• Complexity Theory Models of Leadership with Other Models of Leadership
• Jim Jones Leadership Traits
• The Role of the Leader and Their Characteristics
• Elon Musk’s Leadership Style and Accomplishments
• Machiavellian Leadership Style
• Transformational Leadership among Nursing Students
• Management vs. Leadership. What Leaders Really Do?
• Leadership Theories: Mother Teresa
• Leadership Internal and External Challenges
• Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi: Leadership Analysis
• Tesla’s Strategic Plan for Leadership in Energy Sector
• Kofi Annan Leadership Traits
• Attitude Reflects Leadership: a Look at Leadership in your Professional Portfolio
• Self-Analysis on Democratic Leadership
• Leadership Styles, Traits in a Nursing Professionals
• Napoleon: Leadership Style
• Inter-Organizational Networks and Leadership
• Red Bull Project’s Effective Leadership Measures
• The Life and Leadership Styles of Sir Edmund Hillary
• Mary Barra’s Leadership at General Motors
• Leadership Influence Processes: Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and Presidents
• Studying Leadership Behaviour: “The King’s Speech” by Tom Hooper
• Etihad Airways: Leadership Attitudes
• Explaining Leadership Positions and Responsibilities
• “Leadership For Leaders” by Michael Williams
• Elizabeth Bloomer Ford’s Leadership Development
• Oprah Winfrey’s Leadership Traits and Virtues
• Chicago Bulls 1995-96 Championship: Team Leadership
• John Howard’s Leadership Style
• Relationship Between Personality and Leadership Style
• The Effect of Leadership in Project Management
• Transformational Leadership at Virgin Group
• Relationship between Leadership and Management
• The Leadership of Amazon
• Mohandus Gandhi’s leadership
• Theories of Situational and Participative Leadership
• Leadership Styles: Nelson Mandela and Margaret Thatcher
• Survival in Today’s Business Environment Requires Strategic Leadership
• Management and Leadership Paper
• The Importance of Strategic Leadership in the Global Business Environment
• Transformational Leadership and Service Quality in UAE Hospitals
• Daniel Roth’s and Sam Hazen’s Personal Values in Leadership
• Women in Top Leadership Positions
• Leadership Role-Play Activity for Students
• The Concept of Laissez-Faire Leadership Style
• Sergey Brin: Leadership Process and Organizations in Context
• Self-Awareness Importance in Effective Leadership
• Wooden on Leadership: How to Create a Winning Organization?
• Does Gender Affect Leadership?
• The Common Theories of Leadership
• Charismatic vs. Inspirational Leadership
• Instructional Leadership
• Leadership Styles and Theories
• Safety Culture Development Through Effective Leadership and Management
• Leadership Evaluation: Sir Richard Branson
• Leadership in “12 Angry Men”
• GlaxoSmithKline’s Leadership Management Framework
• A Leadership Development Plan’s Analysis
• Leadership: Definition and Values
• Authentic Leadership Style in Business
• The Role of Supervision and Delegate Leadership Style
• Personal Career Experience: Leadership
• The Tips of Good Leadership
• Leadership Styles in Nursing
• Nursing Leadership and Personal Skills
• Leadership of Health Care
• Christian Leadership of John Calvin
• Radical Leadership at Semco by Ricardo Semler
• “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership” by John Maxwell
• Carlos Slim: Leadership Styles and Personality
• Leadership Experience Critique
• Genghis Khan: Style of Leadership
• Manager Herbert Kelleher’s Leadership Qualities
• Democratic vs. Autocratic Leadership Styles
• Leadership in Nursing: Staff Shortage Issue
• Leadership vs. Management in the Nursing Context
• B-Med Company’s Leadership Change and Management
• Lao-Tzu’s and Confucius’ Ideas on Leadership
• Level 5 Leadership, Humility, and Will
• Leadership Definitions and Meanings
• Elon Musk’s Leadership and Action Logics
• Leadership Impact on Healthcare Delivery
• Ontology and Epistemology in Leadership Research
• Autocratic, Democratic, Free-Rein, Coaching Leadership
• Leadership Input to the Community Development
• Hovey and Beard Company: Leadership and Management
• Jack Ma’s Business Leadership and Career
• Leadership in “The Hunger Game” Movie
• Thomas Hobbes and John Stuart Mill’ Views on Leadership
• Sales Management and Leadership
• Educational Leadership: Theories and Practices
• A Plan for Effective School Leadership
• Leadership Styles and Effects on IT Organizations
• Leadership and Influence
• Leadership in the United Arab Emirates
• Leadership – Ann Fudge
• Leadership Styles in the UK, USA, and Japan
• Leadership, Its Requirements, Roles and Objectives
• Commander Abrashoff leadership Style
• Leadership in Multinational companies
• “The Ethics of Leadership” by Ciulla Joanne
• Definition of Strategic Leadership
• Leadership and Teambuilding
• Leadership in the 21st Century
• Analysis of “Understanding Leadership”
• James Madison’s Leadership Qualities
• Lesson Plan ‘The Concept of Leadership’
• Ethical and Unethical Leadership in Healthcare
• Concept of Leadership Skills
• The Role of Leadership Programs in Business
• Pros and Cons of the Four Major Styles of Leadership
• Bill Gates’ Positive Leadership Behavior
• Strategic Leadership at The New York Yankees Team
• Interdisciplinary Collaboration and Leadership Reflection
• The Nature of Leadership Power
• Leadership in Diabetes Management
• Ethical Leadership and Ethical Lens Invention
• Personality Type & Leadership Qualities
• Leadership Skills and Leadership Development Plan
• Personal Experience of Ineffective Leadership
• Intercultural Management: Renault, General Motors, & Daimler Chrysler
• Relationship of Problem Solving to Leadership
• Ho Ching’s Leadership at Temasek Holdings
• Ethics Code in School Leadership
• Leadership Styles of Blake Mycoskie and Martin Shkreli
• Leadership: Definition and Features
• Costco Company’s Business Diversity, Ethics, Leadership
• Mandela’s Leadership: Long Walk to Freedom
• UAE Hospitals: Transformational Leadership and Service Quality
• The Leadership and Communication Style of Angela Ahrendts
• Leadership Style: Ellen Kullman
• Participative Leadership: Strengths and Weaknesses
• Leadership Theory and Practice via an Account of BP’s Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill
• Leadership in the Retail Industry
• The Charismatic Leadership of Steve Jobs at Apple
• Insomniac Games Inc.: Development of Leadership Strategy
• Leadership and Management Definition
• The Benefits of Transformational Leadership
• Team Dysfunction and Leadership
• Gender Differences in Leadership Styles
• Leadership: The Most Effective Leader
• 1996 Mount Everest Disaster: Leadership Perspective
• Organizational Leadership Socrates
• The Concept of Leadership in Organizational Success
• Organizational Behavior and Theory
• Servant Leadership at St. Jude Children’s Hospital
• Warren Buffet’s vs. Bernard Madoff’s Leadership Styles
• Transcendental Leadership and Total Quality Management Theories
• Followership and Servant Leadership in the Military
• The Role of Inclusive Leadership Strategy in Diverse Workplaces
• Transparency: The Role in Leadership
• Leadership in the “Saving Private Ryan” Film
• Leadership in Lost TV Series
• Adaptive Leadership in Medical Practice
• New Business Realities and Leadership Theories
• The Role of Storytelling in Leadership
• Nursing Management and Leadership Studies
• Bedside Shift Reporting: Essentials of Nursing Leadership and Management
• Personal Development of Leadership and Flexibility
• Leadership, Trustworthiness, and Ethical Stewardship
• Zappos Organization’s Leadership and Objectives
• Leadership Styles: Democratic and Collective
• Criminal Justice Leadership: Strategies and Practice
• Exemplary Leadership Practices Analysis
• Pixar Company’s Effective Leadership and Competitive Advantages
• Gates and Buffett: Global Leadership and Management
• Workplace Management Styles: Autocratic Leadership
• Personal Philosophy of Military Leadership
• How Communication Affects Leadership
• Cognitive Skills and Leadership Performance: The Nine Critical Skills
• Leadership Profile Analysis: Key Elements, Weaknesses, Strengths
• James D. Sinegal’s Leadership Analysis
• Quotas in Improving Gender Diversity in Leadership
• Consolidated Products Managers’ Leadership Styles
• Leadership in Teams: Experience and Reflection
• Influence of Leadership Style on Employees Performance
• Leadership Roles and Management Functions in Nursing
• Personal Leadership Approach
• Andy Garafallo’s Recipe in Leadership Theory and Practice
• The Global Leadership of Carlos Ghosn at Nissan
• J.F. Kennedy’s People-Oriented Leadership
• Emergency Department: Leadership Strategy
• Effective Leadership Today
• Effective Leadership: Character and Personal Growth
• Transformational Leadership and Management Skills
• Leadership Styles in the Middle Eastern Companies
• Public Safety Leadership Styles and Tools
• Leadership: Top Talent Retention
• Strategic and Ethical Leadership Styles Comparison
• Adidas Company’ Leadership Issues
• Bill Gates’s Leadership and Success Factors
• Emotional Intelligence and Leadership in the UAE
• Leadership in the Early Childhood Field
• Ethics in Educational Leadership: Theory & Practice
• Global Leadership Barriers and Overcoming Measures
• Personality and Leadership Style Relationship
• Classical Leadership Style and Aristotle’s Perspective
• Sheikh Zayed’s Authentic Leadership
• Steve Jobs and Tim Cook Leadership Styles Comparison
• J. Carranza’s Leadership at United Parcel Service Company
• Alvis Corporation’ Leadership Information
• Richard Branson’s Business Leadership
• The Ship Board: Management Styles and Leadership
• Ann Fudge Leadership Style Analysis
• Leadership: Providing Purpose, Motivation and Inspiration
• Nike Company: Hannah Jones Leadership Style
• Khalaf Al Habtoor’s Leadership Style
• Sheikh Mohammed leadership
• The Role of Leadership in Business and Its Advantages
• School Leadership: Concepts and Evidence
• Aspects of Leadership Styles
• Transformational, Self-Leadership, Kyosei and Customer Relationship Leadership Styles
• Leadership as One of the Important Factors in any Organization
• Strategic Thinking and Strategic Leadership
• Leadership Motivation: Anita Roddick, Founder of Body Shop
• Strategic Thinking and Leadership
• What Makes a Great Military Leader?
• General Electric’s Two-Decade Transformation: Jack Welch’s Leadership
• Leaders v. Managers: What’s the Difference?
• Meliá Hotels International: The Leadership Model
• Ineffective Leadership in a Workplace
• Leadership, Reward Systems, and Training in Volunteering
• The Concept of Leadership
• Leadership and Organisational Change in MCFC
• Dr. Maya Angelou and Her Leadership Abilities
• Leadership and Its Approaches: Strengths and Weaknesses
• The Behavioral Approach of Studying Leadership
• Human Resource Management – Leadership Qualities
• Leadership: Alan Keith
• Traits Theory in Leadership
• Adaptive Leadership Discussion
• Daimler-Chrysler Merger: Leadership Issue
• The Role of Civic Leadership
• Impact of Gender Difference on Leadership Styles
• Business Ethics in Multinational Corporations
• Machiavelli and Othello’s Leadership Skills
• Introduction to the Four Functions of Management
• Leadership & Direction: Questions to Ask
• Leadership Models and Theories: Management Process in Organization
• Management, Leadership and Communication
• The Failure of Leadership in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
• Leadership Traits and Characteristics
• Leadership Types: Transformational, Transactional and Charismatic
• Situational Leadership Theory & Path-Goal Leadership Theory
• Business Ethics in Leadership & Management Development
• Pacesetting as a Leadership Concept
• Paternalistic Leadership and Cross-Cultural Relations
• How Emotional Intelligence Influences Leadership
• Leadership: Virgin Group
• The Status of Women in Leadership
• Developing Skills for Business Leadership
• Regional Strategies for Global Leadership
• Leadership Qualities as a Part of a Team
• Spiritual Leadership and Citizenship Behaviors
• A Lollipop Moment in Leadership
• The Main Characteristics of Servant Leadership
• Organizational Theory: Democratic Leadership
• Leadership Under Cultural Influences
• Leadership in Healthcare Management
• Adaptive Leadership as a Style and Model
• Leadership: Self-Evaluation and Comparison
• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Leadership Program
• Task Specialization and Directive Leadership in Beaufort County School District
• Mindful Leadership in Managing Critical Change
• Chapter 6 of Northouse’s Leadership: Theory and Practice
• Leadership, Family, and Community Collaboration Project
• The Crucial Role of Courageous Followers in Effective Leadership
• Leadership in Group Counselling
• Relation Between Leadership and Police Ethics
• Leadership in the Educational Sector
• How Nursing Professionals Can Benefit From Servant Leadership
• Leadership and Innovations: Article Review
• Applying Five Leadership Practices
• Transformational and Servant Leadership in Nursing
• Strategic Leadership in the United Arab Emirates
• Leadership: Theory and Practice
• The Plays “The Iliad,” “The Odyssey,” and “Agamemnon”: Understanding of Leadership
• Astro Airlines: Burton’s Leadership Style
• Leadership Development Plan in Nursing
• Leadership: Character, Competencies, and Virtues
• Nursing Practice: Leadership and Cooperation
• St James Settlement’s Leadership and Management
• Servant Leadership in Fannie Lou Hamer
• The Art of Communication as the Language of Leadership
• Organizational Leadership and Attitude-Behavior Theory
• Leadership and Ethical Requirements
• Measurement and Leadership Effectiveness in Business
• Principles of Management and Leadership Positions
• Application of Irrefutable Laws of Leadership in the Military
• French and Raven’s Five Forms of Power: An Overview
• Leadership Style as an Important Element of the Nursing Practice
• Leadership Styles Across Generations Working in Wal-Mart Store
• Christ’s Approach to Leadership: Transformational Leadership Theory
• Morale and Leadership, Encouragement, Dedication, and Commitment Within a Band
• Elon Musk: Leadership, Financial Success, and the Future of Tesla
• Leadership in Turbulent Times: Key Takeaways
• Brand Leadership by Levi’s and Coca-Cola in Going Green
• Leadership Role of Creating Safe Nursing Environment
• Clinical Nurse Leadership Program
• Transformational Leadership at School Sites
• Fostering Effective Leadership and Collaboration in Human Services
• Behavioral and Situational Leadership: Pros and Cons
• Leadership Skills, Goals and Vision of Nurses
• Educational Theories and Leadership Studies
• Communication Style and Leadership
• American Association of Critical-Care Nurses and Its Leadership Culture
• Effective Leadership Analysis
• Transformational Leadership: Essential Strategies
• The Book “The Power of Positive Leadership” by Jon Gordon
• Servant Leadership Characteristic Evaluation: Conceptualization
• Maintaining a Leadership Position in a Company
• A District Director Nurse’s Leadership Roles
• Effective Leadership: Traits and Behaviors
• Assignment: Student Integrity and Nursing Leadership
• How Contemporary Leadership Styles Are Relevant in Today’s Military
• Diversity as One of the Principles for Sustainability Leadership
• Leadership in Nursing Practice
• Exploring Power Constructs in Leadership: A Self-Reflective Study
• Servant Leadership: The Key Aspects
• Leadership and Management: Reflection
• Leadership Commitment Statement on Prevention of Workplace Violence
• Leadership Foundations in Nursing Practice
• Presidential Leadership: Diplomatic History
• IoT and G.E.’s Leadership Position
• Principles of Leadership and Future of Terrorism
• Leadership at the Reuters Holdings PLC Company
• The Foundation of Army Leadership and Its Factors
• Leadership in a Multinational Organization
• The Ryno Firm’s Demands of Responsible Leadership
• Two Models of Political Leadership
• Change Leadership and Emotional Intelligence
• The Hempel Paints Firm’s Leadership for Strategic Execution
• Qatari German Medical Devices: Leadership for Strategic Execution
• The Home Depot’s Journey Towards Innovation and Effective Change Leadership
• Leadership Communication and Management
• Culture and Leadership in Health and Social Care
• Barack Obama’s Biography and Political Leadership
• Modern Leadership: Trends and Challenges
• Leadership Leverage at Gunderson Lutheran Health Facility
• Gender and Leadership in Healthcare Administration
• Leadership Theories and Styles
• Leadership Philosophy in Nursing
• The Personal Leadership Philosophy in Nursing
• Collaborative Leadership Model in Business
• Leadership: Summary of Media Interview
• Culture and Leadership in Organizations
• The Doctor of Nursing Practice Leadership Program
• Personal Leadership Philosophies
• Leadership Types in Telemedicine
• Connective Nursing Leadership
• Aspects of Collaborative Leadership
• Aspects of Collaborative Leadership Plan
• Organizational Change: The Effect of Transformational Leadership on Employees
• My Involvement as a Leader, Leadership Coach, and Development Instructor
• Transformational Leadership and Abusive Supervision
• Personal Leadership Philosophy in the Sports Industry
• The Role of Leadership in a Digitalized World
• The Importance of Leadership Training
• The Servant Leadership Concept
• Emotionally Intelligent Leadership
• Holistic View of the Management and Leadership
• Leadership Skills for the Negotiation Process
• Measuring the Quality of Government Leadership
• Collaboration and Leadership in Healthcare
• Kouzes and Posner Model of Nursing Leadership
• Leadership Formation in the Medical Field
• The Leadership and Funding Relationship
• Transformational Leadership in a Healthcare Team
• Abortion Backlash and Leadership Issues
• Strategic Crisis Leadership: South Korea’s Response to Covid-19
• Darwin E. Smith’s Level 5 Leadership Characteristics
• Change Leadership: Telehealth Technology at Orlando Health
• Leadership Style Personality Assessment
• The Basic Aspects of Leadership
• Leadership in a Digitized World
• International Leadership: Management Strategies
• Authentic Leadership in Healthcare
• Aspects of Leadership in Healthcare
• Behavioral Theories of Leadership
• Personal Leadership Style’s Improvement Areas
• Organizational Experiences Based on Leadership
• Leadership Analysis in Corporate Governance
• Leadership at Qatar National Bank
• Aspects of the Sustainable Leadership Style
• Nursing Leadership in the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Martin Luther King’s Leadership Approach
• Leadership Ambiguity in Nursing Practice
• Importance of Leadership Skills for Employee
• Emotional Intelligence in Leadership Development
• Interpersonal Leadership Skills in Bank of America
• Developing Organizations and Leadership
• Leadership Approaches in Healthcare
• Behavioral and Trait Leadership Theories in Medical Educational Setting
• Nursing Informatics: Leadership and Administration
• Developing Leadership Skills in Nursing: A Proposal
• Women’s Leadership During a Crisis
• Situational Leadership Analysis
• Leadership for Happiness in Workplaces
• Leadership in Nursing: Organizational Servant Leadership
• Supportive Leadership During COVID-19
• The Type of Leadership Described by Daniel Goleman
• Transformational Leadership Benefits Innovation
• Transformational Leadership at the Walmart Organization
• Machiavelli’s The Prince and Cheney’s Leadership
• Exploring Diversity and Inclusion Leadership
• The Significance in Shaping Emerging Trends in Leadership
• Leadership Experience Example: Leading a User Research Team
• Importance of Leadership Attributes for Healthcare
• Importance of Leadership in Healthcare and Nursing
• Servant Leadership Benefits in Nursing
• Leadership and Its Three Major Models
• Adaptive Leadership: The Main Aspects
• Can a Dictator Who Developed an Economy Be Considered to Have Leadership?
• Does Leadership Affect Employee Commitment Management?
• Does Despotic Leadership Harm Employee Family Life?
• What Two Characteristics Best Describe Leadership?
• Are the Differences Between Management and Leadership?
• Does Leadership Style Impact on Projects Team Member Performance?
• Can Responsible Leadership Affect Work-Life Balance?
• Does Decentralized Leadership Influence the Performance?
• What Are the Key of Leadership Skills That Can Not Learn From?
• What Are the Critical Factors in Understanding the Nature and Dimensions of Leadership?
• How Does Leadership Emerge in a Group That Has No Common History?
• What Are Charismatic Leadership?
• How Bad Does Leadership Affect the Organization?
• How Are Culture and Leadership Linked?
• Does Cartel Leadership Facilitate Collusion?
• What Is the Role of Machiavellianism in the Relationship Between Authentic Leadership and Morality?
• Does Leadership Make a Difference?
• How Are Leadership and Management Similar?
• Are Leadership Fairness, Psychological Distress, and Role Stressors Interrelated?
• How Does Ethical Leadership Influence Employees?
• How Does Leadership Work in Different Gangs?
• Can Servant Leaders Fuel the Leadership Fire?
• Are Leadership Mentoring Programs Beneficial?
• Can Transactional Leadership Keep Your Team in Shape?
• How Does Authentic Leadership Influence Employee Proactivity?
• What Are the Differences Between Management and Leadership?
• What Leadership Behaviors and Management Systems Support?
• What Are Niccolo Machiavelli’s Ideas on Effective Leadership?
• Can Leadership Theory Improve Leadership Quality?
• What Is the Relationship Between Leadership Type and Organization Performance?
• Career Development Topics
• Conflict Resolution Essay Topics
• Management Skills Research Topics
• Communication Theories Paper Topics
• Management Styles Essay Titles
• Trait Theory Research Topics
• Work Environment Research Topics
• Work-Life Balance Essay Titles
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2023, November 9). 627 Leadership Essay Topics & Examples. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/leadership-essay-examples/

"627 Leadership Essay Topics & Examples." IvyPanda , 9 Nov. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/topic/leadership-essay-examples/.

IvyPanda . (2023) '627 Leadership Essay Topics & Examples'. 9 November.

IvyPanda . 2023. "627 Leadership Essay Topics & Examples." November 9, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/leadership-essay-examples/.

1. IvyPanda . "627 Leadership Essay Topics & Examples." November 9, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/leadership-essay-examples/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "627 Leadership Essay Topics & Examples." November 9, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/leadership-essay-examples/.

Leadership Research Paper

This sample leadership research paper features: 7900 words (approx. 26 pages), an outline, and a bibliography with 38 sources. Browse other research paper examples for more inspiration. If you need a thorough research paper written according to all the academic standards, you can always turn to our experienced writers for help. This is how your paper can get an A! Feel free to contact our writing service for professional assistance. We offer high-quality assignments for reasonable rates.

I. Introduction

Academic Writing, Editing, Proofreading, And Problem Solving Services

Get 10% off with 24start discount code.

II. Leadership Defined

III. The Trait Approach to Leadership

IV. What Do Leaders Do? The Behavioral Approach

V. Situational Approaches to Leadership

VI. Contingency Theories of Leadership

VII. Leader-Member Exchange Theory

VIII. Charismatic and Transformational Leadership

IX. Leader Emergence and Transition

X. Leadership Development

XI. Summary

XII. Bibliography

More Leadership Research Papers:

• Implicit Leadership Theories Research Paper
• Judicial Leadership Research Paper
• Leadership Styles Research Paper
• Police Leadership Research Paper
• Political Leadership Research Paper
• Remote Leadership Research Paper

Introduction

There are few things more important to human activity than leadership. Most people, regardless of their occupation, education, political or religious beliefs, or cultural orientation, recognize that leadership is a real and vastly consequential phenomenon. Political candidates proclaim it, pundits discuss it, companies value it, and military organizations depend on it. The French diplomat Talleyrand once said, “I am more afraid of an army of 100 sheep led by a lion than an army of 100 lions led by a sheep.” Effective leadership guides nations in times of peril, promotes effective team and group performance, makes organizations successful, and, in the form of parenting, nurtures the next generation. Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister of Great Britain during World War II, was able to galvanize the resolve of his embattled people with these words: “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat.” When leadership is missing, the effects can be equally dramatic; organizations move too slowly, stagnate, and often lose their way. The League of Nations, created after the World War I, failed to meet the challenges of the times in large part because of a failure to secure effective leadership. With regard to bad leaders, Kellerman (2004) makes an important distinction between incompetent leaders and corrupt leaders. To this we might also add leaders who are “toxic.” Bad leadership can perpetuate misery on those who are subject to its domain. Consider the case of Jim Jones, the leader of the Peoples Temple, who in 1978 ordered the mass suicide of his 900 followers in what has been called the Jonestown Massacre, or the corrupt leadership of Enron and Arthur Anderson that impoverished thousands of workers and led to the dissolution of a major organization. These examples remind us that there are many ways in which leadership can fail.

Leadership Defined

When you think of leadership, the ideas of power, authority, and influence may come to mind. You may think of the actions of effective leaders in accomplishing important goals. You may think of actual people who have been recognized for their leadership capabilities. Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th president of the United States, defined leadership as “the ability to decide what is to be done, and then to get others to want to do it.” Leadership can be defined as the ability of an individual to influence the thoughts, attitudes, and behavior of others. It is the process by which others are motivated to contribute to the success of the groups of which they are members. Leaders set a direction for their followers and help them to focus their energies on achieving their goals. Theorists have developed many different theories about leadership, and although none of the theories completely explains everything about leadership, each has received some scientific support. Some of the theories are based on the idea that there are “born leaders” with particular traits that contribute to their ability to lead. Other theories suggest that leadership consists of specific skills and behaviors. Some theories take a contingency approach that suggests that a leader’s effectiveness depends on the situation requiring leadership. Still other theories examine the relationship between the leader and his or her followers as the key to understanding leadership. In this research paper, we examine these various theories and describe the process of leadership development.

The Trait Approach to Leadership

Aristotle suggested that “men are marked out from the moment of birth to rule or be ruled,” an idea that evolved into the Great Person Theory. Great leaders of the past do seem different from ordinary human beings. When we consider the lives of Gandhi or Martin Luther King, Jr., it is easy to think of their influence as a function of unique personal attributes. This trait approach was one of the first perspectives applied to the study of leadership and for many years dominated leadership research. The list of traits associated with effective leadership is extensive and includes personality characteristics such as being outgoing, assertive, and conscientious. Other traits that have been identified are confidence, integrity, discipline, courage, self-sufficiency, humor, and mystery. Charles de Gaulle described this last trait best when he noted that “A true leader always keeps an element of surprise up his sleeve, which others cannot grasp but which keeps his public excited and breathless.”

Another trait often attributed to effective leaders is intelligence. However, intelligence is a two-edged sword. Although highly intelligent people may be effective leaders, their followers may feel that large differences in intellectual abilities mean large differences in attitudes, values, and interests. Thus, Gibb (1969) has pointed out that many groups prefer to be “ill-governed by people [they] can understand” (p. 218). One important aspect of intelligence that does predict leader effectiveness is emotional intelligence, which includes not only social skills but strong self-monitoring skills, which provide the leader with feedback as to how followers feel about the leader’s actions.

Finally, personal characteristics such as attractiveness, height, and poise are associated with effective leadership. After decades of research, in which the list of traits grew dramatically, researchers realized that the same person could be effective in one context (Winston Churchill as war leader) but ineffective in another context (Winston Churchill, who was removed from office immediately after the war was over). The failure of this approach to recognize the importance of the situation in providing clear distinctions between leaders and followers with regard to their traits caused many scientists to turn their attention elsewhere. However, theorists using more sophisticated methodological and conceptual approaches have revived this approach. Zaccaro (2007) suggests that the revival of the trait approach reflects a shift away from the idea that traits are inherited, as suggested in Galton’s 1869 book Hereditary Genius, and focuses on personal characteristics that reflect a range of acquired individual differences. This approach has three components. First, researchers do not consider traits as separate and distinct contributors to leadership effectiveness but rather as a constellation of characteristics that, taken together, make a good leader.

The second component broadens the concept of trait to refer not only to personality characteristics but also to motives, values, social and problem-solving skills, cognitive abilities, and expertise. For example, in a series of classic studies, McClelland and his colleagues (see McClelland & Boyatzis, 1982) identified three motives that contribute to leadership. They are the need for achievement, the need for power, and the need for affiliation. In their work, leader traits are not attributes of the person but the basis for the leader’s behavior. The need for achievement is manifested in the desire to solve problems and accomplish tasks. In the words of Donald McGannon, “Leadership is action, not position.” The need for power is evident in the desire to influence others without using coercion. As Hubert H. Humphrey once said, “Leadership in today’s world requires far more than a large stock of gunboats and a hard fist at the conference table.” The final motive, need for affiliation, can be a detriment to effective leadership if the leader becomes too concerned with being liked. However, it can provide positive results from the satisfaction a leader derives in helping others succeed. Lao Tse once wrote, “A good leader is a catalyst, and though things would not get done well if he weren’t there, when they succeed he takes no credit. And because he takes no credit, credit never leaves him.”

The third component of this new approach focuses on attributes that both are enduring and occur across a variety of situations. For example, there is strong empirical support for the trait approach when traits are organized according to the five-factor model of personality. Both extraversion and conscientiousness are highly correlated with leader success and, to a lesser extent, so are openness to experience and the lack of neuroticism.

What Do Leaders Do? The Behavioral Approach

Three major schools of thought—the Ohio State Studies, Theory X/Y (McGregor, 1960), and the Managerial Grid (Blake & Mouton, 1984)—have all suggested that differences in leader effectiveness are directly related to the degree to which the leader is task oriented versus person oriented. Task-oriented leaders focus on the group’s work and its goals. They define and structure the roles of their subordinates in order to best obtain organizational goals. Task-oriented leaders set standards and objectives, define responsibilities, evaluate employees, and monitor compliance with their directives. In the Ohio State studies this was referred to as initiating structure, whereas McGregor (1960) refers to it as Theory X, and the Managerial Grid calls it task-centered. Harry S. Truman, 33rd president of the United States, once wrote, “A leader is a man who can persuade people to do what they don’t want to do, or do what they’re too lazy to do, and like it.” Task-oriented leaders often see their followers as undisciplined, lazy, extrinsically motivated, and irresponsible. For these leaders, leadership consists of giving direction, setting goals, and making unilateral decisions. When under pressure, task-oriented leaders become anxious, defensive, and domineering.

In contrast, person-oriented leaders tend to act in a warm and supportive manner, showing concern for the well-being of their followers. Person-oriented leaders boost morale, take steps to reduce conflict, establish rapport with group members, and provide encouragement for obtaining the group’s goals. The Ohio State studies referred to this as consideration, the Managerial Grid calls this country club leadership, and McGregor uses the term Theory Y. Person-oriented leaders see their followers as responsible, self-controlled, and intrinsically motivated. As a result, they are more likely to consult with others before making decisions, praise the accomplishment of their followers, and be less directive in their supervision. Under pressure, person-oriented leaders tend to withdraw socially.

Leadership effectiveness can be gauged in several ways: employee performance, turnover, and dissatisfaction. As you can see in Table 68.1, the most effective leaders are those who are both task and person oriented, whereas the least effective leaders are those who are neither task nor person oriented. A recent meta-analysis found that person-oriented leadership consistently improves group morale, motivation, and job satisfaction, whereas task-oriented leadership only sometimes improves group performance, depending on the types of groups and situations.

In thinking about what leaders do, it is important to distinguish between leadership and management. Warren Bennis (1989) stated, “To survive in the twenty-first century, we are going to need a new generation of leaders— leaders, not managers.” He points out that managers focus on “doing things right” whereas leaders focus on “doing the right things.” Table 68.2 provides a comparison of the characteristics that distinguish a leader from a manager. As you look at the list, it is clear that a person can be a leader without being a manager and be a manager without being a leader.

Situational Approaches to Leadership

The Great Person theory of leadership, represented by such theorists as Sigmund Freud, Thomas Carlyle, and Max Weber, suggests that from time to time, highly capable, talented, charismatic figures emerge, captivate a host of followers, and change history. In contrast to this, Hegel, Marx, and Durkheim suggest that there is a tide running in human affairs, defined by history or the economy, and that leaders are those who ride the tide. The idea of the tide leads us to the role of situational factors in leadership. For example, Perrow (1970) suggests that leadership effectiveness is dependent upon structural aspects of the organization. Longitudinal studies of organizational effectiveness provide support for this idea. For example, Pfeffer (1997) indicated that “If one cannot observe differences when leaders change, then what does it matter who occupies the positions or how they behave?” (p. 108). Vroom and Jago (2007) have identified three distinct roles that situational factors play in leadership effectiveness. First, organizational effectiveness is not strictly a result of good leadership practices. Situational factors beyond the control of the leader often affect the outcomes of any group effort. Whereas leaders, be they navy admirals or football coaches, receive credit or blame for the activities of their followers, success or failure is often the result of external forces: the actions of others, changing technologies, or environmental conditions. Second, situations shape how leaders act. Although much of the literature on leadership has focused on individual differences, social psychologists such as Phil Zimbardo, in his classic Stanford Prison Experiment, and Stanley Milgram, in his studies of obedience, have demonstrated how important the situation is in determining behavior. Third, situations influence the consequences of leader behavior. Although many popular books on leadership provide a checklist of activities in which the leader should engage, most of these lists disregard the impact of the situation. Vroom and Jago (2007) suggest that the importance of the situation is based on three factors: the limited power of many leaders, the fact that applicants for leadership positions go through a uniform screening process that reduces the extent to which they differ from one another, and whatever differences between them still exist will be overwhelmed by situational demands. If all of these factors are present, it is probably true that the individual differences between leaders will not significantly contribute to their effectiveness. Nevertheless, in most of the situations in which leaders find themselves, they are not that powerless and their effectiveness is mostly a result of matching their skills with the demands of the situation, which brings us to a discussion of contingency theories.

Contingency Theories of Leadership

One of the first psychologists to develop a contingency approach to leadership effectiveness was Fred Fiedler (1964, 1967), who believed that a leader’s style is a result of lifelong experiences that are not easy to change. With this in mind, he suggested that leaders need to understand what their style is and to manipulate the situation so that the two match. Like previous researchers, Fiedler’s idea of leadership style included task orientation and person orientation, although his approach for determining a leader’s orientation was unique. Fiedler developed the least-preferred coworker (LPC) scale. On this scale, individuals rate the person with whom they would least want to work on a variety of characteristics. Individuals who rate their LPC as uniformly negative are considered task oriented, whereas those who differentiate among the characteristics are person oriented. The second part of his contingency theory is the favorableness of the situation. Situational favorability is determined by three factors: the extent to which the task facing the group is structured, the legitimate power of the leader, and the relations between the leader and his subordinates. The relation between LPC scores and group performance is complex, as can be seen in Table 68.3. A meta-analysis conducted by Strube and Garcia (1981) found that task-oriented leaders function best in situations that are either favorable (clear task structure, solid position power, and good leader/member relations) or unfavorable (unclear task structure, weak position power, and poor leader/member relations). In contrast, person-oriented leaders function best in situations that are only moderately favorable, which is often based on the quality of leader-member relations.

Another theory that addresses the relation between leadership style and the situation is path-goal theory (House, 1971). In this theory, path refers to the leader’s behaviors that are most likely to help the group attain a desired outcome or goal. Thus, leaders must exhibit different behaviors to reach different goals, depending on the situation. Four different styles of behavior are described:

• Directive leadership. The leader sets standards of performance and provides guidelines and expectations to subordinates on how to achieve those standards.
• Supportive leadership. The leader expresses concern for the subordinates’ well-being and is supportive of them as individuals, not just as workers.
• Participative leadership. The leader solicits ideas and suggestions from subordinates and invites them to participate in decisions that directly affect them.
• Achievement-oriented leadership. The leader sets challenging goals and encourages subordinates to attain those goals.

According to path-goal theory, effective leaders need all four of these styles because each one produces different results. Which style to use depends on two types of situational factors: subordinate characteristics, including ability, locus of control, and authoritarianism; and environmental characteristics, including the nature of the task, work group, and authority system. According to House and Mitchell (1974), when style and situation are properly matched, there is greater job satisfaction and acceptance of the leader, as well as more effort toward obtaining desired goals. A meta-analysis by Indvik (1986) is generally supportive of the theory. Studies of seven organizations found that task-oriented approaches are effective in situations with low task structure, because they help subordinates cope with an ambiguous situation, and ineffective in situations with high task structure, because they appear to be micromanagement. Additional studies have found that supportive leadership is most effective when subordinates are working on stressful, frustrating, or dissatisfying tasks. Researchers found participative leadership to be most effective when subordinates were engaged in nonrepetitive, ego-involving tasks. Finally, achievement-oriented leadership was most effective when subordinates were engaged in ambiguous, nonrepetitive tasks. A clear implication of the theory is that leaders must diagnose the situation before adopting a particular leadership style.

A third contingency approach is the normative and descriptive model of leadership and decision making developed by Vroom and his colleagues (see Vroom & Jago, 2007). This approach examines the extent to which leaders should involve their subordinates in decision-making processes. To answer this question, the researchers developed a matrix that outlines the five decision processes that range from highly autocratic through consultative to highly participative (see Table 68.4). Which of these approaches is the best? The answer is none of them is uniformly preferred, and each process has different costs and benefits. For example, participative approaches are more likely to gain support and acceptance among subordinates for the leader’s ideas, whereas autocratic approaches are quick and efficient, but may cause resentment. The theory suggests that the best approach may be selected by answering several basic questions about the situation that relate to the quality and acceptance of a decision. Some examples of the type of questions that should be asked are “Do I have enough information to make a decision? How structured is the task? Must subordinates accept the decision to make it work?” By answering such questions and applying the specific rules shown in Table 68.5, a leader is able to eliminate approaches that are likely to fail and to choose the approach that seems most feasible from those remaining.

Leader-Member Exchange Theory

A growing number of researchers have found that subordinates may affect leaders as much as leaders affect subordinates. Yukl (1998) pointed out that when subordinates perform poorly, leaders tend to be more task oriented, but when subordinates perform well, leaders are more person oriented. Similarly, Miller, Butler, and Cosentino (2004) found that the effectiveness of followers conformed to the same rules as those Fiedler applied to leaders. It may be that the productivity of a group can have a greater impact on leadership style than leadership style does on the productivity of the group. This reciprocal relation has been formally recognized in the vertical dyad linkage approach (Dansereau, Graen, & Haga, 1975), now commonly referred to as leader-member exchange (LMX) theory (Graen & Uhl-Bien, 1995). This theory describes how leaders maintain their influence by treating individual followers differently. Over time, leaders develop a special relationship with an inner circle of trusted lieutenants, assistants and advisors—the in-group. The members of the in-group are given high levels of responsibility, influence over decision making, and access to resources. Members of the in-group typically are those who are highly committed to the organization, work harder, show loyalty to the leader, and share more administrative duties. Their reward is greater access to the leader’s resources, including information, concern, and confidence. To maintain the exchange, leaders must be careful to nurture the relationship with the in-group, giving them sufficient power to satisfy their needs but not so much power that they become independent. The leader-member relationship generally follows three stages. The first stage is role taking. During this stage the leader assesses the members’ abilities and talents and offers them opportunities to demonstrate their capabilities and commitment. In this stage, both the leader and member discover how the other wants to be respected. The second stage is role making. In this stage, the leader and member take part in unstructured and informal negotiations in order to create a role for the member with a tacit promise of benefits and power in return for dedication and loyalty. In this stage, trust building is very important, and betrayal in any form can result in the member’s being relegated to the out-group. In this stage the leader and member explore relationship factors as well as work-related factors. At this stage, it is clear that perceived similarities between the leader and follower become important. For this reason, a leader may favor a member who is similar in sex, race, or outlook with assignment to the in-group, although research by Murphy and Ensher (1999) indicated that the perception of similarity is more important than actual demographic similarities. The final stage is routinization. In this phase the pattern established by the leader and member becomes established.

The quality of the leader-member relationship is dependent on several factors. It tends to be better when the challenge of the job is either extremely high or extremely low. Other factors that affect the quality of the relationship are the size of the group, availability of resources, and overall workload.

Charismatic and Transformational Leadership

In a speech given at the University of Maryland, Warren Bennis said, “[A] leader has to be able to change an organization that is dreamless, soulless and visionless…someone’s got to make a wake-up call. The first job of a leader is to define a vision for the organization.…Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” Effective leaders are able to project a vision, explaining to their subordinates the purpose, meaning, and significance of their efforts. As Napoleon once said, “Leaders are dealers in hope.” Although the idea of charismatic leadership goes back as far as biblical times (“Where there is no vision, the people perish”—Proverbs 29:18), its modern development can be attributed to the work of Robert House. House (1977) analyzed political and religious leaders and noted that charismatic leaders are those high in self-confidence and confidence in their subordinates, with high expectations, a clear vision of what can be accomplished, and a willingness to use personal examples. Their followers often identify with the leader and his or her mission, show unswerving loyalty toward and confidence in the leader, and derive a sense of self-esteem from their association with the leader. Charismatic leaders are usually quite articulate, with superior debating and persuasive skills. They also possess the technical expertise to understand what their followers must do. Charismatic leaders usually have high self-confidence, impression-management skills, social sensitivity, and empathy. Finally, they have the skills to promote attitudinal, behavioral, and emotional change in their followers. Those who follow charismatic leaders are often surprised at how much they are able to accomplish that extends beyond their own expectations. Research on charismatic leadership indicates that the impact of such leaders is greatest when the followers engage in high self-monitoring (observing their effect on others) and exhibit high levels of self-awareness. Charismatic leadership enhances followers’ cooperation and motivation.

It is important to recognize that charismatic leadership can have a dark side. We began this research paper with the example of Jim Jones, the charismatic religious leader who led his people to commit mass suicide. Howell and Avolio (1992) describe the difference between ethical and unethical charismatic leaders. According to their analysis, ethical leaders use their power to serve others, not for personal gain. They also promote a vision that aligns with their follower’s needs and aspirations rather than with their own personal vision. Ethical leaders stimulate followers to think independently and to question the leader’s views. They engage in open, two-way communication and are sensitive to their followers’ needs. Finally, ethical leaders rely on internal moral standards to satisfy organizational and societal interests, not their own self-interests.

In helping followers achieve their aspirations, Bernard Bass (1997) has noted that charismatic leadership is a component of a broader-based concept, that of transformational leadership. Bass believed that most leaders are transactional rather than transformational in that they approach their relationships with followers as a transaction, one in which they define expectations and offer rewards that will be forthcoming when those expectations are met. Transactional leaders use a contingent reward system, manage by exception, watch followers to catch them doing something wrong, and intervene only when standards are not met. Finally, transactional leaders tend to adopt a laissez-faire approach by avoiding the need to make hard decisions.

In contrast, transformational leadership goes beyond mutually satisfactory agreements about rewards and punishments to heighten followers’ motivation, confidence, and satisfaction by uniting them in the pursuit of shared, challenging goals. In the process of doing that, they change their followers’ beliefs, values, and needs. Bass and Avolio (1994) identified four components of transformational leadership. The first component is idealized influence (charisma). Leaders provide vision, a sense of mission, and their trust in their followers. Leaders take stands on difficult issues and urge their followers to follow suit. They emphasize the importance of purpose, commitment, and ethical decision making. The second component is inspirational motivation. Leaders communicate high expectations, express important purposes in easy-to-understand ways, talk optimistically and enthusiastically about the tasks facing the organization, and provide encouragement and meaning for what has to be done. They often use symbols to focus the efforts of their followers. The third component is intellectual stimulation. Leaders promote thoughtful, rational, and careful decision making. They stimulate others to discard outmoded assumptions and beliefs and to explore new perspectives and ways of doing things. The fourth component is individualized consideration. Leaders give their followers personal attention and treat each person individually. They listen attentively and consider the individual needs, abilities, and goals of their followers in their decisions. In order to enhance the development of their followers they advise, teach, and coach, as needed. Yukl (2002) offers the following guidelines for transformational leadership:

• Develop a clear and appealing vision.
• Create a strategy for attaining the vision.
• Articulate and promote the vision.
• Act confident and optimistic.
• Express confidence in followers.
• Use early success in achievable tasks to build confidence.
• Celebrate your followers’ successes.
• Use dramatic, symbolic actions to emphasize key values.
• Model the behaviors you want followers to adopt.
• Create or modify cultural forms as symbols, slogans, or ceremonies.

Perhaps Walter Lippman provided the best summary of transformational leadership. He wrote, “The final test of a leader is that he leaves behind him in other men the conviction and the will to carry on…” The genius of good leaders is to leave behind them a situation that common sense, without the grace of genius, can deal with successfully.

Leader Emergence and Transition

Who becomes the leader? The process by which someone becomes formally or informally, perceptually or behaviorally, and implicitly or explicitly recognized as a leader is leadership emergence. Scholars have debated this question for centuries and in this research paper, so far, we have offered several possible answers. The Great Person Theory suggests that some people are marked for greatness and dominate the times in which they live. Tolstoy’s zeitgeist theory suggests that leaders come to prominence because of the spirit of the times. Trait theories suggest leaders are selected based on their personal characteristics, whereas interactional approaches examine the joint effects of the situation and the leader’s behavior. Research suggests that leadership emergence is an orderly process that reflects a rational group process whereby the individual with the most skill or experience or intelligence or capabilities takes charge. Implicit leadership theories (Lord & Maher, 1991) provide a cognitive explanation for leadership emergence. According to these theories, each member of a group comes to the group with a set of expectations and beliefs about leaders and leadership. These cognitive structures are called implicit leadership theories or leader prototypes. Typically these prototypes include both task and relationship skills as well as an expectation that the leader will epitomize the core values of the group. Members use their implicit theories to sort people into either leaders or followers based on the extent to which others conform to their implicit theory of what a leader should be. These implicit theories also guide members in their evaluations of the leader’s effectiveness. Because these theories are implicit, they are rarely subjected to critical scrutiny. As a result, it is not uncommon for followers to demonstrate a bias toward those who fit the mold of a traditional leader: White, male, tall, and vocal, regardless of the qualifications of that individual to be the leader.

Transition, rotation, succession, change of command; all are words used to describe a central facet of organizational leadership—that leaders follow one another. Despite the frequent occurrence of leader successions in nearly all groups, especially in large stable organizations, relatively little research has addressed this phenomenon. An early review by Gibb (1969) reported on studies of leader emergence and succession mode. In particular, Gibb noted the importance of establishing leadership/followership through early, shared, significant experiences; he also stressed that an important aspect of the organizational climate for the new leader derives from the policies of the former leader, the consequence of which shape followers’ expectations, morale, and interpersonal relations. In general, studies have demonstrated that leadership succession causes turbulence and instability resulting in performance decrements in most organizations and thus constitutes a major challenge to organizations. Thus, the process of becoming the new leader is often an arduous, albeit rewarding, journey of learning and self-development. The trials involved in this rite of passage have serious consequences for both the individual and the organization. As organizations have become leaner and more dynamic, new leaders have described a transition that gets more difficult all the time. To make the transition less difficult, leaders might attend to the following suggestions adapted from the works of Betty Price, a management consultant. Some of these suggestions are particularly important for newly appointed leaders in establishing an effective leadership style early in their tenure as leader.

• New leaders should show passion for their group, its purpose, and its people in order to reassure followers that the new leader is there to make the group better, not to further his or her personal ambitions.
• New leaders should think more strategically than tactically. Look for the big picture and don’t become bogged down in implementation processes.
• New leaders should first learn to listen, and then provide leadership. Leaders should be compelling in their ability to help others embrace the values that drive the group’s success. To do this the new leader must listen intently and provide feedback that demonstrates that he or she has truly heard what others have said.
• New leaders should operate in a learning mode. As the new person on the block, the new leader may be unsure about the reputation of the preceding leader. He or she should honor the insights and knowledge of others, believing that one can learn from everyone. The new leader should engage people purposefully at all levels, knowing that the distance between the front line and senior leadership is often so great that one small piece of information may have tremendous impact.
• New leaders should take particular care in doing what’s right and telling the truth, even if it is painful. One of the first tasks of a new leader is building trust. In the face of uncertainties, being honest, direct, and truthful enables people to move forward with faith. It gives them hope.
• New leaders should encourage their people to take risks in order to achieve their goals, and be prepared to pick up the pieces if they fail. The leader’s role is to cushion the risk by providing support and encouragement, and knowing and drawing from his or her people’s best capabilities.

Leadership Development

Not everyone is born with “the right stuff” or finds himself or herself in just the right situation to demonstrate his or her capacity as a leader. However, anyone can improve his or her leadership skills. The process of training people to function effectively in a leadership role is known as leadership development and it is a multimillion-dollar business. Leadership development programs tend to be of two types: internal programs within an organization, designed to strengthen the organization, and external programs that take the form of seminars, workshops, conferences, and retreats.

Typical of external leadership development programs are the seminars offered by the American Management Association. Their training seminars are held annually in cities across the country and address both general leadership skills as well as strategic leadership. Among the seminars offered in the area of general leadership are critical thinking, storytelling, and team development in a variety of areas such as instructional technology or government. Seminars on strategic leadership address such topics as communication strategies, situational leadership, innovation, emotional intelligence, and coaching.

A second approach to leadership development is a technique known as grid training. The first step in grid training is a grid seminar during which members of an organization’s management team help others in their organization identify their management style as one of four management styles: impoverished management, task management, country-club management, and team management. The second step is training, which varies depending on the leader’s management style. The goal of the training is greater productivity, better decision making, increased morale, and focused culture change in the leader’s unique organizational environment. Grid training is directed toward six key areas: leadership development, team building, conflict resolution, customer service, mergers, and selling solutions.

Internal leadership development programs tend to focus on three major areas: the development of social interaction networks both between people within a given organization and between organizations that work with one another, the development of trusting relationships between leaders and followers, and the development of common values and a shared vision among leaders and followers. There are several techniques that promote these goals. One such technique is 360-degree feedback. This is a process whereby leaders may learn what peers, subordinates, and superiors think of their performance. This kind of feedback can be useful in identifying areas in need of improvement. The strength of the technique is that it provides differing perspectives across a variety of situations that help the leader to understand the perceptions of his or her actions. This practice has become very popular and is currently used by virtually all Fortune 500 companies. Like all forms of assessment, 360-degree feedback is only useful if the leader is willing and able to change his or her behavior as a result of the feedback. To ensure that leaders don’t summarily dismiss feedback that doesn’t suit them, many companies have arranged for face-to-face meetings between the leaders and those who have provided the feedback.

Another form of internal leadership development is networking. As a leadership development tool, networking is designed to reduce the isolation of leaders and help them better understand the organization in which they work. Networking is specifically designed to connect leaders with key personnel who can help them accomplish their everyday tasks. Networking promotes peer relationships and allows individuals with similar concerns and responsibilities to learn from one another ways to better do their job. Research indicates that these peer relationships tend to be long-lasting.

Executive coaching is a method for developing leaders that involves custom-tailored, one-on-one interactions. This method generally follows four steps. It begins with an agreement between the coach and the leader as to the nature of the coaching relationship, to include what is to be done and how it will be done. The second step is an expert’s assessment of the leader’s strengths and weaknesses. The third step provides a comprehensive plan for improvement that is usually shared with the leader’s immediate supervisor. The fourth and final step is the implementation of the plan. Coaching is sometimes a onetime event aimed at addressing a particular concern or it can be an ongoing, continuous process.

Another form of internal leadership development is mentoring. The term mentor can mean many things: a trusted counselor or guide, tutor, coach, master, experienced colleague, or role model. A mentor is usually someone older and more experienced who provides advice and support to a younger, less experienced person (protégé). In general, mentors guide, watch over, and encourage the progress of their protégés. Mentors often pave the way for their protégé’s success by providing opportunities for achievement, nominating them for promotion, and arranging for their recognition. As a form of leadership development, there are several advantages to mentoring. A meta-analysis by Allen, Eby, Poteet, Lima, and Lentz (2004) indicated that individuals who were mentored showed greater organizational commitment, lower turnover, higher career satisfaction, enhanced leadership skills, and a better understanding of their organization.

In the future, leadership is likely to become more group centered as organizations become more decentralized. Other changes will come about as a result of new and emerging technologies. Avolio and his colleagues (2003) refer to this as “e-leadership.” Leadership effectiveness will depend on the leader’s ability to integrate the new technologies into the norms and culture of their organization.

Another change is that the future will most likely see more women break through the “glass ceiling” and take leadership positions. Men are considerably more likely to enact leadership behaviors than are women in studies of leaderless groups, and as a result are more likely to emerge as leaders (Eagly, 1987). Even though women do sometimes emerge as leaders, historically they have been excluded from the highest levels of leadership in both politics and business. This exclusion has been called the glass ceiling. Studies of leadership in organizational settings have found that men and women do not differ significantly in their basic approach to leadership, with equal numbers of task- versus person-oriented leaders. However, women are much more likely to adopt a participative or transformational leadership style whereas men are more likely to be autocratic, laissez-faire, or transactional (Eagly & Johnson, 1990). Women’s leadership styles are more closely associated with group performance as well as subordinate satisfaction, and in time our implicit theories about leadership may very well favor those who adopt such approaches.

Diversity and working in a global economy will provide additional challenges to tomorrow’s leaders. Project GLOBE (Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness) is an extensive international project involving 170 researchers who have gathered data from 18,000 managers in 62 countries (House, Hanges, Javidan, Dorman, & Gupta, 2004). A major goal of the project was to develop societal and organizational measures of culture and leader attributes that were appropriate to use across all cultures. There have been several important findings. In some cultures, leadership is denigrated and regarded with suspicion. People in these cultures often fear that leaders will acquire and abuse power and as a result substantial restraints are placed on the exercise of leadership. Twenty-two leadership traits (e.g., foresight and decisiveness) were identified as being desirable across all cultures. Eight leadership traits (e.g., ruthlessness and irritability) were identified as being universally undesirable. Some leadership traits were dependent upon the culture, including ambition and elitism. Six leadership styles common to many cultures were identified. They are charismatic, self-protective, humane, team oriented, participative, and autonomous. Although the charismatic style is familiar to us, some of the others are not. The self-protective style involves following agreed-upon procedures, being cognizant of the status hierarchy, and saving face. The humane style includes modesty and helping others. The team-oriented style includes collaboration, team building, and diplomacy. The participative style encourages getting the opinions and help of others. The autonomous style involves being independent and making one’s own decisions. Cultures differ in their preferences for these styles. For example, leaders from northern European countries are more participative and less self-protective whereas leaders from southern Asia are more humane and less participative.

Although most of us would agree that leadership is extraordinarily important, research in this field has yet to arrive at a generally accepted definition of what leadership is, create a widely accepted paradigm for studying leadership, or find the best strategies for developing and practicing leadership. Hackman and Wageman (2007) attempted to address this problem by reframing the questions we have been asking about leadership effectiveness, with the hope that these questions will be more informative than many of those asked previously.

• Question 1. Ask NOT “Do leaders make a difference?” but “Under what conditions does leadership matter?” The task here is to examine conceptually and empirically the circumstances under which leadership makes a difference and to distinguish those from the circumstances for which leadership is inconsequential.
• Question 2. Ask NOT “What are the traits that define an effective leader?” but “How do leaders’ personal attributes interact with situational properties to shape outcomes?” This approach will require that we reduce our reliance on both fixed traits and complex contingencies. To do this, we should embrace the idea that there are many different ways to achieve the same outcome.
• Question 3. Ask NOT “Are there common dimensions on which all leaders can be arrayed?” but “Are good and poor leadership qualitatively different phenomena?” Recent research has found that ineffective leaders were not ones who scored low on those dimensions for which good leaders scored high, but rather they exhibited entirely different patterns of behavior than those exhibited by good leaders.
• Question 4. Ask NOT “How do leaders and followers differ from one another?” but “How can leadership models be reframed so they treat all members of a group as leaders and followers?” Although it is clear that to be a leader requires that you have followers, it is equally true that most leaders are at times followers and most followers are at times leaders.
• Question 5. Ask NOT “What should be taught in leadership courses?” but “How can leaders be helped to learn?” Research is needed to understand how leaders learn from their experiences, especially when they are coping with crises (see Avolio, 2007).

In the 21st century, the study of leadership will be increasingly collaborative as researchers from multiple disciplines tackle the questions outlined above. Some of the disciplines that must contribute to the study of leadership include media and communications. In today’s world more and more of the relationships between leaders and followers are not face-to-face but mediated through electronic means.

John Kenneth Galbraith, in his book The Age of Uncertainty, wrote that “All of the great leaders have had one characteristic in common: it was the willingness to confront unequivocally the major anxiety of their people in their time. This, and not much else, is the essence of leadership.” In the special issue of the American Psychologist devoted to leadership, Warren Bennis (2007) suggests that the four most important threats facing our world today are these: (a) a nuclear or biological catastrophe; (b) a worldwide pandemic; (c) tribalism and its cruel offspring, assimilation; and (d) leadership of our human institutions. He points out that solving the first three problems will not be possible without exemplary leadership and that an understanding of how to develop such leadership will have serious consequences for the quality of our health and our lives.

Bibliography:

• Allen, T. D., Eby, L. T., Poteet, M., Lima, L., & Lentz, E. (2004). Outcomes associated with mentoring protégés: A meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 89, 127–136.
• Avolio, B. J. (2007). Promoting more integrative strategies for leadership theory building. American Psychologist, 62, 25–33.
• Avolio, B. J., Sosik, J. J., Jung, D. I., & Bierson, Y. (2003). Leadership models, methods, and applications. In W. C. Borman, D. R. Ilgen, & R. J. Klimoski (Eds.), Handbook of psychology: Vol. 12. Industrial and organizational psychology (pp. 277–307). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
• Bass, B. M. (1990). Bass and Stogdill’s handbook of leadership: A survey of theory and research. New York: Free Press.
• Bass, B. M. (1997). Does the transactional-transformational leadership paradigm transcend organizational and national boundaries? American Psychologist, 52, 130–139.
• Bass, B. M., & Avolio, B. J. (1994). Improving organizational effectiveness through transformational leadership. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
• Bennis, W. (1989). On becoming a leader. New York: Perseus.
• Bennis, W. (2007). The challenges of leadership in the modern world: Introduction to the special issue. American Psychologist, 62, 2–5.
• Blake, R. R., & Mouton, J. S. (1984). Solving costly organizational conflicts: Achieving intergroup trust, cooperation, and teamwork. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
• Dansereau, F., Graen, G. G., & Haga, W. (1975). A vertical dyad linkage approach to leadership in formal organizations. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 13, 46–78.
• Eagly, A. H. (1987). Sex differences in social behavior: A social role interpretation. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
• Eagly, A., & Johnson, B. (1990). Gender and the emergence of leaders: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 108, 233–256.
• Fiedler, F. E. (1964). A contingency model of leadership effectiveness. In L. Berkowitz (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 1). New York: Academic Press.
• Fiedler, F. E. (1967). A theory of leadership effectiveness. New York: McGraw-Hill.
• Gibb, C. A. (1969). Leadership. In G. Lindzey & E. Aronson (Eds.), The handbook of social psychology (2nd ed., Vol. 4, pp. 205–282). Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
• Graen, G. B., & Uhl-Bien, M. (1995). Relationship-based approach to leadership: Development of leader-member exchange (LMX) theory of leadership over 25 years: Applying a multi-level multi-domain perspective. Leadership Quarterly, 6(2), 219–247.
• Hackman, J. R., & Wageman, R. (2007). Asking the right questions about leadership. American Psychologist, 62, 43–47.
• House, R. J. (1971). A path-goal theory of leader effectiveness. Administrative Science Quarterly, 16, 321–328.
• House, R. J. (1977). A 1976 theory of charismatic leadership. In J. G. Hunt & L. L. Larson (Eds.), Leadership: The cutting edge. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press.
• House, R. J., Hanges, P. J., Javidan, M., Dorman, P. W., & Gupta, V. (Eds.). (2004). Culture, leadership, and organizations: The GLOBE study of 62 societies. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
• House, R. J., & Mitchell, R. R. (1974). Path-goal theory of leadership. Journal of Contemporary Business, 3, 81–97.
• Howell, J. M., & Avolio, B. J. (1992). The ethics of charismatic leadership: Submission or liberation? Academy of Management Executive, 6(2), 43–54.
• Indvik, J. (1986). Path-goal theory of leadership: A meta-analysis. Proceedings of the Academy of Management Meeting, 189–192.
• Judge, T. A., Bono, J. E., Ilies, R., & Gerhardt, M. W. (2002). Personality and leadership: A qualitative and quantitative review. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87, 765–780.
• Kellerman, B. (2004). Bad leadership: What it is, how it happens, why it matters. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
• Lord, R. G., & Maher, K. (1989). Perceptions in leadership and their implications in organizations. In J. Carroll (Ed.), Applied social psychology and organizational settings (Vol. 4, pp. 129–154). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
• Lord, R. G., & Maher, K. J. (1991). Leadership and information processing: Linking perceptions and performance. Boston: Unwin Hyman.
• McClelland, D. C., & Boyatzis, R. E. (1982). Leadership motive pattern and long-term success in management. Journal of Applied Psychology, 67, 737–743.
• McGregor, D. (1960). The human side of enterprise. New York: McGraw-Hill.
• Miller, R. L., Butler, J., & Cosentino, C. J. (2004). Followership effectiveness: An extension of Fiedler’s contingency model. The Leadership and Organizational Development Journal, 24, 362–368.
• Murphy, S. E., & Ensher, E. A. (1999). The effects of leader and subordinate characteristics in the development of leader-member exchange quality. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 29, 1371–1394.
• Perrow, C. (1970). Organization analysis: A sociological view. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
• Pfeffer, J. (1977). The ambiguity of leadership. Academy of Management Review, 2, 104–112.
• Strube, M. J., & Garcia, J. E. (1981). A meta-analytic investigation of Fiedler’s contingency model of leadership effectiveness. Psychological Bulletin, 90, 307–321.
• Vroom, V. H., & Jago, A. G. (2007). The role of the situation in leadership. American Psychologist, 62, 17–24.
• Yukl, G. A. (1981). Leadership in organizations. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
• Yukl, G. A. (1998). Leadership in organizations (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
• Zaccaro, S. J. (2007). Trait-based perspectives of leadership. American Psychologist, 62, 6–16.

ORDER HIGH QUALITY CUSTOM PAPER

Leadership Research Essay

Introduction.

Understanding one’s leadership style and the ideas that underpin it is a critical first step toward effective self-development and leadership growth in the modern world. This study thoroughly explores my leadership path as I consider and evaluate the leadership model, style, or theory that best describes my approach. This essay seeks to analyze the factors contributing to forming my leadership identity via the prisms of well-known leadership paradigms such as the Situational Approach, Behavioral Approach, Trait Approach, and Path-Goal Approach. I can paint a complete picture of my leadership philosophy by looking at my distinguishing leadership qualities, admitting where I need to grow, and evaluating the desired leadership style I seek as a follower. In addition, the essay will explore my influence on others based on the proper models or theories. Incorporating knowledge from my self-evaluation, the course materials, and the condition of my leadership and motivating abilities, I will develop a proactive strategy to improve these abilities. Analyzing each stage of this transformative journey will show a clear path toward accomplishing the dual objectives of effective leadership and motivation, each supported by a particular leadership theory or model (Bans-Akutey, 2021)

Leadership model

The Situational Approach is a flexible and dynamic form of leadership that stresses the importance of adjusting one’s approach to each situation based on the demands of one’s followers (Wuryani et al., 2021). This viewpoint implies that good leaders should be flexible in their actions, decisions, and methods of communicating with their followers. Due to its relatability, adaptability, and harmony with the ever-changing nature of leadership jobs, the Situational Approach strikes a chord with me when I consider my own leadership experiences.

The Situational Approach’s emphasis on adapting one’s conduct as a leader to the followers’ degree of development is consistent with my approach to the role. As a manager, my employees’ skill levels and dedication may vary widely. Using the framework developed by Hersey and Blanchard, I have discovered that a delegative leadership style works best when dealing with a highly experienced and self-driven team. In one recent project, for instance, a junior team member showed a lot of passion but lacked the necessary technical abilities. In response, I had one-on-one conversations, explained everything in detail, and prompted the person to ask questions so that they might learn and develop. Taking on a coaching position, where one actively guides and directs subordinates to improve their performance, is consistent with the Situational Leadership Model.

On the other hand, I adopt more of a coaching approach while managing a team of less seasoned members. This calls for a more directive approach and the creation of a welcoming atmosphere for education. For instance, when heading an intern team, I ensured they had crystal-clear instructions, gave them frequent feedback, and acted as a mentor to help them grow professionally and personally. This mode of leadership emphasizes the significance of understanding the followers’ stage of development and adapting one’s actions accordingly.

In addition, the Situational Approach meshes well with my view that leaders should weigh in on the bigger picture and external influences when making calls. Fiedler’s Contingency Model is one example of a theory emphasizing the importance of the interplay between a leader’s style and a favourable situation. A leadership style that worked well in the past may not be as effective in today’s fast-paced business environment (Kearney et al., 2019). For example, I’ve had to switch from a more hands-off management style to one that is more directive to bring clarity and stability during organizational reorganization.

Distinguishing leadership traits

According to this school of thought, a leader’s success does not depend on a cookie-cutter approach but on their capacity to tailor their methods to the abilities and preferences of their subordinates. Taking the Situational Leadership Theory as a lens to evaluate my leadership qualities, I share some of the theory’s hallmark characteristics.

Being able to shift gears and adjust to new circumstances quickly is a strength of mine as a leader. This characteristic is highly congruent with the primary principle of the Situational Leadership Theory, which stresses the importance of adapting one’s leadership style to the experience and expertise of one’s subordinates. Because of this innate awareness, I am skilled at adapting my leadership style to the specific needs of each team member. Switching gears quickly helps me be directive with less experienced team members, giving them clear instructions and advice, and supportive with more capable and driven ones, encouraging development and progress.

Additionally, communication is a crucial attribute of leaders, consistent with the Situational Leadership Theory. The success of any team depends on its members’ ability to communicate their demands and contributions effectively. In keeping with SLT values, I place a premium on honest and open lines of communication, actively soliciting the thoughts and opinions of team members of all skill levels. This kind of dialogue encourages teamwork and helps me gauge whether or not an employee is prepared to take on additional responsibilities (Benmira & Agboola, 2021).

While I am confident in my current leadership skills and eager to put them to use, I am also aware that there is room for improvement. Being more confident in myself is an essential goal of mine. According to the Situational Leadership Theory, a leader’s assertiveness is crucial, especially when followers may be less experienced or enthusiastic at the outset of interactions. By improving my assertiveness, I plan to better communicate my needs, desires, and expectations to others, creating clear boundaries and guiding those who need them. This modification would be consistent with SLT’s guiding principles, allowing me to meet the needs of less-developed team members in a way that fosters their development.

Improving my delegation skills is another area where I can improve. I understand the value of entrusting competent team members to take charge of tasks and projects since the Situational Leadership Theory stresses the need to do so. Improving my ability to delegate will help me smoothly shift from a command-and-control to a facilitative leadership style as my subordinates gain competence. Aligning leadership methods with the developing skills of followers is a central tenet of the SLT, and this change is crucial to creating an atmosphere of independence and intrinsic drive (Benmira & Agboola, 2021).

Leadership approach preferred by my leader

An organization’s success hinges on the quality of its leadership, which determines the group’s course, its employees’ motivation level, and its output level. The Path-Goal Approach stands out among other leadership theories as a comprehensive framework that emphasizes the leader’s part in increasing their subordinates’ motivation, job happiness, and overall productivity. As a subordinate, the preferred leadership style becomes an essential factor that affects one’s productivity, level of dedication to one’s work, and satisfaction with the workplace. The Path-Goal Approach, with its focus on adaptability, support, and achievement, strikes a chord with its emphasis on leadership approaches that fulfil the needs of followers (Bans-Akutey, 2021). From the perspective of those being led, this method strikes an appealing balance between authoritative and encouraging leadership styles, creating an atmosphere that encourages development and realizing one’s ambitions.

Robert House’s Path-Goal Approach suggests that leaders should modify their actions depending on the personalities and circumstances of their subordinates. This flexible strategy fits in nicely with the ever-changing makeup of today’s workforce. As a follower, you’ll feel more connected to and respected by a leader who uses the Path-Goal Approach. Such leaders exhibit adaptability in their methods of leading, which is a desirable quality (Bans-Akutey, 2021). For instance, when a subordinate already has a high level of skill and assurance, a leader who adopts a supporting or participative style might encourage the assistant to take charge of their work, which is good for the subordinate’s sense of accomplishment and the leader’s reputation. On the other hand, when faced with adversity or uncertainty, a more directive leadership style can bring clarity and structure, relieving stress and anxiety for subordinates. The ability to adjust to new circumstances is a sign of a leader’s concern for their followers and strengthens the bonds between them.

The Path-Goal Approach also stresses the significance of helping followers along their way and removing roadblocks. This substantially impacts followers who look to their leaders for guidance and affirmation (Bans-Akutey, 2021). Open communication and shared goals flourish in an atmosphere where leaders take an active role in removing obstacles and fostering the development of their followers. This kind of leadership increases worker engagement and contentment and fosters an atmosphere of teamwork and steady progress. A leader willing to act as a mentor and guide can do wonders for an employee’s professional growth and sense of community.

Leadership model or theory describing how I influence others

The concept of transformational leadership best captures how I can lead others since it has the most meaning for me regarding my impact on others. This concept, first proposed by James MacGregor Burns and later developed by Bass, highlights the transformative power that leaders may have by inspiring and raising their followers to perform beyond their expectations. It was Burns who first proposed this idea and Bass who made significant additions to it. I can impact others because of my ability to convey a compelling vision, generate passion, and build a strong sense of collective purpose. By focusing my efforts and words on a larger goal and convincing my coworkers to do the same, I have seen firsthand the exponential growth and collaborative synergy that can emerge inside a team. Thanks to this, I now understand how to improve teamwork.

For example, during a community service assignment, I worked to teach my fellow volunteers a desire to see positive change brought about whenever possible. By eloquently explaining the more significant societal impact of our work and emphasizing the intrinsic relevance of our efforts, I was able to rally a disparate collection of people toward a common goal. As a result, everyone on the team felt they had accomplished more than before and had a more significant stake in the outcome.

As a follower, I am most attuned to the situational approach to leadership because of its sensitivity to and adaptability to changing circumstances. In contrast, the formulation of the transformational leadership theory best captures how I influence others through inspiration, vision, and a shared sense of purpose. These theoretical frameworks shed light on the intricate interplay between leaders and those they steer, demonstrating the mutually beneficial nature of good leadership and its far-reaching effects on the success of both individuals and teams (Kearney et al., 2019).

Goals and plan of action to implement to improve leadership and motivation

Leadership is an ongoing process that requires regular evaluation, study, and adjustment. Self-reflection, an analysis of one’s existing leadership abilities, and knowledge gained through course readings all point to the absolute necessity of working to hone one’s situational and transformational leadership abilities. Influential leaders, according to the theory of situational leadership, adapt their methods of leading to the maturity of their subordinates (Wuryani et al., 2021). The purpose is to develop a leadership strategy that can be adapted to meet the demands of individuals and groups at different levels of expertise and dedication. According to an honest evaluation of my methods, my leadership style tends to be more directive, which could stifle innovation and creativity within the team. Improving my situational leadership skills is a top priority to strike a better balance between demand and supportive actions.

I intend to use the Situational Leadership Model proposed by Hersey and Blanchard as a means to this end. This framework divides Leadership styles into four distinct classes: directing, coaching, supporting, and delegating. I can adjust my method of leadership depending on how prepared my team members are. For instance, I can use a more directing approach with a team member who is new to the task at hand and then shift to a more delegating system as that person gains experience and confidence. By being in close touch with my team members and receiving their input regularly, I can monitor their development and adjust my leadership style accordingly.

A leader with transformational skills may inspire and drive their team to go above and beyond what they thought they were capable of (Kearney et al., 2019). This method of leadership is geared toward instilling a feeling of meaning, encouraging innovation, and building consensus around a common goal. From my evaluation, my greatest asset is my capacity for long-term planning and goal-setting. But there’s potential for development in how well these visions are communicated to, and understood by, team members.

I plan to use Bass and Avolio’s Transformational Leadership Theory to hone my abilities as a transformational leader. Idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration are the four pillars on which this paradigm of transformative leadership rests. I plan to foster a more encouraging and exciting atmosphere by incorporating these elements into my leadership style. For instance, I aim to forge closer bonds with them by showing genuine interest in team members’ development as individuals (via customized consideration). In addition, I will practice articulating a compelling vision that inspires others to work hard and succeed with a positive attitude and to think critically and creatively about how to solve problems.

The following is the strategy to accomplish this:

Learning and Improvement: I plan to learn more about the ideas and models of situational and transformational leadership through additional study and reading. With this information, you’ll be able to make better choices.

To evaluate the efficacy of my leadership actions, pinpoint improvement opportunities, and celebrate success, I plan to schedule regular periods of self-reflection and assessment.

To get insight into how my leadership style affects the motivation and performance of my team members, I plan to set up a feedback loop in which they may provide me with constructive criticism and suggestions. This will encourage honest dialogue and constant progress.

Skill Use:  Through focused effort, I will put situational and transformational leadership theory into practice. To accomplish this, I will have to modify my approach to leading the team so that it best suits the needs of each member and inspires them to reach their full potential.

Leadership-focused learning circles and mentorship programs offer access to experienced professionals in the field and a wide range of viewpoints and insights.

The adaptability of the situational leadership model and its emphasis on modifying leadership tactics in response to the demands of the circumstance and the skill and dedication of the followers resonate with my leadership style. This notion supports my conviction that good leadership is about adapting one’s approach to the particular circumstances and people involved. Being adaptable, personable, and skilled at identifying and reacting to changing events are some of my most distinctive leadership qualities. To improve my leadership effectiveness, I must continue to hone skills like decisiveness and strategic thinking. I favour a leader who practices Situational Leadership because it enables direction that respects individual needs and aims toward accomplishing group objectives. This strategy promotes a thriving, collaborative, flexible workplace. The transformational leadership paradigm best sums up my plan for influencing people. We can inspire and motivate others through a shared vision and by encouraging personal progress. Individuals could be empowered by this strategy to overcome their imagined constraints and produce extraordinary accomplishments. I will accomplish this by actively looking for opportunities to make and defend leadership decisions, enlisting the help of mentorship from seasoned leaders, participating in scenario-based simulations, and more. By developing my capacity to create a compelling vision and connect with the emotional facets of my team members’ desires, I aim to improve my transformational leadership abilities regarding motivation. I intend to go to workshops on motivating psychology, empathy, and effective communication to accomplish this. I’m convinced that I can develop into a more influential leader who adapts to conditions while promoting growth and attaining shared objectives by concentrating on honing my decision-making and strategic thinking and expanding my capacity to inspire and encourage others. I’m committed to achieving these goals and positively influencing the development and success of myself and the people I manage via devoted mentoring, ongoing learning, and purposeful practice.

Bans-Akutey, A. (2021). The path-goal theory of leadership.  Academia Letters ,  2 .

Benmira, S., & Agboola, M. (2021). Evolution of leadership theory.  BMJ Leader , leader-2020.

Kearney, E., Shemla, M., van Knippenberg, D., & Scholz, F. A. (2019). A paradox perspective on the interactive effects of visionary and empowering leadership.  Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes ,  155 , 20-30.

Wuryani, E., Rodlib, A., Sutarsib, S., Dewib, N., & Arifb, D. (2021). Analysis of decision support system on situational leadership styles on work motivation and employee performance.  Management Science Letters ,  11 (2), 365-372.

Cite This Work

To export a reference to this article please select a referencing style below:

Related Essays

Push and pull systems, the adoption of electric vehicles to global transportation and logistics management, the lean philosophy in a service environment, optimizing labor utilization in construction projects, policy implementation for fall risk management in the emergency room, effectiveness of professional and practical competencies, popular essay topics.

• American Dream
• Artificial Intelligence
• Black Lives Matter
• Bullying Essay
• Career Goals Essay
• Causes of the Civil War
• Child Abusing
• Civil Rights Movement
• Community Service
• Cultural Identity
• Cyber Bullying
• Death Penalty
• Depression Essay
• Domestic Violence
• Freedom of Speech
• Global Warming
• Gun Control
• Human Trafficking
• I Believe Essay
• Immigration
• Importance of Education
• Israel and Palestine Conflict
• Leadership Essay
• Legalizing Marijuanas
• Mental Health
• National Honor Society
• Police Brutality
• Pollution Essay
• Racism Essay
• Romeo and Juliet
• Same Sex Marriages
• Social Media
• The Great Gatsby
• The Yellow Wallpaper
• Time Management
• To Kill a Mockingbird
• Violent Video Games
• What Makes You Unique
• Why I Want to Be a Nurse
• Send us an e-mail

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

• View all journals
• Explore content
• About the journal
• Publish with us
• Sign up for alerts
• Open access
• Published: 11 July 2024

Ethical leadership, internal job satisfaction and OCB: the moderating role of leader empathy in emerging industries

• Qin Li   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-9856-9454 1  

Humanities and Social Sciences Communications volume  11 , Article number:  901 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

106 Accesses

Metrics details

• Business and management

Leadership with ethical values can generally elicit high levels of employee input behavior. This is particularly important in strategic emerging industries, where job satisfaction among research and development (R&D) personnel plays a crucial role as a primary driver of innovation. While scholars have emphasized the significance of internal work value orientation in recent years, the previous literature has mainly focused on leadership and employee behavior, and few studies have explored spontaneous organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). Therefore, this study seeks to investigate the correlation between ethical leadership (EL) and OCB and to consider the moderating role of leader empathy (LE) as well as the mediating role of internal job satisfaction (IJS). The data for this research were collected from 248 R&D personnel employed in companies within China’s emerging industry sector. The analysis was conducted using partial least squares path modeling, and the moderating effect was examined using Hayes’ PROCESS macro. The results validate the idea that IJS serves as a positive mediator of the relationship between EL and OCB. Furthermore, LE plays a significant moderating role in the relationship between IJS and OCB.

Similar content being viewed by others

How does narcissistic leadership influence change-oriented organizational citizenship behavior? Empirical evidence from China

The relationship between leadership style and staff work engagement: An empirical analysis of the public sector in Vietnam

Organizational culture as a mediator of credible leadership influence on work engagement: empirical studies in private hospitals in East Java, Indonesia

Emerging industries have the potential to drive social development, which is a primary concern in China’s current context (Li, 2024 ). Additionally, the significant contributions of biopharmaceutical companies in addressing the threats to human life posed by the COVID-19 pandemic over the past three years underscore their importance. However, the sustainable development of emerging industries requires ongoing innovation upgrades, especially because technological personnel face pressures, such as industry upgrades, technological changes, industry competition, and company culture (e.g., aggressive culture) from various sources, thus leading to high turnover rates among technical personnel. Tuin et al. ( 2021 ) criticized emerging enterprises for prioritizing the goal of shaping a positive public image and pursuing organizational prosperity while neglecting the enhancement of effective leadership behaviors, which has led to high turnover rates in the industry. As representatives of organizations, leaders must focus on value preferences and individual internal needs to meet the organizational expectations of nurturing employees’ psychological well-being and work engagement (Kohnen et al., 2024 ). Therefore, ethical leadership (EL) plays an essential role in workplace management.

EL focuses on improving organizational performance by integrating moral beliefs and values into organizational practices. Furthermore, it entails thoughtful and appropriate leadership both inside and outside the workplace (Si et al., 2023 ; Greenbaum et al., 2020 ). Managers should maintain moral values consistent with the organization while effectively communicating the organization’s strategies, policies, and talent cultivation methods with honesty, fairness, and trustworthiness (Guo, 2022 ). In previous studies, scholars have argued that ethical leaders can enhance the economic benefits of employee performance. It has also been reported that EL involves shaping follower behavior by intentionally promoting moral models and rewarding or punishing opposing behaviors. Previous studies have followed the principle of reciprocity in social exchange theory to enhance job satisfaction and other positive behaviors among employees after they observe leaders engage in ethical practices. Common positive behaviors include work engagement (Radic et al., 2020 ), work productivity (Freire and Bettencourt, 2020 ), organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) (Walden and Kingsley Westerman, 2018 ), and work motivation (Losada-Otálora and Alkire (née Nasr), 2019 ).

“Job satisfaction” refers to the fulfillment and enjoyment derived from one’s job, and it encompasses an individual’s personal and social needs. Job satisfaction influences life satisfaction, economic independence, and non-electoral participation (Visser et al., 2019 ; Cemalcilar et al., 2018 ); furthermore, it is closely related to employees’ achievements (Qing et al., 2019 ). Previous studies have found that challenging work nature, flexible work systems, competitive income, and the promise of career advancement are factors that contribute to personal job satisfaction (Liu and Lin, 2017 ; Hegney et al., 2006 ). Unfortunately, enterprises tend to focus more on stimulating employee performance by fulfilling material commitments, and they often neglect employees’ spiritual needs (Gesthuizen et al., 2019 ). The internal value aspirations of employees can be realized through interpersonal support, the desire to create a better world, and personal career development, thereby promoting psychological well-being, work engagement, and work motivation (Tuin et al., 2021 ).

Existing studies have confirmed the relationship between EL, job satisfaction, and positive work outcomes, such as work engagement and motivation, but few studies have examined remedies (Ahmad et al., 2019 ; Qing et al., 2019 ; Bouckenooghe et al., 2014 ). Furthermore, previous studies have often examined job satisfaction as a whole rather than distinguishing between external job satisfaction and internal job satisfaction (IJS). IJS is the process of meeting employees’ specific psychological needs (Visser et al., 2019 ). However, no studies have explored the relationship between EL, IJS, and OCB, even though some studies have proposed categorizing personal value perception into extrinsic and intrinsic factors (Tuin et al., 2021 ; Hegney et al., 2006 ). Therefore, this study aims to investigate whether IJS—as a mediator in the psychological mechanism—can stimulate employees’ commitment and organizational support.

Furthermore, the current study seeks to further examine the psychological impact of IJS on individuals. Engagement in OCB indicates that individuals have found a sense of belonging and identity within the organization (Aboramadan and Karatepe, 2021 ). When individuals’ organizational behavior aligns with organizational goals, it suggests a high level of satisfaction. As transmitters of organizational values, supervisors should actively participate in the design of pathways to broaden the research on the psychological intervention of organizations on employees. Leader empathy (LE) focuses on providing impressive encouragement and understanding when subordinates face difficult and overwhelming tasks (Mahsud et al., 2010 ). Building upon self-examination theory (Tuin et al., 2021 ) and emotional contagion theory (Kim et al., 2023 ), the present study examines the moderating role of LE in the relationships between EL, IJS, and OCB in the context of employees in the emerging industry.

Literature review

Theoretical framework.

This study employed self-determination theory (SDT; Tuin et al., 2021 ) and emotional contagion theory (ECT) (Kim et al., 2023 ). EL is characterized by honest, considerate, and fair behaviors and decisions among leaders. The practice of EL also involves motivating moral behaviors among employees based on a leader’s moral concepts—a process that requires leaders to fulfill their commitment to reward employees’ behaviors (Ahmad and Gao, 2018 ). Several recent studies have highlighted the concept of “reciprocation” (e.g., social exchange theory and demand-resource theory) to establish the framework of organizational investment and employee returns (Tripathi et al., 2020 ; Walden and Kingsley Westerman, 2018 ; Mahsud et al., 2010 ). The present study focuses on the psychological perception process of personal self-examination and psychological perception, which means that when moral management practices align with predetermined standards or criteria for achieving workers’ goals (Brown and Treviño, 2006 ), employees will exhibit moral behaviors (i.e., OCB) that benefit the organization.

This study also integrates ECT with LE as resources in promoting OCB. Unlike other approaches focused on the authority and mechanisms of senior leadership to motivate and shape employee performance or approaches focused on leadership styles that emphasize employee pursuits, ECT describes the process whereby an individual’s emotions are transferred to other people, who unconsciously and unintentionally experience such emotions (Petitta et al., 2023 ). This implicit process primarily occurs within social groups, in which one person’s emotion influences another person’s subsequent affective, attitudinal, or behavioral outcomes automatically within the group (Fujimura et al., 2010 ). Furthermore, it is a process where individuals tend to synchronize and converge on emotions with others within the same social group (Hatfield et al., 1993 ).

Hypotheses development

EL, IJS, and OCB have been widely examined by scholars in recent years (Guo, 2022 ; Jha and Singh, 2021 ; Metwally et al., 2019 ; Qing et al., 2019 ). Similar to other types of leadership, EL relies on managers’ effectiveness in transmitting their values (Jha and Singh, 2021 ). Leaders’ emotions are considered infectious and can be passed on to employees (Jha and Singh, 2021 ). When leaders convey positive emotions to their employees, it enhances the employees’

expression of values, which in turn affects their self-esteem and the significance they attribute to their work (Moon and Jung, 2018 ; Shamir et al., 1993 ). Additionally, employees’ attitudes are also influenced by ethical leaders who uphold high standards of morality and fairness. Studies have found that leaders can increase followers’ job satisfaction by exhibiting integrity, fairness, and empowerment (Guo, 2022 ; Freire and Bettencourt, 2020 ).

However, emerging industries heavily rely on R&D personnel, experimentation, and acceptance departments, which constitute the core force behind providing innovative advancements at the forefront of science and technology (Chen and Wang, 2020 ; Thakur-Wernz and Wernz, 2020 ). Compared with individuals in other industries, practitioners in emerging industries are more persistent in their initial value orientation for innovation (Tran Pham and Nguyen Le, 2023 ). Job values encompass extrinsic and intrinsic elements, with the intrinsic elements revolving around personal development and self-fulfillment in work therefore, organizations must be able to support and commit to employees’ needs to promote further development, encourage horizontal and upward employability, and stimulate retention and commitment (Gesthuizen et al., 2019 ).

OCB is considered spontaneous behavior that seeks to achieve an organization’s sustainable development goals or contributes to the organization’s image, beyond the responsibilities outlined in one’s job description (Zhao and Zhou, 2021 ). OCB goes beyond the explicit requirements of individual roles and is not explicitly mentioned in organizational rewards (Walden and Kingsley Westerman, 2018 ). Aboramadan and Karatepe ( 2021 ) suggested that job satisfaction is more of an emotional response to work—an evaluative measure and an indicator of maintaining follow-up behavior. Consistent with SDT, employees naturally act in ways that benefit the organization when their intrinsic values are satisfied (Gyekye and Haybatollahi, 2015 ). Mendiratta and Srivastava ( 2023 ) verified that employees with higher job satisfaction engage more actively in civic behavior than their colleagues with lower satisfaction. Extensive research has also demonstrated a favorable association between job satisfaction and OCB (Mendiratta and Srivastava, 2023 ; Kunda et al., 2019 ; Gyekye and Haybatollahi, 2015 ). Building upon previous research, the current study proposes the following hypotheses:

H1. EL is positively associated with IJS .

H2. IJS is positively associated with OCB .

Surveys conducted among R&D personnel in emerging industries in China reveal employees’ urgent need for social interaction, respect, and self-realization. Therefore, drawing upon SDT (Tuin et al., 2021 ), EL aims to enhance employees’ IJS through a deep psychological pathway (Ahmad and Gao, 2018 ). IJS is regarded as an inspiring mindset when it results from ethical leaders who demonstrate fairness, trustworthiness, and concern for their employees’ well-being. In turn, employees who are satisfied with their jobs are more likely to exhibit OCB, such as helping colleagues, volunteering for extra tasks, and contributing positively to the organization beyond their formal job requirements. Studies by Puni et al. ( 2018 ) and Jordan et al. ( 2017 ) have confirmed the significant impact of job satisfaction on the relationship between organizational management and work behavior. Thus, to validate the significance of IJS in the psychological transmission between organizations and individuals, this study proposes the following hypothesis:

H3. IJS mediates the relationship between EL and OCB .

LE is characterized by concern, warmth, and compassion toward subordinates through words and actions (Colman, 2009 ; Salovey and Mayer, 1990 ). In recent years, scholars have focused on the role of empathy in leadership and the development of the leader-follower relationship. Stietz et al. ( 2019 ) examined the application of empathy in management and suggested that purely adopting others’ perspectives and experiencing others’ emotions should be controversial. There is another aspect of empathy—i.e., cognitive empathy, which is a more rational presence and can prevent excessive emotional involvement. Notably, both emotional empathy and cognitive empathy coexist to prevent individuals from being engulfed by emotional involvement (Kade et al., 2024 ). LE is also characterized by the ability to empathize with subordinates to some extent, thus enhancing a leader’s understanding of employees but not deviating from professional decisions beneficial to the organization. SDT posits that different values influence the process of shaping employee motivation in specific organizational contexts. Moreover, ECT also suggests the critical role of leadership and the impact of leadership behaviors on follower outcomes, including their emotional well-being, attitudes, motivation, and job performance (Kim et al., 2023 ). Notably, the leadership literature often concentrates on leaders’ intentional, work-related strategies (e.g., leadership style or behaviors), which are guided by the aim of enhancing organizational productivity. Consequently, the implementation of LE does not focus on power and status but serves as a management tool to eliminate employees’ anxiety, enhance their confidence, and mitigate the harmful effects of workplace stressors. LE is a process of mutual perception between leaders and members (Richard et al., 2016 ). When leaders demonstrate empathy, it inspires team members to empathize with one another and participate in empathy-enhancing activities implemented by the organization (Kock et al., 2019 ).

However, although early research has clarified the concept of LE, and a small number of studies have mentioned its pioneering role in employee behavior, the potential mechanisms underlying its relationship with OCB remain unclear. Therefore, the current study proposes that LE moderates the relationship between IJS and OCB (see Fig. 1 ). This study also posits that leadership empathy can act as an emotional environment marker, thus facilitating the emotional transmission of empathy to foster personal OCB. Therefore, the following hypothesis is proposed:

A description of the relationship between variables in the current study.

H4. LE moderates the effect of IJS on OCB .

Methodology

Sample and procedure.

This study employed a purposive sampling method followed by a snowball sampling technique to recruit participants. The data were collected via the personnel communication established by the primary researcher with familiar employees who worked in the R&D, experiment, and acceptance departments of companies in the biopharmaceutical, new energy vehicles, and high-end equipment manufacturing industries, all subsumed under the label “emerging industries.” Then, the contact information of more potential respondents was provided by the personnel who agreed to participate in the current survey. The researchers sent the questionnaire to the participants through the officially recognized social software, email, after obtaining the approval of the current personnel who were willing to participate in this survey. This work protected the participants’ privacy and personal information by ensuring anonymity.

The data collection was accomplished in two stages. The first phase was carried out in August and September 2022 and included responses from 421 participants who were asked to provide biographical information, including gender, age group, highest educational level, organizational tenure, and current post. Furthermore, EL and IJS were also included. In the second phase, to determine their perspectives on LE and OCB, online questionnaires were filled out by the participants via email. The process was conducted from November 1st to December 2nd. A total of 332 participants sent feedback, of whom 71% had also participated in the first phase. Ultimately, following the elimination of unsuitable data, which included repeated and partially completed questionnaires, this study obtained a total of 248 valid responses. As indicated in Table 1 , the survey population consisted of 64.5% female participants. The majority of respondents fell into the post-80s age group (54.8%), followed by the post-90s age group (43.5%). Furthermore, a significant proportion of participants held bachelor’s degrees (50%), while 48.4% possessed advanced degrees. In terms of employment, most of the participants had been employed in their current organization for more than 3 years but <10 years (46.8%). This study also included individuals holding non-supervisory posts (64.5%) as well as supervisory posts (35.5%). Supplementary Table S1 shows the profiles of the respondents.

Measurement

The measurement scales used in this study were derived from previous research and mainly employed seven-point Likert scales (1 = “strongly disagree,” 7 = “strongly agree”). Specifically, the EL scale was adapted from Steinmann et al. ( 2016 ) and included items such as “My leader demonstrates genuine concern for my well-being and performance” and “My leader refrains from assigning blame for issues beyond my control.” Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for this scale was 0.969, indicating excellent internal consistency and meeting the established criteria. This study also used the five-item Intrinsic Job Value Scale developed by Furnham et al. ( 2021 ) to measure IJS, with some minor modifications to suit the context of the study (Sample item: “I am willing to participate in functions that are not required but are helpful to the organization image”). Furthermore, a four-item scale adapted from Mahsud et al. ( 2010 ) was used to measure LE (Sample item: “My manager is very aware of how the subordinates are feeling”). OCB was assessed using six items from Lee and Allen ( 2002 ) with the following sample items: “I have the opportunity to do something with my ability” and “I got the opportunity to try to use my working method to solve the task” (see Supplementary Table S2 ).

Common method bias. There is a risk of common method bias (CMB) when a single data source is used in a study (Podsakoff et al., 2012 ). In particular, the CMB index is higher than the specified upper limit, and the existing correlation between the measured variables of the study becomes over-reported. In this study, anonymity was used to ensure that the respondents could answer the questionnaire without restriction. The two-stage data collection method reduces the respondents’ preference for relevant variables (Podsakoff et al., 2012 ). Furthermore, this current study applied Harman’s single-factor test for CMB. The highest percentage of variance was 39.554%, which was <50% threshold, indicating that CMB was not detected in the data. The current study also used the ULMC approach to detect and control for the influence of CMB in the analysis based on partial least-squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results in supplementary Table S3 demonstrate that the average substantive variance of indicators was 0.691, while the average method-based variance was 0.022. In addition, the ratio of substance to method variance was approximately 31:1. These results prove that the data were not affected by CMB.

Descriptive statistics

Table 1 presents the mean, standard deviation, square root of the average variance extracted (AVE) for all variables, and Pearson correlation coefficients ( r ). As shown in the table, EL was positively correlated with IJS ( r  = 0.706, p  < 0.001) and OCB ( r  = 0.644, p  < 0.001). In addition, IJS was positively correlated with OCB ( r  = 0.625, p  < 0.001). These results align with and offer preliminary support for our hypotheses. The study also utilized Smart PLS to estimate variance inflation factors (VIFs) to examine potential multicollinearity (see Supplementary Table S4 ). The VIF values for each variable, ranging from 1 to 4.433, are below the threshold of 5.0 (James et al., 2013 ), thus indicating an acceptably low level of multicollinearity.

Measurement model

The model demonstrated sufficient convergent validity, as all variables surpassed the required thresholds for internal consistency (Cronbach’s α  > 0.7), composite reliability (CR > 0.6), and AVE (>0.5), as presented in Table 2 . These values exceeded the recommended cutoffs established by Hair et al. ( 2014 ). Furthermore, discriminant validity was established by ensuring that all constructs within the model were empirically distinct from one another. This was accomplished through standard methods, such as the Fornell–Larcker criterion and the heterotrait–monotrait (HTMT) ratio. Regarding the Fornell–Larcker criterion, the square root of the AVE for each variable exceeded the correlation between variables, as shown in Table 3 . Additionally, the test results meet the threshold for the HTMT (no higher than 0.85); this ratio detects potential indiscriminateness among latent variables (see Supplementary Table S5 ).

Structural model

This model exhibited strong fitness characteristics. Specifically, IJS and OCB each achieved coefficients of determination (R2) of 0.668 and 0.818, respectively, both of which exceeded the threshold of 0.5. Similarly, the positive and nonzero cross-validated redundancy (Q2) values for IJS and OCB were 0.491 and 0.636, respectively, thus indicating the reliability of the model. Additionally, the structural mean square residual (SRMR) value of 0.072 is below the 0.08 threshold, further confirming the model’s adherence to the criteria for a good fit (Chin, 2010 ; Chin et al., 2008 ; Hu and Bentler, 1999 ).

The path coefficient ensures the significance of the relationships hypothesized by using 5000 bootstrapping samples (Sarstedt et al., 2014 ; Hair et al., 2017 ). The results in Table 4 display the hypothesis testing results. EL was significantly associated with IJS ( β  = 0.818, t  = 23.98, p  < 0.01); IJS was positively associated with OCB ( β  = 0.320, t  = 3.226, p  < 0.01); and IJS significantly mediated the effect of EL on OCB ( β  = 0.431, SE = 0.192), as indicated by a confidence interval [CI] that excluded 0. Therefore, the above results support H1–H3 (Table 4 ).

As shown in Table 5 , the moderation analysis to examine H4 was performed using Model 1 in the PROCESS macro (Hayes and Rockwood, 2017 ). The interaction effect (IJS × LE) was a significant predictor of OCB ( β  = −0.128, t  = −2.503, p  < 0.05). Furthermore, in the relationship between IJS and OCB, LE plays a negative role in increasing the positive impact of IJS on OCB. Figure 2 illustrates these effects. The results also indicate that higher LE amplifies the effect of EL on OCB.

The moderating effect of leader empathy based on the Johnson-Neyman slope.

Discussion and conclusion

Summary of findings.

This study primarily explored the causal relationship between EL and OCB among R&D employees in emerging industries. Drawing upon SDT and ECT, we constructed a model in which IJS and LE served as the mediator and moderator, respectively, and empirically tested the proposed hypotheses. The results from PLS-SEM indicated that EL and IJS significantly influence the performance of R&D personnel. However, LE exhibited a negative moderating effect.

In addition, several intriguing findings emerged. First, the results confirmed that EL is a prerequisite for IJS and employee OCB. These findings validated previous research, which indicates a positive correlation between leadership that promotes fairness, justice, and ethical principles, and individuals’ perceptions and expectations of the organization. These results also corroborated the expectations of scholars and practitioners regarding the current challenges, such as industry upgrades, technological changes, internal competition, and ethical organizational management, faced by R&D personnel. Second, our findings demonstrated that LE is a negative moderator. This finding aligned with previous literature, which suggested that empathy exhibited by leaders in the workplace is more rooted in cognitive attributes rather than purely emotional traits and that its existence serves to safeguard organizational interests. This negative moderating effect also confirmed the uniqueness of R&D personnel, indicating that organizational practices characterized by fairness and justice garner employee endorsement and motivation. Conversely, R&D personnel do not seem to require their leaders to only understand the pressures and challenges they face, as such understanding does not lead to additional work achievements.

Finally, our study further corroborated findings consistent with the literature. In particular, LE in the workplace is predominantly manifested as cognitive attributes rather than purely emotional traits and is centered around organizational interests. This finding suggested that while leaders’ empathy contributes to fostering a positive work environment, its impact on employee behavior may be complex and varied. Therefore, greater emphasis should be placed on other leadership behaviors, such as fairness, equity, and work incentives when aiming to enhance organizational performance and employee satisfaction.

Theoretical implications

This study focused on the relationships between EL, IJS, and OCB as well as the moderating role of LE in these relationships. The results confirmed the positive effect of EL on IJS, as indicated by previous studies that highlighted psychological fulfillment as an outcome (Guo, 2022 ; Freire and Bettencourt, 2020 ; Ahmad and Zafar, 2018 ). However, while previous studies listed work engagement and OCB as positive outcomes of EL (Mendiratta and Srivastava, 2023 ; Ahmad and Gao, 2018 ; Kock et al., 2019 ), the current study’s results revealed that EL does not have a direct positive relationship with OCB. Instead, IJS mediated the relationship between EL and OCB. The findings of the study contribute to the existing literature in several ways.

First, this study identified IJS as a mediating variable, thus clarifying its psychological role in the relationship between EL and OCB (Graves and Sarkis, 2018 ). Unlike other behaviors influenced by personal interests, work safety, and monetary rewards, OCB is defined as spontaneous behavior that goes beyond job responsibilities and benefits organizational development (Elche et al., 2020 ). It stems from individuals’ internal value orientation being recognized and satisfied. Thus, OCB represents the purity of personal behavioral motivation. By using SDT, this study distinguished between autonomous and controlled motivation, thereby providing a framework for individuals’ self-examination and self-evaluation (Kim et al., 2020 ; Ryan and Deci, 2000 ). This approach differs from social exchange theory, leader-member exchange theory, and demand-resource theory found in previous literature, as it focuses on the psychological pathway. Although these theories allow reciprocal behavior between organizations and individuals both at work and outside of work (George, Graen, and Uhl-bien, 1995 ), they do not fully capture individuals’ original intentions in their work. In contrast, SDT restores individuals’ rights to self-examination and choice, thus aligning with this study’s premise that OCB is an independent behavior that exceeds one’s job responsibilities and is driven by the satisfaction of obtaining intrinsic values through EL (Kim et al., 2020 ; Graves et al., 2013 ).

Second, the present study demonstrates that LE plays a negative moderating role in the relationship between IJS and OCB. This finding adds to the understanding of leadership empathy in previous literature. While few studies have examined leadership empathy, it is evident that empathetic communication, such as superiors supporting and encouraging employees facing work-related challenges, fosters affective trust (Yue et al., 2022 ). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to examine the moderating effect of LE on the relationship between employees’ IJS and subsequent work behaviors. Surprisingly, we found that LE amplifies the positive effect of IJS on OCB.

Finally, the application of ECT in this study’s investigation of the moderating role of LE fills a gap in previous literature that overly emphasized the “organization–individual” and “superior–subordinate” relationships in achieving employee productivity through psychological exchanges. Given that leadership empathy in the workplace is more often derived from cognitive attributes rather than emotional attributes, ECT further clarifies this leadership practice aligned with work objectives. This involves achieving group synchronization through a leader’s work emotions, attitudes, and even behaviors. Again, to the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to establish and explore the moderating role of LE in the relationship between employee IJS and OCB. However, the results indicate that LE attenuates the indirect effect of IJS on OCB. This finding suggests that LE, which aims to stimulate work outcomes, is ineffective and may even have a negative impact on additional and spontaneous organizational performance by technical employees in emerging industries.

Practical implications

OCB involves voluntary actions beyond an employee’s job duties, and these behaviors are rooted in their recognition of organizational values. Therefore, managers must understand that EL plays a crucial role in both job satisfaction and employee job performance. In particular, IJS implies employees’ inner pursuit of the value and emotional aspects of work provided by the organization. For R&D personnel in emerging industries facing rapid technological turnover and industry changes, providing accurate industry information, executing organizational policies with integrity, and demonstrating sincere, fair, and trustworthy management will greatly enhance their intrinsic satisfaction. This, in turn, will lay the groundwork for employees to exhibit more pro-organizational behaviors, such as creativity and innovation.

Additionally, leaders in emerging industries should adopt proactive measures to cultivate a supportive and conducive work environment that encourages creativity and innovation among R&D personnel. This could involve fostering a culture of open communication, encouraging experimentation and risk-taking, and providing resources and support for research and development initiatives. By championing a culture of innovation and providing the necessary support and resources, leaders can inspire R&D personnel to actively contribute their ideas and expertise to drive organizational growth and success in the rapidly evolving landscape of emerging industries. Moreover, leaders should prioritize ethical leadership practices, such as fairness, transparency, and integrity, to build trust and credibility among employees, which are essential for fostering a positive organizational climate conducive to creativity and innovation. By aligning leadership practices with the unique challenges and opportunities present in emerging industries, leaders can effectively harness the creative potential of R&D personnel and drive innovation, thereby promoting organizational success.

Limitations and future directions

One limitation of this study is that the participants were recruited from seven representative emerging industries in China, specifically the R&D, testing, and acceptance departments of biopharma, new energy vehicles, and high-end equipment manufacturing industries. Therefore, the results may not be generalizable to all emerging industries in China. Future research should include a broader range of enterprises within the industry. Furthermore, this study only investigated the moderating role of LE on OCB; thus, further research should explore other variables that may moderate the relationship between IJS and OCB. Furthermore, future research should consider other outcomes that may arise from EL and examine different cultural contexts.

In conclusion, this study offered valuable insights into the relationships between EL, IJS, and OCB in the context of China’s emerging industries. In particular, this study emphasized the significance of intrinsic values and LE in driving positive work behaviors. Overall, the findings contribute to the theoretical understanding of leadership studies and provide practical recommendations for organizations that aim to cultivate supportive and ethical work environments for their employees.

Data availability

All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article, and its supplementary information files: Tables S1 – S5 .

Aboramadan M, Karatepe OM (2021) Green Human Resource Management, perceived green organizational support and their effects on hotel employees’ behavioral outcomes. Int J Contemp Hosp Manag 33(10):3199–3222. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijchm-12-2020-1440

Article   Google Scholar  

Ahmad I, Donia MBL, Khan A, Waris M (2019) Do as I sayanddo as I do? The mediating role of psychological contract fulfillment in the relationship between ethical leadership and employee extra-role performance. Pers Rev 48(1):98–117. https://doi.org/10.1108/pr-12-2016-0325

Ahmad I, Zafar MA (2018) Impact of psychological contract fulfillment on Organizational Citizenship Behavior. Int J Contemp Hosp Manag 30(2):1001–1015. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijchm-12-2016-0659

Ahmad I, Gao Y (2018) Ethical leadership and work engagement. Manag Decis 56(9):1991–2005. https://doi.org/10.1108/md-02-2017-0107

Bouckenooghe D, Zafar A, Raja U (2014) How ethical leadership shapes employees’ job performance: the mediating roles of goal congruence and psychological capital. J Bus Ethics 129(2):251–264. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-014-2162-3

Brown ME, Treviño LK (2006) Ethical leadership: a review and future directions. Leadersh Q 17(6):595–616. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2006.10.004

Cemalcilar Z, Secinti E, Sumer N (2018) Intergenerational transmission of work values: a meta-analytic review. J Youth Adolesc 47(8):1559–1579. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-018-0858-x

Article   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Chen X, Wang Y (2020) Research on financing efficiency of China’s strategic emerging industries based on super efficiency DEA and Tobit model. Int J Emerg Mark 17(2):485–504. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijoem-02-2020-0188

Chin, WW (2010). How to Write Up and Report PLS Analyses. In: Esposito Vinzi, V, Chin, W, Henseler, J, Wang, H. (eds) Handbook of Partial Least Squares. Springer Handbooks of Computational Statistics. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-32827-8_29

Chin WW, Peterson RA, Brown SP (2008) Structural equation modeling in marketing: some practical reminders. J Mark Theory Pract 16(4):287–298. https://doi.org/10.2753/mtp1069-6679160402

Colman AM (2009) A dictionary of psychology. Oxford University Press, Oxford

Google Scholar  

Elche D, Ruiz-Palomino P, Linuesa-Langreo J (2020) Servant leadership and organizational citizenship behavior. Int J Contemp Hosp Manag 32(6):2035–2053. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijchm-05-2019-0501

Freire C, Bettencourt C (2020) Impact of ethical leadership on job satisfaction: the mediating effect of work–family conflict. Leadersh Org Dev J 41(2):319–330. https://doi.org/10.1108/lodj-07-2019-0338

Furnham A, MacRae I, Tetchner J (2021) Measuring work motivation: the facets of the work values questionnaire and work success. Scand J Psychol 62(3):401–408. https://doi.org/10.1111/sjop.12723

Fujimura T, Sato W, Suzuki N (2010) Facial expression arousal level modulates facial mimicry. Int J Psychophysiol 76(2):88–92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2010.02.008

George B, Graen Mary Uhl-Bien (1995) Relationship-based approach to leadership: Development of leader-member exchange (LMX) theory of leadership over 25 years: Applying a multi-level multi-domain perspective. The Leadership Quarterly 6(2):219–247. https://doi.org/10.1016/1048-9843(95)90036-5

Gesthuizen M, Kovarek D, Rapp C (2019) Extrinsic and intrinsic work values: findings on equivalence in different cultural contexts. Ann Am Acad Political Soc Sci 682(1):60–83. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002716219829016

Graves LM, Sarkis J, Zhu Q (2013) How transformational leadership and employee motivation combine to predict employee proenvironmental behaviors in China. J Environ Psychol 35:81–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2013.05.002

Greenbaum RL, Babalola M, Quade MJ, Guo L, Kim YC (2020) Moral burden of bottom-line pursuits: how and when perceptions of top management bottom-line mentality inhibit supervisors’ ethical leadership practices. J Bus Ethics 174(1):109–123. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-020-04546-w

Graves LM, Sarkis J (2018) The role of employees’ leadership perceptions, values, and motivation in employees’ provenvironmental behaviors. J Clean Prod 196:576–587. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.06.013

Gyekye SA, Haybatollahi M (2015) Organizational citizenship behaviour. Int J Organ Anal 23(2):285–301. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijoa-08-2012-0586

Guo K (2022) The relationship between ethical leadership and employee job satisfaction: The mediating role of media richness and perceived organizational transparency. Front Psychol 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.885515

Hair JF, Hult GTM, Ringle CM, Sarstedt M (2017) A primer on partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), 2nd edn. Sage Publications, Inc

Hair JF, Hult GTM, Ringle CM, Sarstedt M (2014) A primer on partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Sage Publications, Inc

Hatfield E, Cacioppo JT, Rapson RL (1993) Emotional contagion. Curr Dir Psychol Sci 2(3):96–99. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8721.ep10770953

Hayes AF, Rockwood NJ (2017) Regression-based statistical mediation and moderation analysis in clinical research: observations, recommendations, and implementation. Behav Res Ther 98:39–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2016.11.001

Hegney D, Plank A, Parker V (2006) Extrinsic and intrinsic work values: their impact on job satisfaction in nursing. J Nurs Manag 14(4):271–281. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2934.2006.00618.x

Hu L, Bentler PM (1999) Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Struct Equ Model 6(1):1–55. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705519909540118

James G, Witten D, Hastie T, Tibshirani R (2013) An introduction to statistical learning: with applications in R. Springer, New York, NY

Book   Google Scholar  

Jha JK, Singh M (2021) Who cares about ethical practices at workplace? A taxonomy of employees’ unethical conduct from Top Management Perspective. Int J Organ Anal 31(2):317–339. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijoa-07-2020-2321

Jordan G, Miglič G, Todorović I, Marič M (2017) Psychological empowerment, job satisfaction and organizational commitment among lecturers in higher education: comparison of six CEE countries. Organizacija 50(1):17–32. https://doi.org/10.1515/orga-2017-0004

Kade SA, du Toit SA, Danielson CT, Schweizer S, Morrison AS, Ong DC, Prasad A et al. (2024) Aberrant cognitive empathy in individuals with elevated social anxiety and regulation with emotional working memory training. Cogn Emot 24(63):1–19

Kim S, Cho S, Chung W (2023) Benefits of leaders’ pleasurable recovery activities on follower performance via emotional contagion. J Appl Psychol 108(8):1336–1355. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0001076

Kim WG, McGinley S, Choi HM, Agmapisarn C (2020) Hotels’ environmental leadership and employees’ organizational citizenship behavior. Int J Hosp Manag 87:102375. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2019.102375

Kunda MM, Ataman G, Kartaltepe Behram N (2019) Corporate social responsibility and organizational citizenship behavior. J Glob Responsib 10(1):47–68. https://doi.org/10.1108/jgr-06-2018-0018

Kock N, Mayfield M, Mayfield J, Sexton S, De La Garza LM (2019) Empathetic leadership: how leader emotional support and understanding influences follower performance. J Leadersh Org Stud 26(2):217–236

Kohnen D, De Witte H, Schaufeli WB, Dello S, Bruyneel L, Sermeus W (2024) Engaging leadership and nurse well-being: the role of the work environment and work motivation—a cross-sectional study. Hum Resour Health 22(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12960-023-00886-6

Losada-Otálora M, Alkire (née Nasr) L (2019) Investigating the transformative impact of bank transparency on consumers’ financial well-being. Int J Bank Mark 37(4):1062–1079. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijbm-03-2018-0079

Liu CM, Lin CP (2017) Assessing the effects of responsible leadership and ethical conflict on behavioral intention. Rev Manag Sci 12(4):1003–1024. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11846-017-0236-1

Li J (2024) Spatialized carbon-energy-water footprint of emerging coal chemical industry in China. Renew Sust Energy Rev 189:113919. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2023.113919

Lee K, Allen NJ (2002) Organizational citizenship behavior and workplace deviance: The role of affect and cognitions. J Appl Psychol 87(1):131–142. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.87.1.131

Mahsud R, Yukl G, Prussia G (2010) Leader empathy, ethical leadership, and relations‐oriented behaviors as antecedents of leader–member exchange quality. J Manag Psychol 25(6):561–577. https://doi.org/10.1108/02683941011056932

Metwally D et al (2019) How ethical leadership shapes employees’ readiness to change: the mediating role of an organizational culture of effectiveness. Front Psychol 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02493

Moon KK, Jung C (2018) Management representativeness, ethical leadership, and employee job satisfaction in the U.S. Federal Government. Public Pers Manag 47(3):265–286. https://doi.org/10.1177/0091026018767480

Mendiratta A, Srivastava S (2023) Workplace bullying and organizational citizenship behavior: the parallel mediating effects of job satisfaction and resilience. Int J Emerg Mark 18(7):1565–1586. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijoem-03-2021-0417

Petitta L, Probst TM, Ghezzi V et al. (2023) The impact of emotional contagion on workplace safety: investigating the roles of sleep, health, and production pressure. Curr Psychol 42:2362–2376. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-01616-8

Puni A, Mohammed I, Asamoah E (2018) Transformational leadership and job satisfaction: the moderating effect of contingent reward. Leadersh Org Dev J 39:522–537. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-11-2017-0358

Podsakoff PM, MacKenzie SB, Podsakoff NP (2012) Sources of method bias in social science research and recommendations on how to control it. Annu Rev Psychol 63(1):539–569. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-120710-100452

Qing M, Asif M, Hussain A, Jameel A (2019) Exploring the impact of ethical leadership on job satisfaction and organizational commitment in public sector organizations: the mediating role of psychological empowerment. Rev Manag Sci 14(6):1405–1432. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11846-019-00340-9

Ryan RM, Deci EL (2000) Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. Am J Psychol 55(1):68–78. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.68

Article   CAS   Google Scholar  

Radic A, Arjona-Fuentes JM, Ariza-Montes A, Han H, Law R (2020) Job demands–job resources (JD-R) model, work engagement, and well-being of cruise ship employees. Int J Hosp Manag 88:102518. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2020.102518

Richard EM, Bupp CP, Alzaidalsharief RG (2016) Supervisor empathy moderates the negative effects of customer injustice. Emot Organ Gov 117–140. https://doi.org/10.1108/s1746-979120160000012004

Sarstedt GR, Ringle CM, Smith D, Reams R, Hair JF (2014) Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM): a useful tool for family business researchers. J Fam Bus Strateg 5(1):105–115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfbs.2014.01.002

Shamir B, House RJ, Arthur MB (1993) The motivational effects of charismatic leadership: a self-concept based theory. Organ Sci 4(4):577–594. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.4.4.577

Si X, Xue H, Song X, Liu X, Zhang F (2023) The relationship between ethical leadership and nurse well‐being: the mediating role of workplace mindfulness. J Adv Nurs 79(10):4008–4021. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.15719

Stietz J, Jauk E, Krach S, Kanske P (2019) Dissociating empathy from perspective-taking: Evidence from intra- and inter-individual differences research. Front Psychiatry 10. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00126

Steinmann B, Nübold A, Maier GW (2016) Validation of a German version of the ethical leadership at work questionnaire by Kalshoven et al. (2011). Front Psychol 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00446

Salovey P, Mayer JD (1990) Emotional intelligence. Imagin Cogn Personal 9(3):185–211. https://doi.org/10.2190/dugg-p24e-52wk-6cdg

Sarstedt M, Ringle CM, Smith D, Reams R, Hair JF (2014) Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM): a useful tool for family business researchers. J Fam Bus Strateg 5(1):105–115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfbs.2014.01.002

Thakur-Wernz P, Wernz C (2020) Does R&D offshore outsourcing improve innovation in vendor firms from emerging economies? A study of biopharmaceutical industry in India. Int J Emerg Mark 17(6):1373–1403. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijoem-03-2020-0308

Tran Pham TK, Nguyen Le TQ (2023) Impacts of ethical leadership, innovative climate on project success: the role of innovative behavior and time pressure. Balt J Manag https://doi.org/10.1108/bjm-01-2023-0001

Tripathi D, Priyadarshi P, Kumar P, Kumar S (2020) Micro-foundations for sustainable development: leadership and employee performance. Int J Organ Anal 28(1):92–108. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijoa-01-2019-1622

Tuin L, Schaufeli WB, Van den Broeck A (2021) Engaging leadership: enhancing work engagement through intrinsic values and need satisfaction. Hum Resour Dev Q 32(4):483–505. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrdq.21430

Visser M, Gesthuizen M, Kraaykamp G (2019) Work values and political participation: a cross-national analysis. Ann Am Acad Political Soc Sci 682(1):186–203. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002716219830961

Walden JA, Kingsley Westerman CY (2018) Strengthening the tie: Creating exchange relationships that encourage employee advocacy as an organizational citizenship behavior. Manag Commun Q 32(4):593–611. https://doi.org/10.1177/0893318918783612

Yue CA, Thelen PD, Walden J (2022) How empathetic leadership communication mitigates employees’ turnover intention during COVID-19-related organizational change. Manag Decis 61(5):1413–1433. https://doi.org/10.1108/md-01-2022-0011

Zhao H, Zhou Q (2021) Socially responsible human resource management and hotel employee organizational citizenship behavior for the environment: a social cognitive perspective. Int J Hosp Manag 95:102749. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2020.102749

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

School of Business and Economics, Zhejiang University of Water Resources and Electric Power, 310018, Hangzhou, China

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Contributions

Conceptualization: Qin Li; Methodology: Qin Li; Formal analysis and investigation: Qin Li; Writing-original draft preparation: Qin Li.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Qin Li .

Ethics declarations

Competing interests.

The author declares no competing interests.

Ethical approval

The procedures used in this study adhered to the ethical standards set out in the Declaration of Helsinki. As the study was not medical research nor regarded human experimentation as stated in the Declaration of Helsinki, and the questions in the questionnaire did not have any adverse effect on the mental health status of the respondents, ethical approval was not required for this questionnaire-based study according to the regulations of the authors’ institution (Zhejiang University of Water Resources and Electric Power). Furthermore, all respondents were at least 18 years old and consented to participate in the research study by completing the questionnaire. The information collected is strictly confidential, anonymous, and used for research purposes only.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all participants. All participants were informed about the purpose and aims of this study, that their participation was entirely voluntary, and the ways the data would be used.

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary information

Supplementary information, rights and permissions.

Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ .

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article.

Li, Q. Ethical leadership, internal job satisfaction and OCB: the moderating role of leader empathy in emerging industries. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 11 , 901 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-03367-w

Download citation

Received : 07 December 2023

Accepted : 17 June 2024

Published : 11 July 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-03367-w

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

Quick links

• Explore articles by subject
• Guide to authors
• Editorial policies

Information

• Author Services

Initiatives

You are accessing a machine-readable page. In order to be human-readable, please install an RSS reader.

All articles published by MDPI are made immediately available worldwide under an open access license. No special permission is required to reuse all or part of the article published by MDPI, including figures and tables. For articles published under an open access Creative Common CC BY license, any part of the article may be reused without permission provided that the original article is clearly cited. For more information, please refer to https://www.mdpi.com/openaccess .

Feature papers represent the most advanced research with significant potential for high impact in the field. A Feature Paper should be a substantial original Article that involves several techniques or approaches, provides an outlook for future research directions and describes possible research applications.

Feature papers are submitted upon individual invitation or recommendation by the scientific editors and must receive positive feedback from the reviewers.

Editor’s Choice articles are based on recommendations by the scientific editors of MDPI journals from around the world. Editors select a small number of articles recently published in the journal that they believe will be particularly interesting to readers, or important in the respective research area. The aim is to provide a snapshot of some of the most exciting work published in the various research areas of the journal.

Original Submission Date Received: .

• Active Journals
• Find a Journal
• Proceedings Series
• For Authors
• For Reviewers
• For Editors
• For Librarians
• For Publishers
• For Societies
• For Conference Organizers
• Open Access Policy
• Institutional Open Access Program
• Special Issues Guidelines
• Editorial Process
• Research and Publication Ethics
• Article Processing Charges
• Testimonials
• Preprints.org
• SciProfiles
• Encyclopedia

Article Menu

• Subscribe SciFeed
• Recommended Articles
• Google Scholar
• on Google Scholar
• Table of Contents

Find support for a specific problem in the support section of our website.

Please let us know what you think of our products and services.

Visit our dedicated information section to learn more about MDPI.

JSmol Viewer

Exploring purpose-driven leadership: theoretical foundations, mechanisms, and impacts in organizational context.

1. Introduction

2. theoretical perspectives on leadership: an evolutionary analysis, 3. purpose-driven leadership: a new perspective on leadership, 4. methodology.

• Conceptualization of Purpose-Driven Leadership.
• Importance of Purpose-Driven Leadership in contemporary research and practice.
• Theoretical foundations of Purpose-Driven Leadership.
• Mechanisms and impacts of Purpose-Driven Leadership.
• The role of purpose in navigating times of VUCA.
• Measurement approaches for purpose in leadership.

5. Findings

5.1. purpose-driven leadership research landscape, 5.2. purpose, organizational purpose, and purpose-driven leadership.

• Consistency: Purpose does not manifest as a fleeting intention but is grounded in its enduring nature ( Gavarkovs et al. 2023 ; Jasinenko and Steuber 2023 ; Knippenberg 2020 ). Demonstrating resilience against ephemeral shifts in external conditions or situational variances, purpose consistently maintains its vigor and steadfastness ( Rindova and Martins 2023 ; Trachik et al. 2020 ). It acts as a constant lodestar amid the dynamic terrains of both personal and professional spheres ( Bhattacharya et al. 2023 ; Qin et al. 2022 ; Rindova and Martins 2023 ).
• Generality: In contradistinction to a limited, task-centric objective, purpose is distinguished by its comprehensive scope ( By 2021 ; Gavarkovs et al. 2023 ; Jasinenko and Steuber 2023 ). Instead of being confined to proximate tasks or circumscribed aims, purpose spans a more expansive purview ( By 2021 ; Gavarkovs et al. 2023 ; Jasinenko and Steuber 2023 ). This ubiquity of purpose guarantees its applicability across multifarious contexts ( By 2021 ; Gavarkovs et al. 2023 ; Jasinenko and Steuber 2023 ).
• Two dimensions: - Internal Dimension: The internal dimension of purpose refers to the individuals’ intrinsic motivations and impulses, which are connected to their sense of purpose ( Crane 2022 ; Knippenberg 2020 ). It serves as a source of meaning, supporting the rationale of every decision, direction, or objective delineated ( Handa 2023 ; Jasinenko and Steuber 2023 ). This introspective aspect emphasizes the congruence and alignment between an individual and their purpose ( Gavarkovs et al. 2023 ; Jasinenko and Steuber 2023 ). - External Dimension: Beyond its internal impact, the influence of purpose extends to the external environment, through the efforts generated by the individual within their context ( By 2021 ; Gavarkovs et al. 2023 ; Handa 2023 ; Jasinenko and Steuber 2023 ). This is underpinned by the individual’s commitment to promoting positive change in a broader environment ( Ocasio et al. 2023 ; Qin et al. 2022 ).
• Daily embodiment and expression: Purpose manifests as a palpable instantiation in quotidian activities since it is part of every decision and action made ( By 2021 ; Jasinenko and Steuber 2023 ). Such perennial articulation provides consistency and influences daily activities ( Bronk et al. 2023 ; Hurth and Stewart 2022 ; Ocasio et al. 2023 ).

5.2.1. Attributes of Purpose-Driven Leadership

5.2.2. purpose-driven leadership construct conceptualization, 5.3. theoretical foundations of purpose-driven leadership, 5.4. mechanisms and impacts of purpose-driven leadership, 5.4.1. potential antecedents, 5.4.2. potential outcomes, 5.4.3. potential mediators, 5.4.4. potential moderatos, 5.5. purpose-driven leadership as a guiding light, 5.6. measurement approaches for purpose-driven leadership, 6. discussion, 7. conclusions, supplementary materials, author contributions, data availability statement, conflicts of interest.

• Abbas, Muhammad, and Raza Ali. 2023. Transformational versus transactional leadership styles and project success: A meta-analytic review. European Management Journal 41: 125–42. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Adobor, Henry, William Phanuel Kofi Darbi, and Obi Berko O. Damoah. 2021. Strategy in the era of “swans”: The role of strategic leadership under uncertainty and unpredictability. Journal of Strategy and Management . [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Aguileta-Clemente, Carmen López, Julinda Molares-Cardoso, and V. Badenes Plá. 2023. The purpose as a dynamizer of corporate culture and value generator: Analysis of the websites of IBEX-35 Spanish companies Carmen. Revista Internacional de Relaciones Públicas 13: 41–54. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Ahinful, Gabriel Sam, Jeff Danquah Boakye, and Nana Dwomoh Osei Bempah. 2023. Determinants of SMEs’ financial performance: Evidence from an emerging economy. Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship 35: 362–86. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Almandoz, Juan. 2023. Inside-out and outside-in perspectives on corporate purpose. Strategy Science 8: 139–48. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Amah, Okechukwu Ethelbert, and Kabiru Oyetuunde. 2020. The effect of servant leadership on employee turnover in SMEs in Nigeria: The role of career growth potential and employee voice. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development 27: 885–904. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Anshori, Lutfi Isa, Purnamie Titisari, Sri Wahyu Lelly Hana Setyanti, Raden Andi Sularso Handriyono, and Arnis Budi Susanto. 2023. The Influence of Servant Leadership on Motivation, Work Engagement, Job Satisfaction and Teacher Performance of Vocational Hight School Teachers in Jember City. Quality—Access to Success 24: 261–73. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Antonakis, John, George Banks, Nicolas Bastardoz, Michael Cole, David Day, Alice Eagly, Olga Epitropaki, Roseanne Foti, William Gardner, Alex Haslam, and et al. 2019. The Leadership Quarterly: State of the journal. The Leadership Quarterly 30: 1–9. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Azungah, Theophilus. 2018. Qualitative research: Deductive and inductive approaches to data analysis. Qualitative Research Journal 18: 383–400. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Bai, Mayangzong, Xinyi Zheng, Xu Huang, Tiantian Jing, Chenhao Yu, Sisi Li, and Zhiruo Zhang. 2023. How serving helps leading: Mediators between servant leadership and affective commitment. Frontiers in Psychology 14: 1170490. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Baquero, Asier. 2023. Authentic leadership, employee work engagement, trust in the leader, and workplace well-being: A moderated mediation model. Psychology Research and Behavior Management 16: 1403–24. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Barnard, Caa Iaa. 1938. The Functions of the Executive . Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. [ Google Scholar ]
• Bass, Bernard. 1985. Leadership and Performance: Beyond Expectations . New York: Free Press. [ Google Scholar ]
• Berraies, Sarra. 2023. Mediating effects of employees’ eudaimonic and hedonic well-being between distributed leadership and ambidextrous innovation: Does employees’ age matter? European Journal of Innovation Management 26: 1271–92. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Bhattacharya, C. B., Sankar Sen, Laura Marie Edinger-Schons, and Michael Neureiter. 2023. Corporate Purpose and Employee Sustainability Behaviors. Journal of Business Ethics 183: 963–81. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Brendel, William, Sang Won Byun, and Mi Hee Park. 2023. Ways of Being: Assessing Presence and Purpose at Work. Journal of Management Spirituality & Religion 20: 53–86. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Bronk, Kendall Cotton, Caleb Mitchell, Elyse Postlewaite, Anne Colby, William Damon, and Zach Swanson. 2023. Family purpose: An empirical investigation of collective purpose. The Journal of Positive Psychology 19: 662–74. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Brower, Holly H., F. David Schoorman, and Hwee Hoon Tan. 2000. A model of relational leadership. The Leadership Quarterly 11: 227–50. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Brown, Ryan P., Lebena Varghese, Sarah Sullivan, and Sandy Parsons. 2021. The Impact of Professional Coaching on Emerging Leaders. International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring 19: 24–37. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Bunderson, Stuart, and Anjan V. Thakor. 2022. Higher purpose, banking and stability. Journal of Banking & Finance 140: 106138. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Burns, James MacGregor. 1978. Leadership . Manhattan: Harper & Row. [ Google Scholar ]
• By, Rune Todnem. 2021. Leadership: In pursuit of purpose. Journal of Change Management 21: 30–44. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Caldwell, Cam, and Linda A. Hayes. 2016. Self-efficacy and self-awareness: Moral insights to increased leader effectiveness. Journal of Management Development 35: 1163–73. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Canavesi, Alice, and Eliana Minelli. 2022. Servant leadership and employee engagement: A qualitative study. Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal 34: 413–35. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Capon, Noel, John Farley, and Scott Hoenig. 1990. Determinants of Financial Performance: A Meta-Analysis. Management Science 36: 1143–59. Available online: https://www.jstor.org/stable/2632657 (accessed on 4 June 2024).
• Castillo, Elizabeth A., and Mai P. Trinh. 2019. Catalyzing capacity: Absorptive, adaptive, and generative leadership. Journal of Organizational Change Management 32: 356–76. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Cavazotte, Flavia, Sylvia Freitas Mello, and Lucia B. Oliveira. 2020. Expatriate’s engagement and burnout: The role of purpose-oriented leadership and cultural intelligence. Journal of Global Mobility: The Home of Expatriate Management Research 9: 90–106. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Cho, Katherine S. 2023. Purpose and process: Power, equity, and agenda setting. New Directions for Student Leadership 2023: 33–40. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Christensen-Salem, Amanda, Marco Tulio F. Zanini, Fred O. Walumbwa, Ronaldo Parente, Daniel M. Peat, and Jaclyn Perrmann-graham. 2021. Communal solidarity in extreme environments: The role of servant leadership and social resources in building serving culture and service performance. Journal of Business Research 135: 829–39. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Clarke, Thomas. 2020. The contest on corporate purpose: Why Lynn Stout was right and Milton Friedman was wrong. Accounting, Economics and Law: A Convivium 10: 20200145. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Cline, Michaela, Paige Roberts, Timothy Werlau, Paloma Hauser, and Cheryl Smith-Miller. 2022. Three good things: Promote work–life balance, reduce burnout, enhance reflection among newly licensed RNs. Nursing Forum 57: 1390–98. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Consoli, Sal. 2021. Uncovering the hidden face of narrative analysis: A reflexive perspective through MAXQDA. System 102: 102611. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Cordoba, Emmeline Lagunes, Suzanne Shale, Rachel Clare Evans, and Derek Tracy. 2022. Time to get serious about distributed leadership: Lessons to learn for promoting leadership development for non-consultant career grade doctors in the UK. BMJ Leader 6: 45–49. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Crabtree, Benjamin F., Jenna Howard, William L. Miller, DeANN Cromp, Clarissa Hsu, Katie Coleman, Brian Austin, Margaret Flinter, Leah Tuzzio, and Edward H. Wagner. 2020. Leading Innovative Practice: Leadership Attributes in LEAP Practices. The Milbank Quarterly 98: 399–445. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Crane, Bret. 2022. Eudaimonia in Crisis: How Ethical Purpose Finding Transforms Crisis. Humanistic Management Journal 7: 391–416. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Cristofaro, Matheo, Christopher Neck, Pier Luigi Giardino, and Christopher B. Neck. 2023. Self and shared leadership in decision quality: A tale of two sides. Management Decision 61: 2541–63. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Das, Mohit Ranjan, Pramod Pathak, and Mohit Ranjan Das. 2018. Spirituality at Workplace: A Report from Ground Zero. Purushartha—A Journal of Management Ethics and Spirituality 11: 11–23. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Dhamija, Pavitra, Andrea Chiarini, and Shara Shapla. 2023. Technology and leadership styles: A review of trends between 2003 and 2021. The TQM Journal 35: 210–33. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Dimitrov, Kiril. 2022. Organizational Leadership through the Massive Transformative Purpose. Economic Alternatives 28: 318–44. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Dorasamy, Nirmala. 2010. Enhancing an ethical culture through purpose-directed leadership for improved public service delivery: A case for South Africa. African Journal of Business Management 4: 56–63. Available online: http://search.proquest.com/docview/1663906542?accountid=40690%5Cnhttp://link.periodicos.capes.gov.br/sfxlcl41?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&genre=article&sid=ProQ:ProQ%3Apqrl&atitle=Enhancing+an+ethical+culture+through+purpo (accessed on 4 June 2024).
• Edgar, Stacey. 2023. Artisan social enterprises in Zambia: Women leveraging purpose to scale impact. Social Enterprise Journal 20: 140–58. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Eisenschmidt, Eve, Elina Kuusisto, Katrin Poom-Valickis, and Kirsi Tirri. 2019. Virtues that create purpose for ethical leadership: Exemplary principals from Estonia and Finland. Journal of Beliefs & Values 40: 433–46. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Elo, Satu, and Helvi Kyngäs. 2008. The qualitative content analysis process. Journal of Advanced Nursing 62: 107–15. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Enslin, Carla, Michelle Wolfswinkel, and Marlize Terblanche-Smit. 2023. Responsible leadership through purpose-driven brand building: Guidelines for leaders in Africa. South African Journal of Business Management 53: 1–14. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Fiedler, Fred E. 1964. A Contingency Model of Leadership Effectiveness. In Advances in Experimental Social Psychology 1: 149–90. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Fitzsimmons, Lexis Bajalia, Yufan Sunny Qin, and Eve R. Heffron. 2022. Purpose vs. mission vs. vision: Persuasive appeals and components in corporate statements. Journal of Communication Management 26: 207–19. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Fleischer, Holger. 2021. Corporate Purpose: A Management Concept and its Implications for Company Law. SSRN Electronic Journal 18: 161–89. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Fu, Lihua, Zhiying Liu, and Suqin Liao. 2018. Is distributed leadership a driving factor of innovation ambidexterity? An empirical study with mediating and moderating effects. Leadership & Organization Development Journal 39: 388–405. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Fu, Qinghua, Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman, Hui Jiang, Jaward Abbas, and Ubaldo Comite. 2022. Sustainable Supply Chain and Business Performance: The Impact of Strategy, Network Design, Information Systems, and Organizational Structure. Sustainability 14: 1080. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Gartenberg, Claudine, and Todd Zenger. 2023. The Firm as a Subsociety: Purpose, Justice, and the Theory of the Firm. Organization Science 34: 1965–80. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Gavarkovs, Adam G., Rashmi A. Kusurkar, and Ryan Brydges. 2023. The purpose, adaptability, confidence, and engrossment model: A novel approach for supporting professional trainees’ motivation, engagement, and academic achievement. Frontiers in Education 8: 1–15. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Geisler, Cheryl. 2018. Coding for Language Complexity: The Interplay Among Methodological Commitments, Tools, and Workflow in Writing Research. Written Communication 35: 215–49. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Gil, Alfonso J., Gabriela Bittencourt Gonzalez Mosegui, Rosana Zenezi Moreira, and Mauro J. Eguizabal. 2023. The moderating role of employee proactive behaviour in the relationship between servant leadership and job satisfaction. International Journal of Organizational Analysis 32: 422–34. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Graen, George B., and Mary Uhl-Bien. 1995. Relationship-based approach to leadership: Development of leader-member exchange (LMX) theory of leadership over 25 years: Applying a multi-level multi-domain perspective. The Leadership Quarterly 6: 219–47. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Greenleaf, Robert Kiefner. 1977. Servant Leadership: A Journey into the Nature of Legitimate Power and Greatness . Mahwah: Paulist Press. [ Google Scholar ]
• Gwartz, Evan, and Kirsty Spence. 2020. Conscious capitalism and sport: Exploring higher purpose in a professional sport organization. Sport Management Review 23: 750–63. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Haar, Jarrod M., and Candice Harris. 2023. A moderated mediation study of high performance work systems and insomnia on New Zealand employees: Job burnout mediating and work-life balance moderating. The International Journal of Human Resource Management 34: 68–91. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Hallinger, Philip, and Jasna Kovačević. 2022. Mapping the intellectual lineage of educational management, administration and leadership, 1972–2020. Educational Management Administration and Leadership 50: 192–216. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Handa, Manoj Chandra. 2023. The leading wisdom development framework: An integrated roadmap for cultivating a sense of purpose and meaning. Journal of Advanced Academics 34: 32–67. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Hartnell, Chad, Amanda Christensen-Salem, Fred O. Walumbwa, Derek Stotler, Flora Chiang, and Thomas A. Birtch. 2023. Manufacturing motivation in the mundane: Servant leadership’s influence on employees’ intrinsic motivation and performance. Journal of Business Ethics 188: 533–52. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Hersey, Paul, Kenneth H. Blanchard, and Walter E. Natemeyer. 1979. Situational Leadership, Perception, and the Impact of Power. Group & Organization Studies 4: 418–28. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Hickey, Niamh, Aishling Flaherty, and Patricia Mannix McNamara. 2022. Distributed Leadership: A Scoping Review Mapping Current Empirical Research. Societies 12: 15. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Hoang, Giang Hien, Elisabeth Wilson-Evered, Leonie Lockstone-Binney, and Tuan Trong Luu. 2021. Empowering leadership in hospitality and tourism management: A systematic literature review. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management 33: 4182–214. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Hong, Paul C., Joseph Chacko Chennattuserry, Xiyue Deng, and Margaret M. Hopkins. 2021. Purpose-driven leadership and organizational success: A case of higher educational institutions. Leadership & Organization Development Journal 42: 1004–17. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Hurth, Victoria, and Iain S. Stewart. 2022. Re-purposing Universities: The Path to Purpose. Frontiers in Sustainability 2: 762271. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Ingen, Ramon van, Pascale Peters, Melanie De Ruiter, and Henry Robben. 2021. Exploring the meaning of organizational purpose at a new dawn: The development of a conceptual model through expert interviews. Frontiers in Psychology 12: 675543. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Islam, Jamil Ul, Owais Nazir, and Zillur Rahman. 2023. Sustainably engaging employees in food wastage reduction: A conscious capitalism perspective. Journal of Cleaner Production 389: 136091. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Itzkovich, Yariv, Sibylle Heilbrunn, and Ana Aleksic. 2020. Full range indeed? The forgotten dark side of leadership. Journal of Management Development 39: 851–68. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Jack, Kirsten, Monica Bianchi, Rosa Dilae Pereira Costa, Keren Grinberg, Gerardina Harnett, Marie_Louise Luiking, Stefan Nilsson, and Janet Mary Elizabeth Scammell. 2022. Clinical leadership in nursing students: A concept analysis. Nurse Education Today 108: 105173. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Jasinenko, Anna, and Josephina Steuber. 2023. Perceived organizational purpose: Systematic literature review, construct definition, measurement and potential employee outcomes. Journal of Management Studies 60: 1415–47. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Jønsson, Thomas Faurholt, Esther Bahat, and Massimilano Barattucci. 2021. How are empowering leadership, self-efficacy and innovative behavior related to nurses’ agency in distributed leadership in Denmark, Italy and Israel? Journal of Nursing Management 29: 1517–24. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Judge, Timothy A., Joyce E. Bono, Remus Ilies, and Megan W. Gerhardt. 2002. Personality and leadership: A qualitative and quantitative review. Journal of Applied Psychology 87: 765–80. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Kaplan, Sarah. 2023. The promises and perils of corporate purpose. Strategic Science 8: 288–301. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Kempster, Steve, and Brad Jackson. 2021. Leadership for What, Why, for Whom and Where? A Responsibility Perspective. Journal of Change Management 21: 45–65. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Kempster, Steve, Marian Iszatt-White, and Matt Brown. 2019. Authenticity in leadership: Reframing relational transparency through the lens of emotional labour. Leadership 15: 319–38. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Kim, Sunmi, Seok Hee Jeong, and Myoung Hee Seo. 2022. Nurses’ ethical leadership and related outcome variables: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Nursing Management 30: 2308–23. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Knippenberg, Daan Vaaaa. 2020. Meaning-based leadership. Organizational Psychology Review 10: 6–28. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Koh, Howard K., Cathy C. Tso, Cyra Perry Dougherty, Emily E. Lazowy, Chelsea P. Heberlein, and Fawn A. Phelps. 2023. Exploring the spiritual foundations of public health leadership. Frontiers in Public Health 11: 1210160. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Konadu, Kingsley, Abigail Opaku Mensah, Samuel Koomson, Ernest Mensah Abraham, Joshua Amuzu, and Joan-Ark Manu Agyapong. 2023. A model for improving the relationship between integrity and work performance. International Journal of Ethics and Systems . [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Kumpulainen, Milka, and Marko Seppänen. 2022. Combining Web of Science and Scopus datasets in citation-based literature study. Scientometrics 127: 5613–31. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• LaVoi, Samantha, and Eric Haley. 2021. How Pro-Social Purpose Agencies Define Themselves and Their Value: An Emerging Business Model in the Advertising-Agency World. Journal of Current Issues & Research in Advertising 42: 372–90. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Lawson, Crystal, and Dan Weberg. 2023. Leading through times of transformation: Purpose, trust, and co-creation. Nurse Leader 21: 380–84. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Lewis, Clif P., and Maryam Aldossari. 2022. “One of these things is not like the others”: The role of authentic leadership in cross-cultural leadership development. Leadership and Organization Development Journal 43: 1252–70. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Lin, Qin, and Lingfeng Yi. 2023. Survival of the fittest: The multiple paths of entrepreneurial leadership driving adaptive innovation in uncertain environment. European Journal of Innovation Management 26: 1150–67. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Lord, Robert G., Paola Gatti, and Susanna L. M. Chui. 2016. Social-cognitive, relational, and identity-based approaches to leadership. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 136: 119–34. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Losada-Vazquez, Angel. 2022. Organizational learning at purpose-driven enterprise: Action–research model for leadership improvement. Sustainability 14: 1301. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Lu, Shiwen, and Jiseon Ahn. 2023. Assessment of job meaning based on attributes of food-delivery mobile applications. Current Issues in Tourism 1–20. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Luedi, Markus M. 2022. Leadership in 2022: A perspective. Best Practice & Research Clinical Anaesthesiology 36: 229–35. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Magasi, Chacha. 2021. The role of transformational leadership on employee performance: A perspective of employee empowerment. European Journal of Business and Management Research 6: 21–28. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Martela, Frank, and Anne B. Pessi. 2018. Significant work is about self-realization and broader purpose: Defining the key dimensions of meaningful work. Frontiers in Psychology 9: 363. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Martinez, Seth-Aaron, and Nahari Leija. 2023. Distinguishing Servant Leadership from Transactional and Transformational Leadership. Advances in Developing Human Resources 25: 141–88. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Methley, Abigail M., Stephen Campbell, Carolyn Chew-Graham, Rosalind McNally, and Sudeh Cheraghi-Sohi. 2014. PICO, PICOS and SPIDER: A comparison study of specificity and sensitivity in three search tools for qualitative systematic reviews. BMC Health Services Research 14: 579. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Meynhardt, Timo, Josephina Steuber, and Maximilian Feser. 2023. The Leipzig Leadership Model: Measuring leadership orientations. Current Psychology 43: 9005–24. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Moher, David, Alessandro Liberati, Jennifer Tetzlaff, and Douglas G. Altman. 2009. Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: The PRISMA statement. PLoS Medicine 6: e1000097. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Mouton, Nico. 2019. A literary perspective on the limits of leadership: Tolstoy’s critique of the great man theory. Leadership 15: 81–102. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Mulyani, Sri, Anas A. Salameh, Aan Komariah, Anton Timoshin Nik Alif Amri NikHashim, R. Siti Pupi Fauziah, Mulyaningsih Mulyaningsih, Israr Ahmad, and Sajid Mohy Ul din. 2021. Emotional Regulation as a Remedy for Teacher Burnout in Special Schools: Evaluating School Climate, Teacher’s Work-Life Balance and Children Behavior. Frontiers in Psychology 12: 655850. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Nakamura, Julia S., Ying Chen, Tyler J. VanderWeele, and Eric S. Kim. 2022. What makes life purposeful? Identifying the antecedents of a sense of purpose in life using a lagged exposure-wide approach. SSM Population Health 19: 101235. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Nazir, Owais, Jamid Ul, and Zillur Rahman. 2021. Effect of CSR participation on employee sense of purpose and experienced meaningfulness: A self-determination theory perspective. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management 46: 123–33. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Nguyen, Nguyen Thi Thao, Nguyen Phong Nguyen, and Tu Thanh Hoai. 2021. Ethical leadership, corporate social responsibility, firm reputation, and firm performance: A serial mediation model. Heliyon 7: e06809. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Ocasio, William, Mathew Kraatz, and David Chandler. 2023. Making Sense of Corporate Purpose. Strategy Science 8: 123–38. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Ogunfowora, Babatunde, Meena Andiappan, Madelynn Stackhouse, and Christianne Varty. 2023. CEO ethical leadership as a unique source of substantive and rhetorical ethical signals for attracting job seekers: The moderating role of job seekers’ moral identity. Journal of Organizational Behavior 44: 1380–99. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Olin, Karolina, Charlotte Klinga, Mirjam Ekstedt, and Karin Pukk-Härenstam. 2023. Exploring everyday work as a dynamic non-event and adaptations to manage safety in intraoperative anaesthesia care: An interview study. BMC Health Services Research 23: 1–15. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Page, Matthew J., Joanne E. McKenzie, Patrick M. Bossuyt, Isabelle Boutron, Tammy C. Hoffmann, Cynthia D. Mulrow, Larissa Shamseer, Jennifer M. Tetzlaff, Ellie A. Akl, Sue E. Brennan, and et al. 2021. The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ , 372. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Panojan, Pavalakanthan, Kanchana K. S. Perera, and Rajaratnam Dilakshan. 2022. Work-life balance of professional quantity surveyors engaged in the construction industry. International Journal of Construction Management 22: 751–68. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Pate, Larry B., and Donald C. Heiman. 1987. A Test of the Vroom-Yetton Decision Model in Seven Field Settings. Personnel Review 16: 22–26. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Peeters, Robin, Daan Westra, Arno J. A. van Raak, and Dirk Ruwaard. 2023. So Happy Together: A Review of the Literature on the Determinants of Effectiveness of Purpose-Oriented Networks in Health Care. Medical Care Research and Review 80: 266–82. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Piwowar-Sulej, Katarzyna, and Qaisar Iqbal. 2023. Leadership styles and sustainable performance: A systematic literature review. Journal of Cleaner Production 382: 134600. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Ponting, Sandra SunAh. 2020. Organizational identity change: Impacts on hotel leadership and employee wellbeing. The Service Industries Journal 40: 6–26. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Pulido-Martos, Manuel, Leire Gartzia, José María Augusto-Landa, and Esther Lopez-Zafra. 2023. Transformational leadership and emotional intelligence: Allies in the development of organizational affective commitment from a multilevel perspective and time-lagged data. In Review of Managerial Science. Berlin and Heidelberg: Springer . [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Qin, Yufan Sunny, Marica W. DiStaso, Alexis Fitzsimmons, Eve Heffron, and Linjuan Rita Men. 2022. How purpose-driven organizations influenced corporate actions and employee trust during the global COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Strategic Communication 16: 426–43. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Rai, Puneet. 2020. The rising interest in workplace spirituality: Micro, meso and macro perspectives. Purushartha 13: 56–66. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Rashmi, Kumari, and Aakanksha Kataria. 2022. Work–life balance: A systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy 42: 1028–65. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Rey, Carlos, and Miquel Bastons. 2018. Three dimensions of effective mission implementation. Long Range Planning 51: 580–85. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Rindova, Violina P., and Luis L. Martins. 2023. Moral imagination, the collective desirable, and strategic purpose. Strategy Science 8: 170–81. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Roberts, Dennis Caaa. 2020. Discovering Purpose: A Life-Long Journey. New Directions for Student Leadership 2020: 123–34. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Rocha, Hector, Michael Pirson, and Roy Suddaby. 2021. Business with Purpose and the Purpose of Business Schools: Re-Imagining Capitalism in a Post Pandemic World: A Conversation with Jay Coen Gilbert, Raymond Miles, Christian Felber, Raj Sisodia, Paul Adler, and Charles Wookey. Journal of Management Inquiry 30: 354–67. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Salhieh, Loay, Ala’a Mehiar, Ismail Abushaikha, Hendrik Reefke, and Loay Bani-Ismail. 2023. The strategic fit between strategic purchasing and purchasing involvement: The moderating role of leadership styles. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management 41: 559–84. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Sarwar, Uzma, Muhammad Aamir, Yu Bichao, and Zhongwen Chen. 2023. Authentic leadership, perceived organizational support, and psychological capital: Implications for job performance in the education sector. Frontiers in Psychology 13: 1084963. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Sarwar, Uzma, Samina Zamir, Kiran Fazal, Yang Hong, and Qi Zhan Yong. 2022. Impact of leadership styles on innovative performance of female leaders in Pakistani Universities. PLoS ONE 17: e0266956. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Schiavenato, Martin, and Frances Chu. 2021. PICO: What it is and what it is not. Nurse Education in Practice 56: 103194. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Selznick, Philips. 1957. Leadership in Administration: A Sociological Interpretation. In American Sociological Review . Berkeley: University of California Press, vol. 23. [ Google Scholar ]
• Shahab, Moh Ali, Agus Sobari, and Udin Udin. 2018. Empowering Leadership and Organizational Citizenship Behavior: The Mediating Roles of Psychological Empowerment and Emotional Intelligence in Medical Service Industry. International Journal of Economics and Business Administration VI: 80–91 . [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Shoukat, Muhammad Haroon, Syed Asim Shah, and Dilnaz Muneeb. 2023. Shared leadership and team performance in health care: How intellectual capital and team learning intervene in this relationship. The Learning Organization 30: 426–45. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Singh, Sanjay Kumar, Manlio Del Giudice, Shlomo Y. Tarba, and Paola De Bernardi. 2022. Top Management Team Shared Leadership, Market-Oriented Culture, Innovation Capability, and Firm Performance. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management 69: 2544–54. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Steenkamp, Hilke, and Ganga S. Dhanesh. 2023. Care-based relationship management during remote work in a crisis: Empathy, purpose, and diversity climate as emergent employee-organization relational maintenance strategies. Public Relations Review 49: 102371. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Tan, Ronny, and Ferdi Antonio. 2022. New insights on employee adaptive performance during the COVID-19 pandemic: Empirical evidence from Indonesia. Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Innovation 18: 175–206. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Tate, Kaitlyn, Tatiana Penconek, Bruna Moreno Dias, Greta G. Cummings, and Andrea Bernardes. 2023. Authentic leadership, organizational culture and the effects of hospital quality management practices on quality of care and patient satisfaction. Journal of Advanced Nursing 79: 3102–14. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Thompson, Geir, and Lars Glasø. 2018. Situational leadership theory: A test from a leader-follower congruence approach. Leadership & Organization Development Journal 39: 574–91. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Trachik, Benjamin, Emma H. Moscardini, Michelle L. Ganulin, Jen L. McDonald, Ashlee B. McKeon, Michael N. Dretsch, Raymond P. Tucker, and Walter J. Sowden. 2022. Perceptions of purpose, cohesion, and military leadership: A path analysis of potential primary prevention targets to mitigate suicidal ideation. Military Psychology 34: 366–75. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Trachik, Benjamim, Raymond P. Tucker, Michelle L. Ganulin, Julie C. Merrill, Matthew L. LoPresti, Oscar A. Cabrera, and Michael N. Dretsch. 2020. Leader provided purpose: Military leadership behavior and its association with suicidal ideation. Psychiatry Research 285: 112722. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Tuin, Lars Van, Wilmar B. Schaufeli, Anja Van den Broeck, and Williem van Rhenen. 2020. A corporate purpose as an antecedent to employee motivation and work engagement. Frontiers in Psychology 11: 572343. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Vandagriff, Susan. 2023. Do We Know What We Publish? Comparing Self-Reported Publication Data to Scopus and Web of Science. Serials Review 49: 15–22. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• VERBI Software. 2022. MAXQDA 2022 [Computer Software]. Available online: https://www.maxqda.com (accessed on 4 June 2024).
• Vugt, Mark, and Christopher Rueden. 2020. From genes to minds to cultures: Evolutionary approaches to leadership. The Leadership Quarterly 31: 101404. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Walker, Dayna Herbert, and Rebecca J. Reichard. 2020. On Purpose: Leader Self-Development and the Meaning of Purposeful Engagement. Journal of Leadership Studies 14: 26–38. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Williams, Oliver. 2018. Restorying the Purpose of Business: An Interpretation of the Agenda of the UN Global Compact. African Journal of Business Ethics 12: 85–95. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Xhemajli, Ariana, Mimoza Luta, and Emin Neziraj. 2022. Applying distributed leadership in micro and small enterprises of kosovo. WSEAS Transactions On Business And Economics 19: 1860–66. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Zaccaro, Stephen J. 2007. Trait-based perspectives of leadership. American Psychologist 62: 6–16. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Zhao, Liming, Miles Yang, Zhenyuan Wang, and Grant Michelson. 2023. Trends in the Dynamic Evolution of Corporate Social Responsibility and Leadership: A Literature Review and Bibliometric Analysis. Journal of Business Ethics 182: 135–57. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Zhu, Jinlong, Zhenyu Liao, Kai Chi Yam, and Russell E. Johnson. 2018. Shared leadership: A state-of-the-art review and future research agenda. Journal of Organizational Behavior 39: 834–52. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]

Click here to enlarge figure

Share and Cite

Ribeiro, M.F.; Costa, C.G.d.; Ramos, F.R. Exploring Purpose-Driven Leadership: Theoretical Foundations, Mechanisms, and Impacts in Organizational Context. Adm. Sci. 2024 , 14 , 148. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci14070148

Ribeiro MF, Costa CGd, Ramos FR. Exploring Purpose-Driven Leadership: Theoretical Foundations, Mechanisms, and Impacts in Organizational Context. Administrative Sciences . 2024; 14(7):148. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci14070148

Ribeiro, Marco Ferreira, Carla Gomes da Costa, and Filipe R. Ramos. 2024. "Exploring Purpose-Driven Leadership: Theoretical Foundations, Mechanisms, and Impacts in Organizational Context" Administrative Sciences 14, no. 7: 148. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci14070148

Article Metrics

Article access statistics, supplementary material.

ZIP-Document (ZIP, 98 KiB)

Further Information

Mdpi initiatives, follow mdpi.

Subscribe to receive issue release notifications and newsletters from MDPI journals

Featured Topics

Featured series.

A series of random questions answered by Harvard experts.

Explore the Gazette

Read the latest.

You won’t even know you’re exercising, but your body will

What’s another word for ‘neuronal map-maker’?

Alzheimer’s study finds diet, lifestyle changes yield improvements 

Arthur Brooks.

Photos by Ansel Dickey + Ovrlnd Studios

How leaders find happiness — and teach it

Symposium examines science, outlines opportunities to tackle mental health crisis

Lori Shridhare

Harvard Correspondent

Arthur Brooks likes to give students in his popular Harvard Business School class on happiness a quiz: Why are you alive? For what would you be willing to die?

“I tell students that the way to pass the following quiz is to have answers; the way to fail the following quiz is to not have answers. I’m not going to tell you what the right answers are. They’re your answers,” said Brooks, professor of management practice at HBS, as he opened a recent symposium on happiness and leadership.

Brooks’ query on core values reflects widely accepted happiness research, which finds that meaning and purpose are hallmarks of a happy life, one filled with a sense of well-being. The principle dates back to Aristotle’s reference to eudaimonia, or having a “good spirit,” and was one of the theories discussed at the event hosted by Brooks’ Leadership and Happiness Laboratory .

The June 20-21 symposium drew 200 in-person attendees, with another 1,000 online, and included administrators, business leaders, military personnel, elected officials, and students. The purpose was as direct as the mission of the lab, which “believes that all great leaders should be happiness teachers.”

Brooks, who is also the Parker Gilbert Montgomery Professor of the Practice of Public and Nonprofit Leadership at Harvard Kennedy School, said many of the speakers had inspired and mentored him in his own work, notably psychologist Martin Seligman , a pioneer in the field of positive psychology.

Another influential figure was Tal Ben-Shahar ’96, Ph.D. ’04, a co-founder of the Happiness Studies Academy, who taught two of the largest classes in Harvard’s history, Positive Psychology and The Psychology of Leadership. Ben-Shahar discussed the genesis of developing a curriculum on happiness and his work designing the first master’s degree in happiness science for Centenary University in 2022.

The popularity of such university courses, which have been made freely available through platforms such as HarvardX and Coursera, has skyrocketed in recent years, as symposium speaker Laurie Santos ’97, A.M. ’01, Ph.D. ’03, Chandrika and Ranjan Tandon Professor of Psychology at Yale, discovered. Her course on happiness, launched in 2018, became the university’s most popular course in more than 300 years, with almost one in four students at Yale enrolled. The goal of her classes is to reduce unhappiness and increase happiness, which was inspired during her time as Stillman Head of College.

In this role, Santos learned firsthand about mental health issues plaguing college students, including academic stress, depression, anxiety, and suicidality. Yale students reported that they “put on a happy persona to hold things in until they crack and break” and that “it takes a real crisis for us to actually admit something is wrong,” Santos said.

Debunking the myth that happiness science is about enforced positivity is one of the goals of her course. “I think students expect all positive psychology to be akin to what they these days call ‘toxic positivity’ — the idea of ‘happy all the time, stay positive, think happy thoughts.’ I think this is what a lot of Yale students fall prey to unnecessarily.”

Other speakers included Lisa Miller , whose work and research as a Columbia psychology and education professor focuses on the value of a spiritual life. She detailed findings on the role of spirituality as protective against a number of deleterious conditions: 80 percent protective against substance dependence and abuse, 60 percent against major depressive disorder, and 50 percent to 80 percent against suicidality.

Financially, those who make $75,000-$96,000 in the U.S. are happiest, but “once you get beyond having your basic needs met, you can make millions, and you’re not much happier.” Robert Waldinger, Harvard Medical School

Harvard Medical School psychiatry professor Robert Waldinger , who directs the 86-year-old Harvard Study of Adult Development , shared study findings that having basic needs met — food, shelter, healthcare — is critical for happiness.

Financially, those who make $75,000-$96,000 in the U.S. are happiest, but “once you get beyond having your basic needs met, you can make millions, and you’re not much happier,” he noted.

Waldinger, who is also a Zen priest, addressed the epidemic of loneliness, which impacts one in three or four people in the U.S. and other developed countries, with a trend upward in developing countries as well, according to a Meta-Gallup survey.

Integrating lessons learned from Eastern spiritual traditions and Western scholarship in leadership, Hitendra Wadhwa , professor of practice at Columbia Business School, spoke about the importance of accessing one’s core self.

Wadhwa, guided by the teachings of Yogananda , the Indian mystic and spiritual teacher, emphasized that the wisdom of good leadership can be found from within.

“Your inner core is that space within you from where your best self arises, where your highest potential resides,” he said. “When you’re at your core, you’re beyond ego, beyond attachment, insecurities — and you get your life’s most beautiful work done.”

The symposium’s final presentation turned toward criticism of the discourse on happiness, highlighting research that investigates the limits of happiness measurements and definitions as outlined in positive psychology.

Owen Flanagan , the James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of Philosophy Emeritus at Duke University, outlined other ways for measuring happiness, including objective well-being, pointing to many important leaders who lived lives of service and meaning that were not necessarily focused on happiness.

“Happiness can’t be everything,” he said. “It’s not the summum bonum ,” or singular good.

Flanagan pointed to luminaries and change leaders such as Mother Theresa, Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, and Gandhi. He noted: “The first thing that would come to our minds is not that they were happy; it’s that they were good people. They lived really important, purposeful, and meaningful lives.”

And when it comes to public policy, Flanagan said the focus “is on human rights and sustainable development, so that everyone can live the kind of life Aristotle thought was possible for us: a life in which we can discover our talents — and then you can worry about other things, such as people’s psychological states.”

Share this article

You might like.

Real surfing is better than channel surfing, says research focused on healthy aging. But housework is better than nothing.

Researchers discover microscopic ‘brain thesaurus’ that lets neurons derive meaning from spoken words

Can diet and lifestyle reverse early Alzheimer’s? A pilot study raises hopes.

When should Harvard speak out?

Institutional Voice Working Group provides a roadmap in new report

Had a bad experience meditating? You're not alone.

Altered states of consciousness through yoga, mindfulness more common than thought and mostly beneficial, study finds — though clinicians ill-equipped to help those who struggle

College sees strong yield for students accepted to Class of 2028  

Financial aid was a critical factor, dean says

The Leadership of Woodrow Wilson during World War i

This essay is about Woodrow Wilson, the 28th President of the United States, and his leadership during World War I. Initially adopting a stance of neutrality, Wilson’s policies shifted as German provocations, such as the sinking of the Lusitania and the Zimmermann Telegram, pushed the U.S. closer to war. He articulated his vision for global peace through his Fourteen Points and advocated for the creation of the League of Nations. Domestically, Wilson mobilized the nation for war but faced criticism for measures that suppressed civil liberties. Despite his efforts, the U.S. Senate’s refusal to ratify the Treaty of Versailles marked a significant setback in his legacy, highlighting the complexities of his presidency during a transformative period in global history.

How it works

Woodrow Wilson, the 28th President of the United States, was a pivotal figure during World War I, a conflict that reshaped global politics and society. Serving from 1913 to 1921, Wilson’s presidency was marked by significant domestic and international challenges, with the Great War at the forefront. His leadership during this tumultuous period has been the subject of extensive analysis and debate, reflecting both the complexities of the war itself and the evolving role of the United States on the world stage.

When World War I erupted in 1914, Wilson initially adopted a stance of neutrality, reflecting the isolationist sentiment prevalent among many Americans. He believed that the United States should remain detached from the European conflict, focusing instead on domestic reforms and progress. This period of neutrality allowed Wilson to pursue his ambitious legislative agenda, which included significant economic and social reforms known as the “New Freedom” program. These reforms aimed at reducing tariffs, reforming the banking system, and regulating trusts, showcasing Wilson’s progressive vision for America.

But as the battle dragged on, it got harder and harder to remain impartial. Tensions between the US and Germany increased after the sinking of the USS Lusitania in 1915, which claimed the lives of 128 Americans. Further enervating public sentiment and driving the country closer to war was the Zimmermann Telegram, which was leaked in early 1917 and contained Germany’s proposal for a military alliance with Mexico against the United States. On April 2, 1917, Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany in response to these provocations and the wider ramifications for international security. This request signaled a dramatic change in American foreign policy.

Wilson’s entry into the war was framed by his vision of making the world “safe for democracy.” He articulated this vision through his Fourteen Points, a statement of principles aimed at fostering peace and preventing future conflicts. These points included proposals for open diplomacy, freedom of the seas, the removal of economic barriers, and the establishment of a League of Nations. Wilson’s idealistic framework sought to address the root causes of the war and promote a new international order based on cooperation and mutual respect.

Domestically, Wilson faced the enormous task of mobilizing the nation for war. The United States had to rapidly expand its military, produce vast quantities of war materials, and maintain public support for the war effort. The administration implemented several measures to achieve these goals, including the Selective Service Act, which established a draft, and the War Industries Board, which coordinated industrial production. Propaganda efforts, such as those led by the Committee on Public Information, aimed to rally public sentiment and maintain morale.

Wilson’s leadership was also characterized by controversial decisions that had lasting implications for civil liberties. The Espionage Act of 1917 and the Sedition Act of 1918 were enacted to suppress dissent and control anti-war activities, leading to the persecution of political dissidents, journalists, and activists. These measures sparked significant debate about the balance between national security and individual freedoms, a debate that continues to resonate in contemporary discussions of civil liberties.

The end of World War I saw Wilson playing a central role in the peace negotiations at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919. He fervently advocated for the adoption of the League of Nations, a key component of his Fourteen Points, as a mechanism to prevent future conflicts. However, his vision faced substantial opposition both internationally and domestically. Allied leaders, particularly from France and Britain, were more focused on punitive measures against Germany, while American political leaders were skeptical of entangling alliances and the potential loss of sovereignty.

Ultimately, Wilson’s efforts to secure the League of Nations faced a significant setback when the United States Senate refused to ratify the Treaty of Versailles, largely due to opposition led by Senator Henry Cabot Lodge. The failure to secure Senate approval was a major blow to Wilson’s legacy and highlighted the deep divisions within American politics regarding the nation’s role in global affairs.

Woodrow Wilson’s presidency during World War I was a period of profound transformation and challenge. His leadership navigated the complexities of a global conflict, balancing ideals with pragmatism, and shaping the United States’ emerging role as a world power. While his legacy is marked by both achievements and controversies, Wilson’s tenure during the Great War remains a defining chapter in the history of American foreign policy and international relations.

Cite this page

The Leadership of Woodrow Wilson During World War I. (2024, Jul 16). Retrieved from https://papersowl.com/examples/the-leadership-of-woodrow-wilson-during-world-war-i/

"The Leadership of Woodrow Wilson During World War I." PapersOwl.com , 16 Jul 2024, https://papersowl.com/examples/the-leadership-of-woodrow-wilson-during-world-war-i/

PapersOwl.com. (2024). The Leadership of Woodrow Wilson During World War I . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/the-leadership-of-woodrow-wilson-during-world-war-i/ [Accessed: 16 Jul. 2024]

"The Leadership of Woodrow Wilson During World War I." PapersOwl.com, Jul 16, 2024. Accessed July 16, 2024. https://papersowl.com/examples/the-leadership-of-woodrow-wilson-during-world-war-i/

"The Leadership of Woodrow Wilson During World War I," PapersOwl.com , 16-Jul-2024. [Online]. Available: https://papersowl.com/examples/the-leadership-of-woodrow-wilson-during-world-war-i/. [Accessed: 16-Jul-2024]

PapersOwl.com. (2024). The Leadership of Woodrow Wilson During World War I . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/the-leadership-of-woodrow-wilson-during-world-war-i/ [Accessed: 16-Jul-2024]

Don't let plagiarism ruin your grade

Hire a writer to get a unique paper crafted to your needs.

Our writers will help you fix any mistakes and get an A+!

Please check your inbox.

You can order an original essay written according to your instructions.

Trusted by over 1 million students worldwide

1. Tell Us Your Requirements

2. Pick your perfect writer

3. Get Your Paper and Pay

Hi! I'm Amy, your personal assistant!

Don't know where to start? Give me your paper requirements and I connect you to an academic expert.

short deadlines

100% Plagiarism-Free

Certified writers

Categories:

Philanthropy is occurring at a faster pace , on a greater scale, and in more complex forms than it used to. People do their best to study the strategies and motivations for philanthropic behaviors . They also research the new forms of this activity, such as giving circles, donor-advised funds, social venture partners, etc. They also try to understand the impact of these trends on the capacity of nonprofits, philanthropy, and the community.

Therefore, nothing is surprising that there is such an impressive variety of categories.

Nonprofit organizations research paper topics

There is a great variety of nonprofit organizations, such as public schools, public clinics, churches, legal aid societies, and more. For example, you can choose to research the approaches of these nonprofit organizations.

Overview of Nonprofit Organizations

This section will define nonprofit organizations, describe their key characteristics, and explain their roles and significance in society .

Historical Development of Nonprofit Organizations

This section will explore the evolution of nonprofit organizations from their inception to the present day, highlighting major milestones and turning points in their development.

Types of Nonprofit Organizations

This section will classify different types of nonprofit organizations, such as public schools, public clinics, churches, and legal aid societies, and explain the key differences between them .

Governance and Leadership in Nonprofit Organizations

This section will discuss the structures of governance in nonprofit organizations, including board roles and responsibilities, and examine various leadership styles and their impact on organizational effectiveness.

Funding and Financial Management in Nonprofits

This section will explore the diverse sources of funding for nonprofit organizations, including donations, grants, and fundraising activities, and discuss financial management practices and challenges faced by these organizations .

Nonprofit Marketing and Public Relations

This section will analyze strategies for marketing and public relations used by nonprofit organizations to raise awareness, attract donors, and build their brand, including case studies of successful campaigns.

Impact Assessment and Evaluation

This section will cover methods for evaluating the impact and effectiveness of nonprofit organizations, emphasizing the importance of impact assessment for ensuring sustainability and growth.

Challenges Facing Nonprofit Organizations

This section will identify common challenges faced by nonprofit organizations , such as funding shortages, governance issues, and volunteer management, and discuss strategies for overcoming these challenges.

Technology and Innovation in Nonprofits

This section will examine the role of technology in enhancing the operations of nonprofit organizations and highlight innovative approaches and tools being adopted by nonprofits to improve their efficiency and outreach.

Volunteer Management and Engagement

This section will provide best practices for recruiting, training, and retaining volunteers in nonprofit organizations and discuss the impact of volunteer engagement on the success and sustainability of these organizations.

Policy and Advocacy Work

This section will explore how nonprofit organizations influence public policy and advocate for social change, including case studies of successful advocacy campaigns and their outcomes.

Ethics and Accountability in Nonprofits

This section will address ethical considerations in nonprofit management, such as transparency, accountability, and ethical fundraising practices, and discuss mechanisms for ensuring ethical conduct.

Collaboration and Partnerships

This section will emphasize the importance of collaboration between nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and the private sector, and provide examples of successful partnerships and their positive outcomes.

International Nonprofit Organizations

This section will discuss the unique challenges and opportunities faced by nonprofit organizations operating on an international scale , including case studies of international nonprofit initiatives and their impact.

Future Trends in the Nonprofit Sector

This section will explore emerging trends and innovations in the nonprofit sector, such as the use of artificial intelligence and data analytics, and provide predictions for the future landscape of nonprofit organizations.

Philanthropy and fundraising research paper topics

Here, you can write about anything from fundraising charity projects to problems with monitoring fundraising projects. Researching the risks of undetected stealing from the received funds can also be interesting.

Introduction to Philanthropy and Fundraising

This section will define philanthropy and fundraising, explore their significance in society, and explain the basic principles and goals of these activities .

Historical Perspective of Philanthropy

This section will examine the evolution of philanthropy throughout history, highlighting key milestones and influential philanthropists who have shaped the field.

Types of Philanthropy

This section will categorize different types of philanthropy, such as individual giving, corporate philanthropy, and foundation grants, and discuss the characteristics and impacts of each type.

Fundraising Strategies and Techniques

This section will explore various fundraising strategies and techniques, including direct mail, online fundraising, events, and grant writing, and evaluate their effectiveness.

Role of Technology in Fundraising

This section will discuss how technology is transforming fundraising practices, including the use of social media, crowdfunding platforms, and data analytics to enhance fundraising efforts.

Challenges in Fundraising

This section will identify common challenges faced by fundraisers , such as donor fatigue, economic downturns, and competition for funds, and suggest strategies for overcoming these challenges.

Ethics in Fundraising

This section will address ethical considerations in fundraising, including transparency, accountability, and donor relations, and discuss best practices for maintaining ethical standards.

Monitoring and Evaluation of Fundraising Projects

This section will explore methods for monitoring and evaluating fundraising projects to ensure they meet their goals and are managed effectively, including case studies of successful projects.

Risks of Fund Misappropriation

This section will examine the risks associated with fund misappropriation in fundraising, including common methods of theft and fraud, and strategies for detecting and preventing these risks.

Impact of Fundraising on Beneficiaries

This section will assess the impact of fundraising efforts on beneficiaries, including how funds are allocated and the long-term effects on communities and individuals.

Corporate Social Responsibility and Philanthropy

This section will discuss the role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in philanthropy, including how businesses integrate philanthropy into their CSR strategies and the benefits of doing so.

Role of Volunteers in Fundraising

This section will highlight the importance of volunteers in fundraising efforts, including best practices for recruiting, training, and retaining volunteers, and the impact of volunteer contributions.

Innovative Fundraising Models

This section will explore innovative fundraising models, such as social enterprises and impact investing, and discuss their potential to drive social change.

Global Trends in Philanthropy

This section will examine global trends in philanthropy, including the rise of global giving networks, cross-border donations, and the influence of cultural differences on philanthropic practices.

Future of Philanthropy and Fundraising

This section will explore emerging trends and future directions in philanthropy and fundraising, including the role of artificial intelligence, changing donor demographics, and the potential for new fundraising techniques.

Social impact of nonprofit research paper topics

Here, you can write about how nonprofit organizations influence the society and what the results are.

Introduction to the Social Impact of Nonprofits

This section will provide an overview of the concept of social impact and explain how nonprofit organizations contribute to societal change and development.

Measuring Social Impact

This section will explore different methodologies and tools used to measure the social impact of nonprofit organizations, such as social return on investment (SROI) and impact assessments.

Case Studies of High-Impact Nonprofits

This section will present case studies of nonprofit organizations that have made significant social impacts, detailing their missions, strategies, and outcomes.

Education and Nonprofit Organizations

This section will examine the role of nonprofit organizations in the education sector, including their impact on educational access, quality, and outcomes.

Healthcare and Nonprofit Organizations

This section will discuss how nonprofits contribute to the healthcare sector, focusing on their role in improving access to healthcare services, promoting public health, and addressing health disparities.

Nonprofits and Community Development

This section will analyze the impact of nonprofit organizations on community development, including their efforts in housing, urban renewal, and community empowerment.

Environmental Impact of Nonprofits

This section will explore the contributions of environmental nonprofit organizations to conservation, sustainability, and climate change mitigation.

Nonprofits and Economic Development

This section will examine how nonprofits influence economic development, including job creation, support for small businesses, and economic empowerment programs.

Advocacy and Policy Influence

This section will discuss the role of nonprofit organizations in advocacy and influencing public policy, including their impact on legislation and social justice initiatives.

Social Services and Nonprofits

This section will focus on the impact of nonprofits in providing social services, such as food banks, shelters, and mental health support, and their role in alleviating poverty and social exclusion.

Cultural and Arts Nonprofits

This section will explore the contributions of nonprofits in the cultural and arts sector, including their role in promoting cultural heritage, supporting artists, and enhancing community cultural engagement.

Impact on Youth and Children

This section will analyze the impact of nonprofit organizations on youth and children, including programs focused on education, mentorship, and youth development.

Nonprofits and Disaster Relief

This section will examine the role of nonprofit organizations in disaster relief and recovery efforts, highlighting their contributions to emergency response, rehabilitation, and resilience building.

Challenges in Measuring Social Impact

This section will discuss the challenges and limitations associated with measuring the social impact of nonprofit organizations, including issues of attribution, data collection, and impact evaluation.

Future Directions in Social Impact

This section will explore emerging trends and future directions in the field of social impact, including the increasing role of technology, innovative impact measurement techniques, and the growing importance of cross-sector partnerships.

Nonprofit management research paper topics

These topics can include wealth management insight analysis, precautionary savings in nonprofit management, and more.

Introduction to Nonprofit Management

This section will provide an overview of nonprofit management, including its importance, key principles, and how it differs from for-profit management.

Strategic Planning in Nonprofits

This section will explore the process of strategic planning in nonprofit organizations, including setting goals, developing strategies, and measuring success.

Financial Management in Nonprofits

This section will examine financial management practices in nonprofit organizations, including budgeting, accounting, and financial reporting.

Wealth Management for Nonprofits

This section will discuss wealth management strategies for nonprofit organizations, including investment management, endowment funds, and asset allocation.

Fundraising and Revenue Generation

This section will explore various methods of fundraising and revenue generation for nonprofits, including grants, donations, events, and earned income.

Precautionary Savings in Nonprofit Management

This section will analyze the concept of precautionary savings in nonprofits, including the importance of maintaining reserves and strategies for building and managing these reserves.

Human Resource Management in Nonprofits

This section will discuss the unique aspects of human resource management in nonprofit organizations, including recruitment, training, retention, and volunteer management.

Governance and Board Management

This section will explore the roles and responsibilities of nonprofit boards, including best practices for governance, board development, and board-staff relations.

Marketing and Communications in Nonprofits

This section will examine marketing and communications strategies for nonprofit organizations, including branding, public relations, and social media engagement.

Program Development and Management

This section will discuss the process of developing and managing programs in nonprofit organizations, including needs assessment, program design, implementation, and evaluation.

Risk Management in Nonprofits

This section will explore risk management strategies for nonprofit organizations, including identifying, assessing, and mitigating various types of risks.

Legal and Regulatory Compliance

This section will discuss the legal and regulatory requirements for nonprofit organizations , including tax-exempt status, reporting obligations, and compliance with federal and state laws.

Technology and Innovation in Nonprofit Management

This section will examine the role of technology in nonprofit management, including the use of software tools, data management, and innovative practices to enhance organizational efficiency.

Collaboration and Partnerships in Nonprofits

This section will explore the importance of collaboration and partnerships in the nonprofit sector, including strategies for building and maintaining effective partnerships.

Future Trends in Nonprofit Management

This section will discuss emerging trends and future directions in nonprofit management, including the impact of globalization, changing donor demographics, and the increasing focus on sustainability and impact measurement.

Volunteerism and community service research paper topics  

Here, you can share your ideas and findings on the importance of volunteerism, how effective it is, or the impact of volunteerism .

Introduction to Volunteerism and Community Service

This section will provide an overview of volunteerism and community service, defining key terms and explaining their significance in society.

Historical Development of Volunteerism

This section will explore the historical evolution of volunteerism, highlighting key milestones and influential figures who have shaped the practice.

Types of Volunteerism

This section will categorize different types of volunteerism, such as formal and informal volunteering, corporate volunteering, and episodic volunteering , and discuss their characteristics and benefits.

Motivations for Volunteering

This section will examine the various motivations behind why individuals choose to volunteer, including altruism, personal development, social connections, and professional advancement.

Volunteer Recruitment and Retention

This section will explore best practices for recruiting and retaining volunteers, including strategies for engagement, recognition, and addressing volunteer burnout.

Impact of Volunteerism on Communities

This section will analyze the positive effects of volunteerism on communities, including social cohesion, economic development, and improved public services.

Volunteerism and Personal Development

This section will discuss how volunteering contributes to personal growth and development, including skills acquisition, increased self-esteem, and mental health benefits.

Corporate Volunteerism

This section will explore the role of corporate volunteerism, including its benefits for businesses, employees, and communities, and examples of successful corporate volunteer programs.

Challenges in Volunteer Management

This section will identify common challenges faced in volunteer management, such as resource constraints, volunteer turnover, and maintaining volunteer motivation, and suggest solutions.

Volunteerism in Crisis Situations

This section will examine the role of volunteers in crisis situations , such as natural disasters, pandemics, and humanitarian emergencies, highlighting the importance and challenges of crisis volunteerism.

Volunteerism and Social Capital

This section will explore how volunteerism contributes to building social capital, including strengthening social networks, fostering trust, and enhancing civic engagement.

Measuring the Impact of Volunteerism

This section will discuss methodologies and tools for measuring the impact of volunteerism, including quantitative and qualitative approaches and case studies of impactful volunteer programs.

Volunteerism and Policy

This section will examine the role of public policy in promoting and supporting volunteerism, including government initiatives, funding, and regulatory frameworks.

Volunteerism Across Cultures

This section will explore the cultural differences in volunteerism practices, including how cultural values, traditions, and social norms influence volunteering behavior.

Future Trends in Volunteerism

This section will discuss emerging trends and future directions in volunteerism, including the use of technology, virtual volunteering, and the increasing focus on skills-based volunteering.

Corporate social responsibility research paper topics

Here, you can research and write about how corporate social responsibility is connected with philanthropy. It is even possible to analyze what the situation is like in a certain region, Nigeria, for instance.

Introduction to Corporate Social Responsibility

This section will define CSR, discuss its importance, and explain the principles and key components that make up corporate social responsibility.

Historical Development of CSR

This section will explore the evolution of CSR, highlighting major milestones, influential companies, and changes in public perception over time.

CSR and Philanthropy: Connections and Differences

This section will examine the relationship between CSR and philanthropy, discussing how they are connected and how they differ in terms of objectives, strategies, and impact.

The Business Case for CSR

This section will analyze the benefits of CSR for businesses, including enhanced reputation, customer loyalty, employee satisfaction, and financial performance.

CSR Strategies and Best Practices

This section will explore various CSR strategies and best practices implemented by companies to address social, environmental, and economic issues.

CSR in Developing Countries: The Case of Nigeria

This section will focus on the implementation and impact of CSR in developing countries, using Nigeria as a case study to explore challenges, successes, and opportunities.

Stakeholder Engagement in CSR

This section will discuss the importance of engaging various stakeholders, including employees, customers, communities, and investors , in CSR initiatives .

Environmental CSR Initiatives

This section will explore CSR initiatives focused on environmental sustainability, including efforts to reduce carbon footprints, conserve resources, and promote renewable energy.

CSR and Community Development

This section will analyze how CSR initiatives contribute to community development, including education, healthcare, infrastructure, and social services.

CSR Reporting and Transparency

This section will examine the importance of CSR reporting and transparency, discussing various reporting frameworks and the role of transparency in building trust and accountability.

Challenges and Criticisms of CSR

This section will identify common challenges and criticisms of CSR, including issues of greenwashing, the balancing of profit and social good, and the effectiveness of CSR initiatives.

CSR in the Supply Chain

This section will explore the role of CSR in supply chain management, including ethical sourcing, labor practices, and environmental considerations.

CSR and Corporate Governance

This section will discuss how CSR is integrated into corporate governance structures, including the roles of boards of directors and executive leadership in overseeing CSR efforts.

CSR and Employee Engagement

This section will analyze the impact of CSR on employee engagement, including how CSR initiatives can enhance employee motivation, satisfaction, and retention.

Future Trends in CSR

This section will explore emerging trends and future directions in CSR, including the increasing focus on social justice, the integration of CSR with corporate strategy, and the role of technology in driving CSR innovation.

Nonprofit financial management research paper topics

Your research paper can include the best practices of nonprofit financial management , how to apply them, and what issues are possible.

Introduction to Nonprofit Financial Management

This section will provide an overview of financial management in nonprofit organizations, explaining its importance and the unique financial challenges faced by nonprofits .

Budgeting Practices in Nonprofits

This section will explore the process of creating and managing budgets in nonprofit organizations, including best practices for accurate and effective budgeting.

Revenue Streams for Nonprofits

This section will examine various sources of revenue for nonprofit organizations, such as grants, donations, fundraising events, and earned income, and discuss strategies for diversifying revenue streams.

Financial Planning and Forecasting

This section will discuss the importance of financial planning and forecasting in nonprofits, including techniques for developing financial projections and long-term financial plans.

Accounting and Financial Reporting Standards

This section will explore accounting practices and financial reporting standards specific to nonprofits, including the importance of transparency and compliance with regulatory requirements.

Cash Flow Management

This section will examine the challenges of managing cash flow in nonprofit organizations and discuss strategies for ensuring adequate cash flow to meet operational needs.

Financial Controls and Internal Audits

This section will discuss the implementation of financial controls and the role of internal audits in preventing fraud and ensuring the accuracy and reliability of financial information.

Fund Accounting in Nonprofits

This section will explore fund accounting practices, including the management of restricted and unrestricted funds, and the importance of tracking funds separately.

Financial Sustainability in Nonprofits

This section will examine strategies for achieving financial sustainability, including building reserves, developing endowments, and creating sustainable revenue models.

Grant Management and Compliance

This section will discuss best practices for managing grants, including compliance with grant requirements, reporting, and the importance of maintaining good relationships with funders.

Investment Management for Nonprofits

This section will explore investment strategies for nonprofit organizations, including the management of endowments and other investment funds to support long-term financial health.

Risk Management in Nonprofit Financial Operations

This section will examine common financial risks faced by nonprofits and discuss strategies for identifying, assessing, and mitigating these risks.

Role of Financial Management in Program Evaluation

This section will discuss how financial management practices can support program evaluation and impact assessment, ensuring that resources are used effectively to achieve organizational goals.

Challenges in Nonprofit Financial Management

This section will identify common challenges faced in nonprofit financial management, such as funding volatility, regulatory changes, and financial mismanagement, and suggest solutions.

Future Trends in Nonprofit Financial Management

This section will explore emerging trends and future directions in nonprofit financial management, including the use of technology, data analytics, and innovative financial models.

Social entrepreneurship research paper topics

The variety of topics here is impressive, too, because you can find out the difference between philanthropic and ordinary entrepreneurs. Or you can figure out how they support philanthropic organizations.

Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship

This section will define social entrepreneurship, explain its importance, and differentiate it from traditional entrepreneurship.

Historical Development of Social Entrepreneurship

This section will explore the evolution of social entrepreneurship, highlighting key milestones and influential social entrepreneurs who have shaped the field.

Types of Social Enterprises

This section will categorize different types of social enterprises, such as nonprofit social enterprises, for-profit social enterprises, and hybrid models, discussing their characteristics and impacts.

Social vs. Traditional Entrepreneurship

This section will compare and contrast social entrepreneurship with traditional entrepreneurship, focusing on differences in goals, strategies, and outcomes.

Philanthropic Entrepreneurs vs. Ordinary Entrepreneurs

This section will examine the differences between philanthropic entrepreneurs , who prioritize social impact , and ordinary entrepreneurs, who focus primarily on profit maximization.

Business Models for Social Enterprises

This section will explore various business models used by social enterprises , including revenue generation strategies and sustainable impact models.

Impact Measurement in Social Entrepreneurship

This section will discuss methodologies and tools for measuring the social impact of social enterprises, emphasizing the importance of impact assessment for accountability and growth.

Funding and Financing Social Enterprises

This section will explore sources of funding for social enterprises, including grants, impact investments, social venture capital, and crowdfunding, and discuss the challenges and opportunities in securing financing.

Case Studies of Successful Social Enterprises

This section will present case studies of successful social enterprises, detailing their missions, strategies, challenges, and outcomes.

Role of Technology in Social Entrepreneurship

This section will examine how technology is transforming social entrepreneurship, including the use of digital platforms, social media, and innovative tech solutions to address social issues.

Policy and Legal Frameworks for Social Enterprises

This section will explore the policy and legal frameworks that support or hinder social entrepreneurship, including government regulations, tax incentives, and legal structures.

Social Entrepreneurship and Community Development

This section will analyze the impact of social enterprises on community development, including job creation, economic empowerment, and social inclusion.

Challenges in Social Entrepreneurship

This section will identify common challenges faced by social entrepreneurs , such as funding constraints, market competition, and scalability issues, and suggest strategies for overcoming these challenges.

Collaboration Between Social Enterprises and Philanthropic Organizations

This section will explore how social enterprises collaborate with philanthropic organizations to achieve their social missions, including partnerships, joint ventures, and resource sharing.

Future Trends in Social Entrepreneurship

This section will discuss emerging trends and future directions in social entrepreneurship, including the increasing focus on sustainable development goals, the rise of social innovation labs, and the potential of impact investing .

Nonprofit leadership research paper topics

Relevant topic areas might include program planning, the role of nonprofit organizations in local government, implementation and evaluation, and many more.

Introduction to Nonprofit Leadership

This section will provide an overview of nonprofit leadership, discussing its importance and the unique challenges faced by leaders in the nonprofit sector.

The Role of Leadership in Nonprofit Organizations

This section will examine the critical role that leadership plays in the success and sustainability of nonprofit organizations, including setting vision, mission, and strategic direction.

Program Planning and Development

This section will explore the processes involved in program planning and development, including needs assessment, goal setting, and resource allocation.

Implementation of Nonprofit Programs

This section will discuss the strategies and best practices for effectively implementing nonprofit programs, including project management techniques and stakeholder engagement.

Evaluation and Impact Assessment

This section will cover the importance of program evaluation and impact assessment, including methods for measuring outcomes and using data to inform decision-making.

Leadership Styles in Nonprofits

This section will analyze various leadership styles and their effectiveness in nonprofit organizations, including transformational, transactional, and servant leadership.

Board Governance and Leadership

This section will explore the roles and responsibilities of nonprofit boards, including best practices for board governance, leadership, and the relationship between the board and executive leadership.

Leadership Development and Succession Planning

This section will discuss the importance of leadership development and succession planning in nonprofits, including strategies for identifying and nurturing future leaders.

Nonprofit Leadership in Local Government

This section will examine the role of nonprofit organizations in local government, including partnerships, advocacy, and the impact of nonprofits on local policy and community development.

Ethical Leadership in Nonprofits

This section will address the importance of ethical leadership in the nonprofit sector, including issues of transparency, accountability, and integrity.

Crisis Management and Leadership

This section will explore how nonprofit leaders can effectively manage crises, including natural disasters, financial challenges, and organizational scandals.

Diversity and Inclusion in Nonprofit Leadership

This section will discuss the importance of diversity and inclusion in nonprofit leadership, including strategies for fostering an inclusive organizational culture and promoting diverse leadership.

Volunteer Leadership and Management

This section will explore the role of volunteers in nonprofit organizations, including best practices for volunteer leadership, recruitment, training, and retention.

Collaboration and Network Leadership

This section will examine the importance of collaboration and network leadership in the nonprofit sector, including strategies for building and managing effective partnerships and coalitions.

Future Trends in Nonprofit Leadership

This section will discuss emerging trends and future directions in nonprofit leadership, including the impact of technology, changing donor demographics, and evolving expectations of nonprofit leaders.

Nonprofit marketing and communication research paper topics

These topics can include communication challenges, how nonprofit organizations are related to communications, and other issues.  

Introduction to Nonprofit Marketing and Communication

This section will provide an overview of marketing and communication in the nonprofit sector, explaining their importance and unique challenges compared to the for-profit sector.

Strategic Communication Planning

This section will explore the process of developing a strategic communication plan for nonprofits, including setting objectives, identifying target audiences, and selecting appropriate channels.

Branding for Nonprofits

This section will discuss the importance of branding for nonprofit organizations, including strategies for building a strong brand identity and maintaining brand consistency.

Digital Marketing for Nonprofits

This section will examine the role of digital marketing in the nonprofit sector, including the use of social media, email marketing, and content marketing to engage supporters and raise funds.

Storytelling in Nonprofit Communications

This section will explore the power of storytelling in nonprofit communications, including techniques for crafting compelling stories that resonate with audiences and inspire action.

Public Relations and Media Relations

This section will discuss strategies for managing public relations and media relations in the nonprofit sector, including building relationships with journalists, handling media inquiries, and managing crises.

Fundraising Communications

This section will examine the role of communication in fundraising efforts, including the development of donor communications, fundraising appeals, and stewardship strategies.

Advocacy and Campaign Communications

This section will explore how nonprofits use communication to advocate for policy changes and social justice issues, including strategies for building public awareness and mobilizing supporters.

Internal Communications in Nonprofits

This section will discuss the importance of effective internal communications within nonprofit organizations, including strategies for keeping staff and volunteers informed and engaged.

Crisis Communication in Nonprofits

This section will examine how nonprofit organizations can prepare for and manage communication during crises, including developing crisis communication plans and handling negative publicity.

Measuring Communication Effectiveness

This section will explore methods for measuring the effectiveness of nonprofit communication efforts, including the use of metrics and analytics to assess impact and improve strategies.

Cross-Cultural Communication in Nonprofits

This section will discuss the challenges and strategies for effective cross-cultural communication in the nonprofit sector, including understanding cultural differences and tailoring messages for diverse audiences.

Ethical Issues in Nonprofit Communications

This section will examine ethical considerations in nonprofit communications, including transparency, honesty, and the responsible use of donor information and stories.

Volunteer Recruitment and Engagement through Communication

This section will explore how effective communication strategies can enhance volunteer recruitment and engagement, including the use of targeted messaging and recognition programs.

Future Trends in Nonprofit Marketing and Communication

This section will discuss emerging trends and future directions in nonprofit marketing and communication, including the impact of technology, changing audience expectations, and innovative communication practices.

Writing research papers on philanthropy and nonprofit studies might seem to be confusing because this area is broad. There are endless variants of topics to research and write about. At the same time, things become easier if you know what your research paper should be about and are interested in the chosen topic. We always create research papers from scratch based on updated information.

If you think you do not have enough knowledge or have doubts regarding the content, you can always ask your professor for some assistance. Another great option is to ask Writing Metier to do that for you. Our professionals will help you choose the right topic or complete the assignment according to your requirements. You can be sure that the paper you will receive will be impressive and include important information and research on any topic related to philanthropy and nonprofit studies.

Free topic suggestions

Laura Orta is an avid author on Writing Metier's blog. Before embarking on her writing career, she practiced media law in one of the local media. Aside from writing, she works as a private tutor to help students with their academic needs. Laura and her husband share their home near the ocean in northern Portugal with two extraordinary boys and a lifetime collection of books.

Similar posts

200+ history research paper topics with research questions.

In exploring the vast expanse of history, students can explore the complex interplay of events, cultures, and influential figures that have shaped today’s world. From the transformative impact of the Silk Road in fostering unparalleled cultural exchanges to the revolutionary advent of the printing press that ignited the spread of knowledge across Europe, research topics abound. Additionally, the intricate process of decolonization in Africa post-World War II provides a rich tableau for examining the struggles and triumphs of nations in pursuit of self-governance.

55 English and Literature IA Topic Ideas and Research Questions

Unlock the full potential of your IB English IA with 55 insightful topic ideas! Learn from an experienced IB mentor how to craft a compelling research question and excel in your Internal Assessment. Gain insider tips on analysis, argumentation, and literary exploration, and explore avenues for personalized professional assistance

70+ IB Physics IA Topics and Research Questions

In the realm of IB Physics IA, students have the golden opportunity to explore a diverse range of topics, from the wonders of quantum mechanics to the principles governing our vast universe. This guide has been crafted to assist you in pinpointing a topic that not only piques your interest but also aligns with your academic pursuits. As you sift through these carefully selected topics and research questions, we hope you find that perfect match that leads to a successful and insightful project

100+ ESS Research Paper Topic Ideas of All Levels

This comprehensive article presents over 100 cutting-edge research paper topics focused on environmental issues and a sustainable economy, reflecting the latest trends from 2023-2024. Covering diverse areas such as green hydrogen technology, regenerative agriculture, smart grids, and circular economy initiatives, each topic includes a research question and a brief overview to provide valuable insights for students and researchers. Explore the innovative strategies and technologies driving sustainability and addressing pressing environmental challenges in today's world.

100+ IB extended essay topic ideas for your ease

One of the very important requirements of an IB diploma is the extended essay. This really helps bring up the total score. And one problem students face here is gathering ideas for their IB extended essay. Here is some guiding information that can help with extended essay topics.

100+ Literature research paper topic ideas

This comprehensive article offers over 100 literature topics and research questions, providing a valuable resource for students and scholars alike. From exploring digital narratives in 21st-century literature to delving into the complexities of character development in Shakespeare's plays, each topic is designed to inspire deep analysis and insightful discussions. Whether you're examining modern adaptations or classic narratives, this collection is an essential tool for crafting compelling and thought-provoking research papers.

100+ IT and Computer Science research paper topic ideas

This comprehensive guide offers over 100 research paper topics across various subfields of Computer Science, including artificial intelligence, cloud computing, cybersecurity, IoT, robotics, quantum mechanics, data science, information technology, operating systems, and virtual reality. Each topic includes a research question and brief overview, providing a valuable resource for students and researchers seeking inspiration and direction for their projects in the rapidly evolving field of Computer Science.

150 Health and Medicine Research paper topics

In this article, we present 150 research paper topics that cover a wide range of areas, including public health, medical technology, mental health, and more

200 Social Sciences Research Paper Topics

This article offers 200 diverse research paper topics across social sciences, including psychology, sociology, political science, criminology, and gender studies. Each topic comes with a research question and brief overview, providing valuable guidance for students and researchers exploring critical social issues.

We rely on cookies to give you the best experince on our website. By browsing, you agree to it. Read more

Call for papers: Thriving during turbulent times

Submission deadline: December 30, 2024

Guest editors

• Guangrong Dai
• Veronica Schmidt Harvey
• Kenneth P. De Meuse

Consulting psychologists have been at the forefront in supporting organizations with change initiatives since the early 20th century. While change management has long been an integral part of the consultant’s toolkit, traditional models are increasingly inadequate to address the turbulent times in which we live and work.

Historically, organizational change management was a planned, step-by-step process that presumed a predictable environment where change could be mapped out in advance. However, the current volatile business environment demands organizations to proactively anticipate trends and prepare for unexpected events before they impose a threat or miss critical opportunities.

Today, organizational change is not only ongoing but simultaneous and spontaneous. Rather than treating change as discrete organizational events, contemporary scholars advocate for nurturing change capability that allows organizations to thrive in dynamic conditions. Building change capability requires an integrated understanding of employee reactions, leadership capabilities, team functioning and organizational systems that influence responses to change. This concept and constructs related to it have been explored and emphasized in works published in the Consulting Psychology Journal and various other scholarly journals, highlighting the importance of deliberate and proactive investment in organizational resources to adeptly navigate present and future changes.

This special issue aims to bridge the gap between academic research and practical application by exploring innovative, science-based practices for building change capability. We invite scholars and practitioners alike to contribute their insights to deepen our understanding of strategies for enhancing change capability across different organizational levels. The goal is to equip leaders, consultants, and organizations with the evidence-based tools and knowledge needed to cultivate robust change capabilities that drive sustained success and resilience in the face of change. We believe that through the intentional development of change capability, consultants can assist clients in becoming perpetually adaptable and capable of thriving in an unpredictable environment.

Submitted papers should specify the scope of focus—the individual, team, leadership, or organizational level. Within each article authors will be encouraged to delve into critical questions such as the following:

• The underlying mechanisms that contribute to the development of change capability at each level.
• Practical consulting approaches and practices to develop change capability.
• DEIB considerations that support or hinder change capability at each level.
• How change capability supports high relevance/priority areas such as DEIB, technology adaptation, sustainability, ways of working.
• Ways to define and measure the impact of high or low change capability.
• Linkages (or lack thereof) with traditional change management theories and models.
• Obstacles and challenges to overcome (e.g., employee fatigue, cultural inertia, hindering mindset, and the complexity of virtual teams).

Where feasible, case studies illustrating successful applications are encouraged.

For more information about the journal, visit the Consulting Psychology Journal homepage . You also may proceed directly to the manuscript submission portal .

The deadline for submission is December 30, 2024.

Questions? Contact the guest editors.

Other calls for papers

Calls for papers for journal manuscripts

More about this journal

• Consulting Psychology Journal
• Pricing and subscription info
• Read sample articles
• Development Editor Assistance
• Award Winners
• Elliott Jaques Award
• General call for papers
• Call for papers: Ethical and legal issues in AI
• Call for papers: Military and veteran community issues for psychological and organizational consultants
• Call for papers: Emotional intelligence in the workplace

Contact Journals

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Guest Essay

All the Alzheimer’s Research We Didn’t Do

By Charles Piller

Mr. Piller is an investigative journalist for Science magazine and the author of a forthcoming book on fraud in Alzheimer’s research.

What if a preposterous failed treatment for Covid-19 — the arthritis drug hydroxychloroquine — could successfully treat another dreaded disease, Alzheimer’s?

Dr. Madhav Thambisetty, a neurologist at the National Institute on Aging, thinks the drug’s suppression of inflammation, commonly associated with neurodegenerative disorders, might provide surprising benefits for dementia.

It’s an intriguing idea. Unfortunately, we won’t know for quite a while, if ever, whether Dr. Thambisetty is right. That’s because unconventional ideas that do not offer fealty to the dominant approach to study and treat Alzheimer’s — what’s known as the amyloid hypothesis — often find themselves starved for funds and scientific mind share.

Such shortsighted rigidity may have slowed progress toward a cure — a tragedy for a disease projected to affect more than 11 million people in the United States by 2040.

The amyloid hypothesis holds that sticky plaques and other so-called amyloid-beta proteins build up in the brain and prompt changes that cause Alzheimer’s disease’s cruel decline, gradually stealing a person’s mastery of everyday life, cherished memories and, finally, their sense of self.

In the early 1990s, legions of researchers began to sign on to the idea that removing amyloid from the brain could stop or reverse that process. But anti-amyloid drugs failed time and again. Then, in 2006, an animal experiment published in the journal Nature identified a specific type of amyloid protein as the first substance found in brain tissue to directly cause symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s. Top scientists called it a breakthrough that provided a key target for treatments. The paper became one of the most cited in the field, and funds to explore similar proteins skyrocketed.

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and  log into  your Times account, or  subscribe  for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber?  Log in .

Want all of The Times?  Subscribe .