Strategy: Corporate Leadership

TLDR: In this article, a review of some of the earlier models of the leadership process and their limitations is given to models which incorporate situational elements which can affect the strategy of an enterprise, and to transforming leadership which by changing attitudes, norms and institutions, can have a major impact upon strategy.

Abstract: It looks at last as if the study of leadership is moving forward into a more productive phase which will benefit those operating at all levels of management and direction. This seems to have happened because ideas have been brought together from a variety of disciplines political science, psychology, social anthropology and management, for example and reconciled to give a richer but more complex picture of the leadership process which can be applied at the strategic levels of an enterprise. This development has been paralleled by a growing interest in the personality and motivation of executives which has produced new and better means of identifying those with potential for leadership at the strategic level. Accordingly, this paper reviews some of the ideas and approaches which have contributed to this deeper understanding. Following a brief examination of some of the earlier models of the leadership process and their limitations, attention is then given to models which incorporate situational elements which can affect the strategy of an enterprise, and to transforming leadership, which by changing attitudes, norms and institutions, can have a major impact upon strategy. As a basis for a comprehensive model of leadership at the strategic level, we have taken YukI's model of leadership effectiveness and adapted it to accommodate transformational leadership behaviour. This revised model is then linked to conceptual frameworks and methods for identifying and selecting strategic-level leaders, and for matching leaders to strategic requirements. The paper concludes with a practical example of strategic leadership in action as a test for the applicability of the model and as a source of further ideas about values, enterprise culture, and leadership development.