Psychology Of Leadership

Psychology of Leadership:

Four Foundational Beliefs

Leadership is Essential

Everyone understands that society cannot function without leaders, whether they are government officials, presidents, kings, queens, parliament, congress, local authoritiesÐ'--the list could go on. We also understand that leadership is not limited to the realm of politics. There are military, business, economic, social, religious, and popular culture leaders as well. Some of these leaders are known for their arrogance, while others are known for their humility; some have impeccable morality, while others dance publicly with immorality; others are noble and brave, while many are cowardly and weak. Some make great decisions; others make rash or reckless decisions.

If asked to name three great leaders, it would be easy to rattle off more than three times as many: Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Mother Theresa, Princess Diana, Ronald Reagan, Billy Graham, Oprah Winfrey, Major Richard Winters, and Bono. Such Biblical characters as Joseph, Nehemiah, Abraham, and Paul also come to mind. It would be equally as easy to name six terrible leaders who ruined or crippled nations, faiths, families, and cultures: Adolf Hitler, Osama Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, Joseph Stalin, Kim Jong-il, Jim Jones, Fidel Castro, and Charles Manson, to name a few. Some people would go so far as to mention popular cultural icons such as Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, and Michael Vic. Biblically we think of Saul, the Pharisees, Sadducees, Ahab or Jezebel.

Leaders, whether great or not, leave undeniable impressions on everyoneÐ'--those who lived during their leadership as well as those who only know their legacy. We all know that leaders exist because we see them, hear them, and learn about them through the media. But how often do we stop to ask what makes these individuals leaders? How do they maintain leadership? What makes one leader better than another? Can everyone be a leader? Simply asked, what is the psychology of leadership?

Because many notable scholars have studied the subject of leadership at great length, there are a countless number of resources that exist. This article is an attempt to summarize the answers to these questions using four foundational beliefs.

Leadership:

A Social Construct

Leadership is a social mechanism or phenomenon that is created and developed by and for society. Society is identified as an organized group of persons that are associated together for a purpose (2006). The components, then, that make up this leadership construct are the followers, leaders, and social organization (Dearborn 2007). Within this construct, followers choose to follow those who choose to lead within the confines of their social relationship. There are natural tensions, boundaries, and benefits that exist among these relationships. Some of which are subtle, others of which are obvious.

Leaders exist because there is a need to achieve goals and accomplish tasks for the health and betterment of the social organization. Through the leadership of one person or several people, followers can work together to create, achieve, and accomplish necessary goals and tasks. Usually leaders emerge because they have qualifying characteristics, essential self-leadership, appropriate skills, and indisputable influence. Some individuals may appear to be leaders because they are powerful, influential, or extraordinarily vocal about their cause, but those things do not qualify them to be leaders. Good leaders may be powerful, influential, and vocal, but they will also have qualifying characteristics and self-leadership.

Leadership:

Qualifying Characteristics

The Romance of Leadership theory suggests that everyone has the potential to become a good leader if they follow a predetermined formula or if they achieve a string of great successes. However, many studies have proven otherwise (Messick 2005). Although successful experience does play a part, a good leader must have many other qualifying characteristics such as a pleasant personality, excellent communication skills, assertiveness, ability to inspire others, professionalism, empathy, morality, vision, values, and exceptional planning skills. However, he must also have unparalleled character and integrity. Followers must be able to trust their leader. Ultimately, a good leader knows that leadership is who you are-- not what you accomplish. Therefore, character and integrity are at the core of great leadership.

Leadership:

Self Examination

There is an unspoken expectation that leaders must do great things and have great successes, but there is little to no expectation of the level of character or integrity of the leaders. It becomes a battle of external success and accomplishments verses internal character and integrity.

In chapter one of Leading from the Inside Out: The Art of Self Leadership (2000), author Samuel Rima points out that a leader's private or personal life must be in order before he can be a great leader. A leader's private life implicitly and explicitly affects his leadership. External leadership is an outpouring of internal character. Rima states that character can be defined as "the integration of an individual's personal beliefs, values, and morals which, taken as a whole, reveal the true nature of character of that individual" (2000). As a result, our behaviors reflect our character. Both Christians and non-Christian's face the same dilemmaÐ'--if one's private life is in shambles, his or her public leadership will inevitably reflect the internal turmoil.

People learn to be cynical and skeptical of leaders because so many leaders have proven they lack the personal integrity necessary to lead themselves -let alone that which is necessary to lead other people. It is essential that leaders lead themselves first before they lead other people. If a person cannot lead and control himself he cannot provide effective leadership to others (Rima 2000).

Self-leadership also entails how a leader cares for himself spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, and physically. People are living, organic beings. Medical research is increasingly