Chapter 2

Slide 2-1

Leadership Involves an Interaction

between the Leader, the Followers,
and the Situation

Irwin/McGraw-Hill The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. © 1999

 Chapter Goals
Slide 2-2

 The goal of this chapter is to introduce and

describe the three-factor framework of the
leadership process:
The Leader
The Followers
The Situation

Irwin/McGraw-Hill The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. © 1999

 Leadership is a function of three
elements - the leader, the followers,
and the situation
Slide 2-3
Leader Personality
Position
Expertise
Etc.

Values Task
Situation
Norms Stress
Cohesiveness Environment
Followers Etc. Etc.

Irwin/McGraw-Hill The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. © 1999

 The Leader
Slide 2-4

 The “Leader” element explores what the

person brings as an individual to the
leadership framework. These might include
personal history, interests, character traits,
and motivation.

Irwin/McGraw-Hill The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. © 1999

 The Leader
Slide 2-5

 In terms of the “Leader” element, what does

Madeleine Albright bring to her role as U.S.
secretary of state?
An early interest in foreign affairs
a good work ethic from her hard-working days
as a student

Irwin/McGraw-Hill The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. © 1999

 The Leader
Slide 2-6

 In terms of the “Leader” element, what does

Konosuke Matsushita bring to his role as
president/founder of Matsushita Electric?
An attitude of always looking to improve his
products
Creative ways to involve his employees in the
leadership process

Irwin/McGraw-Hill The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. © 1999

 Understanding the element of “followers” is central
to understanding leadership because the leader-
follower relationship is in constant change. Why?

Slide 2-7

 There is a trend toward greater power

sharing and decentralizing authority in
organizations, which in turn creates greater
interdependence among organizational
subunits and increased need for
collaboration among them.

Irwin/McGraw-Hill The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. © 1999

 Understanding the element of “followers” is central
to understanding leadership because the leader-
follower relationship is in constant change. Why?

Slide 2-8
Cont.
 There is an increasing pressure on all kinds
of organizations to function with reduced
resources.
 The nature of problems faced by many
organizations is becoming so complex and
the changes so rapid that more and more
people are required to solve them.
Irwin/McGraw-Hill The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. © 1999
 The Situation
Slide 2-9

 The element of “the situation “ may be the

most ambiguous aspect of the leadership
framework because it can refer to anything
form the specific task a group is engaged in
all the way to broad situation contexts.

Irwin/McGraw-Hill The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. © 1999

 The situation involving Madeleine Albright’s
appointment to the U.S. secretary of state involved
several factors, both positive and negative:

Slide 2-10

 President Clinton was likely looking to do

something dramatic and symbolic.
 Politics had created an opportunity for a
woman with her talents and credentials to
be appointed.

Irwin/McGraw-Hill The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. © 1999

 The situation involving Madeleine Albright’s
appointment to the U.S. secretary of state involved
several factors, both positive and negative:

Slide 2-11
Cont.
 She expanded her network of professional
associations, thereby increasing her
visibility to others.
 For many, her appointment was initially
looked upon as good politics but not a
choice of substance.

Irwin/McGraw-Hill The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. © 1999