Leadership concepts and theoretical frameworks

Leadership

Any degree of comprehensive analysis of Nannerl Keohane's non-fiction book, Thinking About Leadership, reveals that the author had a number of eminent reasons for writing this manuscript. The overarching theme which this work of literature is based upon, however, is what sort of qualities, traits, and tendencies are necessary to produce the most efficacious form of leadership possible. To that end, the author rarely strays from this task while utilizing a varied methodology that exposes different facets of leadership that are ultimately responsible for success. Thinking About Leadership is partially biographical, partly theoretical case study, and partly analytical of varying historical figures and contexts. The author relies upon her own experience in leadership (which is fairly significant considering that she was the first female president of Duke and a former president of Wellesley University) as well as examples of others to elucidate a number of relevant ideas related to relationships with one's followers and gender of contemporary leaders.

Since the author readily transitions from a number of different formats of presenting information about effective leadership, she is able to provide a varied reading experience that is ultimately more comprehensive than if she had simply relied upon one of the three perspectives for imparting information about this topic. One of the principle drawbacks of utilizing this approach, however, is not a lack of clarity or congruity in the ideas depicted by the author (in fact, the multi-various approach actually imbues Keohane's work with a coherence that is bolstered by the wide abundance of examples) is that the author does not spend a significant amount of time utilizing empirical evidence. Such evidence would, of course, present an immediacy to her claims regarding facets of successful guiding of organizations and its constituents. At the same time, however, her approach is still considerably academic without slowing down the pace of the manuscript with an overabundance of statistics.

In the initial chapter of Thinking About Leadership, Keohane provides a succinct definition of this concept that the entire manuscript is based upon. The author denotes that "leadership is not only a descriptive term but a prescriptive one, embracing a moral, even a passionate dimension." This quotation underscores the gravity and overall importance that the author attaches to the concept of leadership -- which transcends mere results and is ultimately responsible for a core culture that fosters and reinforces such results. Equally intriguing is the notions of what exactly leaders are, which Keohane defines as those who "determine or clarify goals for a group of individuals and bring together the energies of members of that group to accomplish those goals" (Keohane, 2010). Although this definition seems more pragmatic and traditional than the one associated with the general notion of leadership, part of the book's appeal lies in Keohane's seamless blending of these two ideas that provides an ideal for leaders to strive for.

One of the most poignantly insightful segments of Keohane's manuscript is the second chapter, which is dedicated to the intricacies of the nature of relationships that exist between leaders and their followers. The hierarchy of organizations in which modern theories of leadership is based is not entirely abandoned by the author, who stratifies followers between those on the fringe of an organization and those whom a leader relies upon for counsel, guidance, and for the overlying strength of an organization. What is most fascinating about this chapter and the relationship chronicled by the author between leaders and subordinates is that she emphasizes the need for tension between both parties -- which ultimately aids in keeping a leader honest and cognizant of the full range of possibilities regarding his or her actions and that of the organization he or she heads. Keohane's reliance upon historical examples is particularly timely in this section, in which she denotes how previous presidents kept members from rival parties as part of their cabinets in order to fully embrace a balanced perspective which inevitably colored -- and aided -- their own leadership. This notion is underscored by the fact that the author believes that "thoughtful leaders will make sure those close to her point out drawbacks occasional without fear of losing their jobs" (Keohane, 2010).

In the face of such incisive findings regarding the relationship between leaders and followers, the chapter which the author dedicates to pondering the importance and the question of gender in leadership seems a little superfluous, and certainly seems to slow the narration down. Perhaps this occurrence is due to the fact that by virtue of Keohane's own accomplishments as a female leader, the question of gender in such a role no longer seems as important as it perhaps once did. Gender differences are a mere facet of life, and while there may be traditionalists who are not desirous of female leadership, such leadership is a reality today and does not appear to worthy of an entire chapter in this book -- especially since some of the other issues addressed in it are more trenchant. The author determines that "socialization and cultural expectations, rather than hormones and genes" (Keohane, 2010) are responsible for the difference in styles of leadership attributed to the sexes. Yet this revelation, or little of the other information in this chapter, does little to add a great deal to the primary theme of this work -- what and how to produce the most effective form of leadership, which can be done by either a man or a woman.