Northouse's Leadership Theory and Practice: A Critical Review

Introduction

Peter Northouse's Leadership: Theory and Practice addresses a number of salient theories within the formal academic and professional discipline of leadership. The reader is given a comprehensive overview of some of the most meaningful and widely used leadership approaches of both contemporary and historical times. On the whole, the book is well written and succinct. It might have benefited from a greater use of empirical evidence, although the inclusion of several different authors and areas of expertise adds considerable value to the manuscript.

Trait and Skills Approaches to Leadership

Most people would assume that the trait-based approach to leadership is largely immutable. On certain levels this is true, as particular characteristic traits are endemic to individuals and present from early in life. The best description of the trait-based approach is that leaders use their natural attributes and personality as the core reasons that followers should adhere to them. The Five-Factor Personality Model is referenced as a framework through which readers can understand what sorts of attributes are considered part of one's personality and how they affect this type of leadership. The author concludes the chapter on trait-based leadership by noting that the most time-honored influential traits include intelligence, sociability, self-confidence, determination, and integrity. There is considerable validity to this framing, and the leaders referenced within this section serve as convincing examples of this style in action. That said, some of the traits identified as most ideal — such as integrity — are subjective. What one person considers exemplary integrity in a given situation may not appear so in another, which raises difficult questions of ethics.

The trait theory of leadership is largely contrasted with the skills approach. One might assume that skills are equally fixed, but they are not. In fact, the capacity of leaders to acquire, hone, and sharpen their skills is one of the most encouraging facets of this approach. In describing skill-based leadership, the author stratifies the required skills into those that are technical and those based on relating well to people, emphasizing that neither set of skills is adequate without the other. Northouse outlines the Three-Skills Approach, in which leaders monitor attributes, competencies, and the outcomes of their skills. One of the most integral aspects of this analysis is the emphasis placed on combining human and technical skills — which is, in practice, one of the most difficult things for a leader to achieve. The fact that both skill sets can be learned, however, is encouraging.

Style and Situational Leadership Theories

Some might assume that style-based leadership theory reflects the particular preferences of a leader. However, the author quickly dispels this misconception by describing it as a form of leadership essentially focused on the leader's subordinates. Northouse identifies two main types of behavior associated with leadership style: relationship-based and task-based. Critically, the way followers respond to and conceive of leadership plays a fundamental role in determining which type of behavior a leader employs. Northouse supports this description with extensive references to the University of Michigan and Ohio State studies. The most illuminating insight from this section is that leadership style is partly determined by the capacities of one's followers — a point that is rarely discussed in leadership theory or considered by practicing leaders.

The most natural assumption about situational leadership theory is that it applies to a variety of circumstances — an assumption that is largely confirmed by Northouse's definition. He explicates this type of leadership using the model developed by Hersey and Blanchard. There is meaningful correlation between situational leadership and style-based leadership, as the two main behaviors identified in the latter — relationship and task — reappear in the former as supportive and directive behaviors, respectively. The level of commitment and competency demonstrated by followers plays a large role in determining whether directive or supportive behaviors best suit a given situation. This theory is relatively easy to grasp, particularly after reading about leadership style. By presenting these theories in sequence, Northouse enables readers to readily understand their core concepts and connections.

Conclusion

Overall, Northouse's Leadership: Theory and Practice provides a well-organized and accessible overview of the field's most influential theories. The book is most effective when it draws meaningful connections between theories — such as the progression from style to situational to contingency leadership — and when it foregrounds the role of followers in shaping leadership behavior. While greater empirical grounding would strengthen certain chapters, and some criticisms such as those directed at LMX Theory remain underaddressed, the text succeeds as a comprehensive introduction to leadership theory for both academic and professional audiences (Northouse, 2010).

References

Northouse, P. (2010). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.