If you look at the study/lecture outline on the previous page you’ll notice eight parts. Four of these parts are major and correspond with four perspectives (schools) of leadership. That’s essentially the way the chapter is organized. Although there are eight parts, the chapter is mostly about four perspectives: 1) transformational, 2) managerial, 3) implicit, and 4) personal attributes. These are considered the most current and popular perspectives (schools). All perspectives have something to contribute to our understanding of leadership. Within each of these schools (perspectives), we find scholars who have devoted entire careers to researching and promoting their own theories of leadership. In some cases, they can be quite passionate (stubborn) about their views too.

The first part of this chapter deals with the transformational perspective – it’s one of the most popular perspectives at the moment. This is where we see an in-depth look at transformational leadership by way of the four elements which distinguish these types of leaders from the other kinds. Don’t miss the small but important part where the distinction between transformational and charismatic leadership is made clear. It’s common for many students to mistakenly lump transformational leaders with charismatic ones. Lastly, the transformation perspective is critically evaluated.

The second major part of this chapter deals within the managerial perspective (school) of leadership. The path-goal theory is probably the most dominant of the four theories that fall within this perspective. Academics who support or champion the path-goal theory of leadership hold the common belief that there are a number of leadership styles, and that the most appropriate one depends on a number of factors.

The last two major parts of the chapter deal with the implicit and personal attributes perspectives. The implicit leadership perspective (my personal favourite) argues that leaders have less influence than we imagine. It’s an interesting and provocative view of leadership, which may explain why I like it so much.