Challenging Your Implicit Leadership Theory

Abstract

Each of us has an implicit leadership theory, a mental model we are largely unaware of, that represents the skills, traits, and qualities that define effective leaders. Curiously, the peerreviewed literature has reported almost exclusively on the ideal attributes of leaders, overlooking the axiomatic and taken-for-granted views people have about the activity we colloquially refer to as "leadership." Some of these beliefs about leadership are so common and accepted as true that challenging them is counterintuitive, yet they can limit organizational effectiveness. In this article, we discuss four common leadership misunderstandings that contribute to the fabric of our self-evident, unexamined common sense view of leadership. Challenging these misconceptions provides the opportunity to create a new paradigm of leadership, one that could enhance organizational performance.

The implications of principal leadership styles on teachers' organizational commitment in the Israeli Arab educational minority

“…First coined by Eden and Leviatan (1975), the theory posits that we each have a set of ideas and beliefs that delineate the kinds of "traits"-attributes, skills, and behaviors that define influential leaders. These beliefs, variously referred to as "prototypes" or "schemas," affect the extent to which an individual accepts and responds to others as leaders (Souba & Souba, 2018). Thus, leaders in collective cultures with high power distance would need to take ABD EL QADER and BENOLIEL | 815 strong, decisive actions and assert a central role in the life of the individual to be seen as leaders, whereas in more individualistic cultures with low power distance, participative leadership, and a more democratic approach would be more appropriate (House et al, 2004).…”

Proposals for the future of leadership scholarship: Suggestions in Phronesis

“…It creates us versus them, good versus bad, and black versus white. These shortcomings and the inability of language to fully capture reality and our natural tendency to hear only what fits with our existing frames of reference point to the need to continuously revisit the assumptions that make up our shared understanding of leadership (Souba and Souba, 2018).…”

Essential leadership concepts and models for graduate and professional school learners

“…Institutions and programs can consider the developmental experiences (DeRue & Wellman, 2009 ) they provide to help students hone their leadership skills. In addition, leadership development programs can tap into each learner's implicit leadership theory that explains one's view of effective leadership based on individual experiences (Souba & Souba, 2018 ). Programs that acknowledge individual views of leadership can help facilitate meaning‐making through reflective journaling or facilitated dialogue where learners interact, contributing diverse ideas and experiences, and co‐constructing new knowledge with one another in the process (Mezirow, 1990 , 1997 ).…”