Leadership: Theory and Practice

Leadership: Theory and Practice. Peter G. Northouse, Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, CA, 1997.

Leadership is a topic of perennial interest to researchers and managers alike. Although there are a number of new books on leadership, most of them are too abstract and theoretical, and of limited interest to managers who are much more interested in how a particular theory can be translated into practice. Leadership: Theory and Practice by Northouse attempts to strike a balance between theory and practice.

The book uses a consistent format throughout. Each Chapter starts with a comprehensive summary of a particular leadership theory/approach, followed by a discussion of its strengths and weaknesses. The Chapter then turns to the practical applications of the theory, using short cases and leadership instruments to illustrate the theory or approach.

In the first eight Chapters, Northouse leads the reader on a journey through the fascinating and complex terrain of leadership study from the early 'Great Man' and trait theories to current popular approaches to leadership. The book is evenly divided between traditional leadership research (e.g., traits, style, and contingency theories) and the frontiers of leadership research (e.g., leader-member exchange-LMX, transformational leadership, teams, gender differences in styles of leadership, etc.). The last four Chapters of the book are contributed by his associates, and they focus on issues such as team leadership (Susan E. Kogler Hill), the psychodynamic approach (Ernest L. Stech), women and leadership (Dayle M. Smith) and popular approaches to leadership (Mary Ann Bowman).

Chapter 1 provides a good introduction to some key issues in leadership, starting with the distinctions among management, leadership and power. It serves as a warm up to the rest of the book...