Chapter 2
Slide 2-1
Leadership Involves an Interaction
between the Leader, the Followers,
and the Situation
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The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. © 1999
Chapter Goals
Slide 2-2
 The goal of this chapter is to introduce and
describe the three-factor framework of the
leadership process:
The Leader
The Followers
The Situation
Irwin/McGraw-Hill
The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. © 1999
Leadership is a function of three
elements - the leader, the followers,
and the situation
Slide 2-3
Leader
Personality
Position
Expertise
Etc.
Followers
Values
Task
Norms
Stress
Cohesiveness
Environment
Etc.
Etc.
Irwin/McGraw-Hill
Situation
The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. © 1999
The Leader
Slide 2-4
 The “Leader” element explores what the
person brings as an individual to the
leadership framework. These might include
personal history, interests, character traits,
and motivation.
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The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. © 1999
The Leader
Slide 2-5
 In terms of the “Leader” element, what does
Madeleine Albright bring to her role as U.S.
secretary of state?
An early interest in foreign affairs
a good work ethic from her hard-working days
as a student
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The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. © 1999
The Leader
Slide 2-6
 In terms of the “Leader” element, what does
Konosuke Matsushita bring to his role as
president/founder of Matsushita Electric?
An attitude of always looking to improve his
products
Creative ways to involve his employees in the
leadership process
Irwin/McGraw-Hill
The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. © 1999
Understanding the element of “followers” is central
to understanding leadership because the leaderfollower relationship is in constant change. Why?
Slide 2-7
 There is a trend toward greater power
sharing and decentralizing authority in
organizations, which in turn creates greater
interdependence among organizational
subunits and increased need for
collaboration among them.
Irwin/McGraw-Hill
The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. © 1999
Understanding the element of “followers” is central
to understanding leadership because the leaderfollower relationship is in constant change. Why?
Slide 2-8
Cont.
 There is an increasing pressure on all kinds
of organizations to function with reduced
resources.
 The nature of problems faced by many
organizations is becoming so complex and
the changes so rapid that more and more
people are required to solve them.
Irwin/McGraw-Hill
The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. © 1999
The Situation
Slide 2-9
 The element of “the situation “ may be the
most ambiguous aspect of the leadership
framework because it can refer to anything
form the specific task a group is engaged in
all the way to broad situation contexts.
Irwin/McGraw-Hill
The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. © 1999
The situation involving Madeleine Albright’s
appointment to the U.S. secretary of state involved
several factors, both positive and negative:
Slide 2-10
 President Clinton was likely looking to do
something dramatic and symbolic.
 Politics had created an opportunity for a
woman with her talents and credentials to
be appointed.
Irwin/McGraw-Hill
The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. © 1999
The situation involving Madeleine Albright’s
appointment to the U.S. secretary of state involved
several factors, both positive and negative:
Slide 2-11
Cont.
 She expanded her network of professional
associations, thereby increasing her
visibility to others.
 For many, her appointment was initially
looked upon as good politics but not a
choice of substance.
Irwin/McGraw-Hill
The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. © 1999