Northouse's Leadership

Northouse, Peter G. Leadership: Theory and Practice. 6th ed. Thousand Oaks: SAGE, 2013. Print.

Peter Northouse examines a variety of contemporary leadership theories, including prescriptive and descriptive approaches, and also examines women, culture, and ethics in relation to leadership. Northouse states that leadership is a process of influencing others toward a common goal (5).  

In Chapter 3, "Skills Approach," Northouse explains an approach that describes skills leaders have, including abilities in problem-solving, social judgment and knowledge (48-50). Northouse notes that this approach suggests that leadership is "available to everyone" because skills can be developed(58). 

In Chapter 9, Northouse discusses James MacGregor Burns' conception of the transformational leadership style, a "process whereby a person engages with others and creates a connection that raises the level of motivation and morality in both the leader and the follower" (186).

Transformational leadership is closely connected with ("synonymous to") House's concept of charismatic leadership (187). Charismatic leaders have high standards for their followers and a trusted vision that helps motivate followers--a type of impact called "idealized influence" (189; 191). "Inspirational motivation," "intellectual stimulation," and "individualized consideration" are other factors Northouse discusses (193). Martin Luther King and Gandhi can be considered transformational leaders (188).

This text's chapter on "Women in Leadership" was written by contributing author Crystal L. Hoyt, using Eagly and Carli's labyrinth framework, and provides an overview of the research on women in leadership and gender bias in organizations (349-365).