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Leadership and Change in Education

finitions differ in many respects, including who exerts influence, the purpose of influence attempts and the manner in which influence is exerted (Ross, 1992, p. 46). These differences are not merely cases of minor differences among scholars, but sometimes represent deep disagreement about identification of leaders and the leadership process.

Today, not all researchers consider that leadership is properly classified as a distinct phenomenon. Some theorists believe that leadership is no different from the social influence processes that occur among all members of a group, and these researchers see leadership as a collective process shared among the members (Nirenberg, 1998). The opposing view to this is that all groups have role specialization, including a specialized leadership role. This view takes the position that there is one person who has much more influence than other members, and who carries out leadership functions that cannot be shared without putting in jeopardy the success of the group's mission. While the second view has been popular in the past, recent trends have led to the increased popularity of the shared leadership position.

Some researchers hold that leadership should be limited by definition to influence that results in enthusiastic commitment by followers; this can be contrasted to indifferent compliance or reluctant obedience. Those who favor this view suggest that a person who uses authority and control over rewards and punishments to manipulate or coerce followers is not truly "leading" them (Berry, 1997). The opposing view to this definition holds that this is too restrictive because it excludes influence processes that are important for understanding why or how a leader is effective or ineffective in a particular situation. These individuals argue that the initial definition of leadership should not predetermine the answer to the research question of what makes a leader effective (Kuhnert & Russe...

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Leadership and Change in Education. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 14:19, March 28, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1695588.html