ABSTRACT
Accepted theory and conventional wisdom concerning leadership have a lot in common. Both seem to be saying that the success of a leader depends on the leader, the led, and the unique situation. This formulation—abstract and majestically useless—is the best that can be gleaned from over 100 years of research on "leadership". There are many issues involved in the distribution of power: psychological, practical, and moral. One of the most challenging tasks for the new leadership is creating an environment that would increase tolerance for ambiguity. It will also be challenging to create an environment where one can make a virtue out of contingency, rather than one that induces hesitancy and its reckless counterpart, expedience. The "social territory" encompasses the complex and dynamic interaction of individuals, roles, groups, organizational and cultural systems. Organizations are legal, political, technical, and economic systems. The author here focuses on the social system. The most appropriate metaphor to characterize adaptive leadership is an "agricultural" model.
