ABSTRACT
Managing the movement from the current position to the desired one, while maintaining the development of the organization, is one of the primary tasks of leadership. While the mix of skills and knowledge which makes for good leadership in contemporary organizations remains relevant, organizational circumstances mean that the significance of some leadership characteristics is heightened. Within the information services organization, the culture is changing. It is now based on diversity, in terms of the people working in it, and the novel roles they discharge. Classical theories of leadership are generally agreed to encompass the four main strands of trait theory, behaviourist theory, contingency theory and visionary leadership. Trait theory, assuming that leaders are set apart by a number of things, not least their personal characteristics, tends to rule this out. The key factors in establishing desirable leadership styles in times of change will be found in the emerging characteristics of contemporary information services.
