ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the emerging features of the current leadership approach. Effective leadership is the key to the future success and survival of an organization. The word leadership is one of the world’s oldest concepts. In earlier times, words meaning “head of state”, “military commander”, “principal”, “chief” or “king” were very common in most societies; these words differentiated the ruler from other members of society. Historical management theories of leadership include inspiring, engaging and motivating employees so they would work harder and achieve organizational goals. The earliest approaches to leadership are descriptive and based on providing the personal characteristics and charisma of leaders. Traditional literature on leadership focuses mainly on “characteristics” of good leaders. Few leaders from the interviewed group revealed that the leader is expected to be an initiator of change.
