ABSTRACT

Rarely are indigenous dimensions and cultural conceptions of leadership factored into the examination of leadership effectiveness and motivation in management studies. Also rare is the examination of cultural variance within and between minority groups sharing similar visible diversity attributes. Due to its varied dispersion of origin and cultural context, the African diaspora offers a vibrant platform to study alternative conceptions of leadership models and their effectiveness. In this chapter, we address the behaviors participants identify as contributing to being an effective leader across the diaspora, the actions or activities that effective leaders engage in, and (3) the characteristics and traits that actual leaders identify as contributing to the leaders’ effectiveness. We also examine the extent to which the ubuntu concept (Mangaliso 2001; Damane 2001) is universally or differentially practiced by leaders of African descent outside of Africa (the diaspora) as well as within certain countries in Africa.