ABSTRACT
Leadership is the process by which a leader, by persuasion or example, induces followers to pursue their objectives for the group. In other words, it is “a process (act) of influencing the activities of an organized group in its efforts toward goal setting and goal achievement” (Stogdill, 1950, p. 3), or a “specialized form of social interaction… in which cooperating individuals are permitted to influence and motivate others to promote the attainment of group and individual goals” (Forsyth, 1999, p. 343). From each of these perspectives, leadership involves a “process of influence whereby the leader has an impact on others by inducing them to behave in a certain way” (Bryman, 1996, p. 276). These definitions have in common their emphasis on the view that leadership is linked to the ability to shape the behavior of those within one’s group, organization, or society.
