ABSTRACT

Leadership has been a topic of intellectual discourse and systematic research for approximately 100 years; until the 1930s it was primarily the ‘person’ that was of concern and not what an individual or group of individuals did that mattered (Bass, 1990). During this time, conceptions of what constitutes effective leadership have evolved as a reflection of organizational life and broader societal trends. As we progress into the 21st century, a time that can only be described as ‘change laden and innovation heavy’, theories and models have begun to connect leadership directly to the ability to initiate and manage change. This evolution has occurred for good reason as the new millennium has ushered in unparalleled levels of complexity and dynamism in our organizational and personal relationships. Perhaps no sector has experienced greater levels of upheaval than in science and technology. For example, it has been reported that technological products undergo fundamental redesign every 6 to 12 months. These short product life cycles are emblematic of what some economists refer to as the age of innovation (Janszen, 2000). In keeping with this view, other economists have suggested that creativity now plays a more significant role in the workplace, communities, and the economy overall (Florida, 2002).