So, what is leadership? The word lead means ‘to guide on a way by going in advance’ (Longman New Universal Dictionary). So, it’s safe to say that leading involves taking someone on a journey from their current position to somewhere else. The journey can be physical as when Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, or psychological where a leader turns around the attitudes of a group of workers. Whichever it is, it involves change. You can’t be a leader unless you lead change of some kind. That’s what leaders do: they change things.

But how does the leader bring about change? One thing is clear, they can’t do it on their own. They need the help of others. This turns leadership into a process which involves influencing others to work towards the achievement of your aims and objectives. Leadership is not about power or force, it’s about influence. You don’t want an army of conscripts as followers; you want an army of volunteers.

The entries in this section are largely in chronological order but only Trait Theory predates 1930. Some you will be familiar with, such as Hersey and Blanchard’s situational leadership; others, such as Leader Member Exchange, may be new to you.

Whichever theory or theories you decide to adopt, there is one characteristic you must exhibit at all times if you are to convince people that you are worth following, and that is self-confidence. If you lack faith in your own abilities or the leadership approach that you adopt, why should anyone place their trust in you? It’s essential that you always appear self-confident and optimistic – especially when you’re terrified. How you feel is not important, it’s how you are perceived by your staff/followers that matters. Many great leaders have been wracked with nerves and self-doubt. Indeed, it’s probably only the mad and megalomaniacs who are free from doubt. Good leaders face their fears and triumph over them.