Leaders of man : a study in leadership

Abstract

The main objective of this study is to evaluate effective leadership as defined in the classical sense using past models and theories; these being a vital part of framing decisions, sizing up situations and analysing contexts. By looking closely at the leadership styles adopted by the great leaders Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. And Mother Teresa of Calcutta we move beyond simple management actions to more nuanced and higher-order leadership strategies. The most important single factor in the success of a school is the quality of leadership of its head. Thus, the virtues of the leadership styles adopted by the leaders mentioned are extolled and examined and compared to strategies used nowadays by Heads of Schools for effective leadership in education. Quoting Peter Senge in Leithwood, Jantzi and Steinbach (1999): “we are coming to believe that leaders are those people who walk ahead, people who are genuinely committed to deep change in themselves and their organisations. They lead through developing new skills, capabilities and understanding.”