Amy Gade

LDRS 801: Theoretical Foundations of Leadership

Concept Map (Post-test)

Part 01: Current Understanding of Leadership

I took a note from the very last module of this course in the re-imagining of my concept
map. Vincent Walsh, in his TEDxAldeburgh video presentation titled Neuroscience and
Creativity, is quoted as saying creative people/leaders should Dare to be simple. As I
reflected on this course, the complexity of all that is leadership, and the million different
directions my brain was headed as I re-worked my concept map, I realized Walsh really
had a point. Sometimes simple says more than complex. Now maybe my brain is just
too fried from all that we have studied this semester, but as I look back at my latest
concept map, I believe its the simplicity of it that really helps to tell the story of all that
goes into leadership each and every leadership situation.
Every leadership situation is complex and unique. And while surely one can find many
different definitions of leadership with a simple Google search, Id argue that there isnt
one definitive answer to What is leadership? As a leadership scholar, I even struggle
with how to put such a uniquely complicated process into words. So with this concept
map, I decided to take a much broader perspective and focus in on all the various
leadership theories that in turn effect the application of and approach to leadership in
any given situation. Because leadership is not black and white, I decided to identify
many of the more grey aspects that may go into the application of leadership.
At the top of my concept map, I have identified three of the earliest leadership theories:
trait, behavioral, and situational. While these theories tried to make leadership a bit
more black and white in terms of what impacts the leadership offered most, they are
truly the foundation for all other leadership perspectives. To take a broad look at all
three theories is to identify three aspects that truly should be considered as impactful in
every leadership situation. Traits of the leader and followers often determine actions
taken and decisions made. In fact, the trait approach was once so widely popular that
assessments were created to identify someones leadership potential in terms of their
personality traits or the Big Five as it is commonly referred to (Judge, Piccolo, Kosalka,
2009). The situation at hand not only influences how a leader may act or react, but also
to what level the subordinate can accept such action or reaction. Thompson and
Vecchio (2009) state, As originally proposed, SLT that an optimal style of supervision
can be prescribed for given levels of subordinate maturity (p. 837). The behaviors of
the leader can be hugely influential in terms of the approach they take. The metacategories of task-related or relationship-related behaviors were determined early on, as
two varying approaches most leaders could categorically be accused of using (Yukl,
Gordon, Taber, 2002). While leadership scholars today have gone much beyond the
simplistic nature of these theories, I believe there are components of all three in any
more modern approaches. Likewise, it is hard to argue that these things arent factors in
terms of the approach/es a leader often takes in guiding his/her subordinates.
Moving clockwise, one of the next things likely involved in the approach to leadership is
whether the leader takes a transactional or transformational approach. While I wouldnt

necessarily argue that a leader looks at each situation and consciously makes a
decision to base their leadership on a sole transaction they are looking to complete
versus a transformation of the culture or process at hand, both of these theories are a
huge component in how a leader operates or is viewed by their subordinates. A
transactional leader is often viewed more as a manager, in the sense that much of this
leaders style has to do with the particular result the leader is looking for. Subordinates
are rewarded for behaviors that act in line with the desired results. In my opinion,
transactional leadership is forgetful, whereas transformation leadership leaves lasting
impressions on people. Lowe, Kroeck, and Sivasubramaniam (1996) state that, The
transformation leader has been characterized as one who articulates a vision of the
future that can be shared with peers and subordinates, intellectually stimulates
subordinates, and pays high attention to individual differences among people (p.386).
Because subordinates are treated more like individuals, are given a vision on which to
base their actions, and actually get to be involved in the transformation, transformational
leadership is highly motivating for subordinates. I believe it provides the best opportunity
for results from both the visionary leader and the involved subordinates.
The next section of the concept map focuses on the followership. As someone who puts
much of the leaders responsibility on developing followers, I believe followership plays
a huge role in the approach to leadership. Just as the traits and behaviors of the leader
impact the leadership situation, followership theories stress that behaviors and traits of
the followers can be just as impactful (Sy, 2010). Leader-Member Exchange theory
draws attention to the varying relationships leaders develop with each individual
subordinate and how those relationships may impact their leadership approach in
working with that individual (Schriesheim, Castro, Cogliser, 199). Path-Goal theory puts
much of the focus on subordinate satisfaction in terms of person versus task oriented
supervisory behavior (House, 1996). With this theory, because the satisfaction of the
subordinate is influenced by the behavior of the leader, I would argue that the follower/s
in time could play a role in the approach the leader takes. If they are seeing low
satisfaction from subordinates based on one approach, they will likely change their
approach over time. After all, happy subordinates are typically the most productive
subordinates. While each theory regarding followership varies only in the slightest, the
degree to which followers are consider in leadership study shows the very impactful role
they play in the approach to leadership.
Lastly, my concept map addresses the newer theoretical leadership research on servant
behavior and authenticity. Servant leadership is the idea that a leaders desire to serve
came first and their desire to lead in that service came second (van Dierendonck, 2010).
Albeit newer research, the naivety in me would like to argue that at the heart of every
leader is the desire to do what they feel is best. Now whether their idea of what is best
is correct or not, I cannot say. At the core of every leader is someone in service to
others. Also quite new to leadership studies is the concept of Authentic Leadership
Development theory. Authentic leaders are defined as people aware of their own ideals
and behaviors and are perceived by others as being aware of their own as well as those

of others (Avolio & Gardner, 2005). Authentic leaders know themselves and tend to
have a good read of those around them, which in turn allows them to alter leadership
approaches accordingly.
In conclusion, as I struggled with revising this concept map, I realized leadership is so
much more than the guidance of followers. Its about the leader him/herself, the
followers, and the approach taken by the leader. Leadership is complex. With every new
member of the group comes a new aspect to consider in the approach to leadership. It
is that complexity that allowed me to take a step back and make the most simplistic
summary to address all that impacts leadership in any given situation.
Part 02: How has Your Understanding of Leadership Changed?
As I was grappling, and let me put some added stress on GRAPPLING, with the revamp
of my original concept map, I realized it is that grappling that probably best shows a
change in my overall understanding of leadership. I believe my original perception of
leadership was a definitional perspective. When I reflect on my original concept map, I
believe its design attempted to answer the question, What is leadership? And although
I have some education background with leadership theories, having taken a few
courses in leadership in my undergrad, I believe theory was very much absent from my
original concept map. Now, after a semester worth of comparing and contrasting
leadership theories in depth, I am not sure I will ever be able to think of leadership
without thinking of theory again.
My original approach to leadership would have likely argued that a definitive operational
definition of leadership existed. As mentioned above, sure one can find a definition of
leadership in a million different places, but is there every going to be a true definition of
leadership that encompasses all aspects and everyone involved? After this course, I
would argue probably not. I believe it is for that reason that leadership is one of the
most widely studied aspects of human behavior. As the world changes, as technology
changes, as our culture changes, and our preferences change, so too, is leadership
impacted. My revised approach to leadership is actually far less definitive than before
this course began, for now, I believe I have a greater understanding of all that
leadership involves.
While my original concept map (referenced in Appendix A) touched on aspects of
various theories also mentioned in my most recent, like the role traits and situations play
in leadership, all the other many aspects are simply absent. I would argue that my
original concept map reflects the viewpoint of someone with only a personal, operational
definition of leadership, someone with very little knowledge on leadership theory. This
original concept map might as well have been the product of a new undergraduate
about to bark on their first leadership course. Whereas my new concept map seems to
be reflective of the ideas of someone who just broaden his/her perspective of leadership
through thorough studies of leadership theories. One positive of my original concept

map was the firm placement of followers in the leadership equation, as seen in the
current concept map. I am quite proud that even at the beginning of this course I was
able to identify the importance of and role that followers play in any leadership situation.

Part 03: Personal Leadership Development Plan

Identifying ones strengths from a leadership perspective is always a difficult task, in that
because we are not under the influence of our own leadership we arent always able to
identify what might work and not work about our own style or approaches. In trying to
identify what someone under my leadership might say, I would first claim preparation as
one of my strengths. I have always been a very detail-oriented, organized, and thorough
person. I believe those are strengths I take into all aspects of my life, so they are surely
present in my leadership as well. Currently, in my role supervising the tour guide
program on campus, I am always organized and detailed in our meeting agendas and
thorough in my communication and follow through with my staff. I come into our
meetings prepared and ready to discuss issues at the table. Likewise, to ensure my
subordinates are prepared as well, I send a weekly update which takes them through
the number of tours for the week, other important upcoming events, and reminders. I
would also identify my slightly extroverted personality as a strength for a leader. While
some might be considered quiet leaders, I believe I am a bit bolder. I am confident
talking with all types of people and I believe I can handle most socializing situations with
ease. Public speaking skills are another strength I believe I bring into leadership. I am
comfortable in speaking with a wide variety of audience sizes and to people from all
different position levels. Lastly, I believe my participative nature is probably my greatest
strength in terms of a leadership characteristic. I would never ask my subordinates,
including my tour guides, to do something I myself wouldnt do or havent already done
before. As a leader, I think its important you show your followers that you value them.
Being willing to do the things at their level, I believe proves their importance and value. I
would never want to be viewed as above any tasks or responsibilities. My personal
belief is a leader is only as good as his/her followers. Therefore, I also put a lot of value
in the followership. Especially in my leadership of the tour guide program, I try to take
every opportunity to teach these young adults new things that will hopefully carry into
their future careers. I look for opportunities to prepare them for whats ahead, while still
living in the moment and ensuring they are successful in their current state.
Some areas open for growth and further development include tact and confrontation or
intervention. I am one that thinks on their feet and because of that bold and confident
nature of my personality, I sometimes think before I speak. If I were to move up into a
larger leadership position, I know this is something I would need to work on. I am not
sure anyone loves or is especially good at confrontation or intervention, but it is most
definitely my least favorite part of being a leader. While I may not enjoy doing it, it is
something I am definitely going to have to become more comfortable with in my various

leadership roles. I probably need to look at confrontation as an opportunity to provide a

learning experience for both myself and the other party involved. Should I take that
approach, I may be able to see the positive in every confrontational situation. Likewise, I
am quick to share ideas. While that definitely isnt always a bad thing, I think I need to
learn that its okay to just listen and observe from time to time. One of the great flaws in
my personality which definitely carries into my leadership is that I am very much a Type
A perfectionist. Leaders have to let others underneath them take on some projects on
their own and sometimes that may mean failure. The leader him or herself may also
make decisions or lead in a direction that ends up being a failure. I need to learn to
hone my perfectionism in to areas it can provide benefit, but not let it take over. Failure
doesnt always mean the end. Because I am a perfectionist, I sometimes need extra
direction with tasks or responsibilities. While I know that I am more than capable of
those things, Id rather just do it right from the being than have to fail at it and try again.
Unfortunately, as the leader, there isnt necessarily going to be someone there to
receive direction from. I think I need to learn to trust my gut and my abilities more and
by reminding myself that from failure can come great learning, I may be able to work
past that crutch. Because I am of the follower mentality, I struggle with delegation of
tasks. While I dont believe its always believe thats related to my perfectionism, that
whole I could do it better mentality, I am more so worried about coming off as bossy or
that I am above a task. In my current position, as somewhat of a middle manager, I
need to start passing responsibilities down to other staff members, responsibilities that I
myself did when I was in their same role, but yet I always worry that I will come across
as bossy or presumptuous. As a leader, I am going to have to learn to worry less about
what other people think of me, as long as I am happy and satisfied with who I am that
should be enough. Lastly, I very much desire to be transformational leader, as I believe
it is the most positive approach for both the leader and subordinate/s, yet I dont believe
I am always able see the opportunity to transform in each situation. I think the word
transformation makes me think of this grandiose, measurable change. Not every
transformation may be just that, sometimes its many small changes that can make the
largest impact overall.
Goal 1: Graduate with my Masters in Organizational Leadership from Fort Hays State
University in December 2015 with above a 3.5 cumulative GPA.
Goal 2: Synthesize my new understanding of leadership through the coursework of my
graduate program at FHSU and present said knowledge and information about the
Organizational Leadership program to an undergraduate Leadership course at my alma
mater/employer Wayne State College.
Goal 3: Upon graduation, meet with my current supervisor to discuss the impact of my
new education, role in the leadership of our department, and possible salary
advancement opportunities.

Works Cited
Avolio, B. J. & Gardner, W. L. (2005). Authentic leadership development: Getting to the
root of positive forms of leadership. The Leadership Quarterly, 16(2005), p. 315338.
House, R. J. (1996). PATH-GOAL THEORY OF LEADERSHIP: LESSONS, LEGACY,
AND A REFORMULATED THEORY. Leadership Quarterly, 7(3), p. 323-352.
Judge, T. A., Piccolo, R. F., & Kosalka, T. (2009). The bright and dark sides of leader
traits: A review and theoretical extension of the leader trait paradigm. The
Leadership Quarterly, 20(2009), p. 855-875.
Lowe, K. B., Kroeck, K. G., & Sivasubramaniam, N. (1996). Leadership Quarterly, 7(3),
p. 385-425.
Schriesheim, C. A, Castro, S. L., & Cogliser, C. C. (1999). LEADER-MEMBER
EXCHANGE (LMX) RESEARCH: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THEORY,
MEASUREMENT, AND DATA-ANALYTIC PRACTICES. Leadership Quarterly,
10(1), p. 63-113.
Sy, T. (2010). What do you think of followers? Examining the content, structure, and
consequences of implicit followership theories. Organizational Behavior and
Human Decision Processes 113(2010), p. 73, 84.
Thompson, G. & Vecchio, R. P. (2009). Situational leadership theory: A test of three
versions. The Leadership Quarterly, 20(2009), p. 837-848.
van Dierendock, D. (2011). Servant Leadership: A Review and Synthesis. Journal of
Management, 37(4), p. 1228-1261.
Walsh, V. (2011, Dec 7). TEDxAldeburgh - Vincent Walsh - Neuroscience and creativity
[Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyU-AbYiEd0.
Yukl, G., Gordon, A. & Taber, T. (2002). A Hierarchical Taxonomy of Leadership
Behavior: Integrating a Half Century of Behavior Research. Journal of Leadership and
Organizational Studies, 9(1), p. 15-32.

Appendix A: Concept Map (Pre-test)

Amy Gade
LDRS 801: Theoretical Foundations of Leadership
Assignment #1: Concept Map (Pre-test)

What is leadership? This question, while simple, poses many challenges in

answering. Leadership is somewhat complicated. It involves many different
components, people, and issues. Leadership involves multiple people in an

influencer and influencee relationship. While nearly everyone in the world has had
experience with this type of relationship, it is still hard to put into words or onto a
concept map what exactly leadership is. Ill be the first to admit this concept map is
nowhere near perfect. In fact, I am sure there are many crucially important
leadership concepts I have completely left off; but after reviewing and re-reviewing
this concept may several times, it is as complete as I can make it for now.
My initial comments about concept mapping are that I am new to it. While I
have seen many concept maps before, I have never actually constructed one. It
seems simple, at first glance, however, I found it more challenging than initially
assumed. Sure I can throw out many different terms and concepts that relate to
leadership, but the difficulty comes in tying them all together and determining how
they interconnect. While ideas were abundant in my mind, when I put pen to paper,
or in this case mouse to Cmap software, I seemed to draw a blank. While the
software was intended to be simple and easy to use, I felt it to be a little limited. On
the other hand, I will be the first to admit, Im not always the most technology
intelligent person, so some of the issues I found could have been simple user errors.
While I am not pleased with the overall look of my concept map, as I feel it looks
awfully elementary, again, I struggled to improve it beyond this state.
When I first attempted to create my concept map, I began in the center of the
page with the word leadership. Initially, I drew two additional concept bubbles below
the word leadership; one with the word leader and the other, follower. I quickly
dismissed that concept map design, as I know there is more to leadership than the
leader/follower relationship. I also realized that my initial design assumed that
leadership caused a leader/follower relationship and I tend to believe its much more
complex than that. As I started to rethink my own viewpoint of leadership, there

were a few concepts I knew I needed to address, like how the need for leadership is
determined, how a leader is identified, and what the leader is trying to accomplish. I
hope these three topics are better addressed in my final concept map design, as
noted above.
I started this concept map design once again placing the word leadership in
the center, but this time knowing I would be working out from that word both in an
upward and downward direction. I first started thinking about how leadership comes
about. While at times it is a natural progression within the organization that leads to
leadership, I believe there has be a need for leadership or it simply wouldnt exist. I
identified at the very top of my concept map the common ways in which I believe a
need for leadership is identified; either the structure of the organization requires it
or members of the organization request it.
It is the identified need for leadership which then causes the members of the
organization to consider several different things, in order to identify a good and
viable leader. I believe the members need to consider the traits of their various
members to identify those with common leadership traits, like charisma, poise, good
character, teaching ability, good understanding of the function of the entire
organization, and quality public speaking skills. I think members will also need to
consider the situation at hand. Some leaders are better in one type of situation,
wherein others may struggle. I believe its okay to identify the differences in the
strengths of leaders in various situations. I dont believe there is a one-size fits all
leader, although many situations require that. Lastly, I think its important that
members consider their own self. What skills could I bring to the table as a leader?
Am I comfortable in that position? Would I like to be considered for that opportunity?

Far too often, I believe we as individuals overlook or over-criticize ourselves when it

comes to our abilities to lead.
I also wanted to be sure my concept map identified the various ways in which
a leader can be selected. I narrowed leader selection down into two categories:
being named or being self-identified. Many of us are quite familiar with leaders
being named, appointed, elected, or selected to serve their role, especially as it
relates to leadership in the professional world. I think equally as common in smaller
group settings is a leader who is self-identified. I think leadership self-identification
comes in one of two ways; the interested member consciously states they are
interested and/or willing to take the role of leader or subconsciously a member just
begins to handle the duties of the leader. Whether named or self-identified, a
leader has now been identified and can focus on their role.
One of the largest roles of the leader is to provide leadership to their
followers. As a side note, I always struggle with the leader/follower lingo. I feel as
though the word follower carries a negative connotation. In a healthy relationship, I
believe there is not intended to be anything negative about being under the
influence of a leader. I probably should have instead described a leader as an
influencer and a follower as an influencee. I believe the purpose of the leader role is
to provide guidance, support, and further knowledge to the follower. All too often, I
believe leaders are charged with so many responsibilities, like increasing sales,
improving public persona of X company, growing X company, etc., that the focus of
their relationship with their followers is often put on the back burner. I truly believe
the number one priority of a leader should be their relationship with their followers.

It is the leaders responsibility to provide guidance, support, and further

knowledge to their followers. The leader should invest significant time and energy
into the development of their followers, just like past leaders had done for the
current leader. The leader has the important role of guiding, influencing, steering,
supporting, and helping to advance the knowledge and skills of their followers.
While there is much debate over whether leaders are born or made, I think we can
all agree that while there may in fact be innate skills that are common in most
leaders, these skills often need pampering in order to be fully developed. Any future
leader can benefit from the guidance of another great leader.
One of the benefits of a strong leader/follower relationship is not only what it
can do for the follower, but also what it can do for the company, organization,
school, etc as a whole. This relationship can lead to success in their
business/industry, relationships within the team, and also growth. It is often times
all of these things the leader is also in charge of in their role. While they could
directly focus on these things, investing much of their time, energy, and resources
into business, relationships, and growth, I think focus on their leader/follower
relationship can also lead to these same results. I do believe, however, that the
increased focus on the leader/follower relationship often times brings a higher level
of work and relationship satisfaction to all members. Satisfied members are more
likely to be invested in the company. More invested members are often times harder
worker members. This poses a win-win situation for all involved.
I think the end all goal of a leader should be to help create future leaders. I do
not believe any leader wants to see it end with themselves, so its important that
they invest in their followers. I have been lucky enough to see this focus in many of
my past and current experiences. I have been blessed to work with and for leaders

who have tried to garnish my leadership skills to prepare me for future leadership
experiences. Whether that been by guiding me through work or extracurricular
experiences, supporting me on new endeavors, or sharing with me their knowledge
and experiences, I feel as though these leaders have invested in me as their
follower. It is that invested that makes me feel valued as a follower. It is that value
that makes me loyal to my leaders and our organization. It is my loyalty that makes
me work hard for that leader, for our organization, for our goals, and for our
purpose.
While I feel my concept map has many, very crucial components of
leadership, I am positive it is missing many as well. I am excited to see how my
understanding of leadership grows throughout the course of this semester. I am
eager to challenge my current state of knowledge and opinions on what leadership
is to develop a broader, more comprehensive understanding of leadership and the
role those involved play. I am looking forward to reviewing my concept map later in
the semester to see where it stands against my newly found knowledge. Im sure
there will be many changes made.