The Psychology of LeadershipBY S.R. TAYLOR

Foundations of Leadership

What makes someone a good leader?

Leadership is one of the most important parts of an organization, as it deals

with the human motivation component of an organization.

Modern leadership theories are deeply rooted in the principles of psychology.

Early psychologists

Wilhelm Wundt

E.B. Titchener

William James

Early Theories of Psychology and Leadership

The earliest theories of leadership developed from the early schools of thought in psychology.

From the works of early theorists such as Wundt, Titchener, and James, the field of psychology was established as its own science.

Perhaps the greatest influence that the early theories of psychology had upon leadership is that it established the field of psychology for others psychologists to expand upon.

Behaviorism

John B. Watson

B.F. Skinner

Ivan Pavlov

Edward Thorndike

Behaviorism

Believed that psychology should be seen as a science, and therefore studied in a scientific manner.

According to behaviorists, all behavior is learned from the environment. Humans learn from conditioning.

Approach to psychology that focuses the attention of the theory in human behavior.

Behavior is the direct result of a stimuli, and all behavior can be modified.

Through the use of reinforcement, a desirable behavior can be obtained

Behaviorism and Leadership

Perhaps the most prevalent leadership style is based upon behaviorist principles.

Through the use of rewards and punishments, behaviors can be modified and motivation can be improved.

Employers reward employees for positive behavior, and punish employees for negative behaviors.

Psychodynamic Approach to Leadership

Sigmund Freud

Carl Jung

Erik Erikson

Psychodynamics

Systematic study of the underlying psychological forces that influence human behavior, feelings and emotions.

Behavior and feelings are affected by various unconscious motives

All behavior has a cause, therefore all behavior is determined

The personality is shaped through the various stages of drives, and are modified due to different conflicts within the stages.

The mind is made up of three components, the id, ego, and superego.

The components of the mind

The id is the part of the mind that is responsible for the instinctual drives and impulses

The ego is the component of the mind that attempts to satisfy the needs of the id.

The super-ego is the moral guide for the other components

Psychodynamic Leadership

The theory of psychodynamics has had a great influence on the field of leadership.

Led to the development of the psychodynamic leadership approach.

Leadership theory focuses on unconscious feelings and past experiences

Psychodynamic Leadership, ctd.

One major concept of the psychodynamic approach is that the leader must first understand their psychological make-up

Leader must also understand the psychological make-up of the subordinate members of the organization.

Encourages the work group to develop a better psychological insight in order to understand the reactions of the leaders and other members of the organization.

Humanistic Psychology

Abraham Maslow Carl Rogers

Humanistic Psychology

Based on the study of the human as a whole.

Developed in response to the shortcomings of the early theories of psychology, behaviorism, and psychodynamics.

Focus of psychology not based upon behavior, the unconscious, or thinking.

Rejected the notions of the scientific approach as well as the comparative approach.

Humanistic Psychology

Focuses on the potential of the human.

Believes that humans are innately good.

Humans have the need to make themselves and the world around them a better place.

Maslow developed a “hierarchy of needs” which he believed describes human behavior

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

According to Maslow, the needs of the lower levels must be met before a person can move to the next level.

Humans rarely achieve the final level or self-actualization, due to a disruption of a lower level need.

Humanistic Leadership

Based on the theories of humanism, the humanistic leadership approach focuses on the psychological well-being of the employees within the organization.

If the psychological and physiological needs of an employee are not met, the employee will not be properly motivated.

The most popular humanistic leadership approach has been coined authentic management, and is increasing in popularity.

Authentic Leadership

Authentic leadership is a style of humanistic leadership that focuses its attention of the authenticity of the leader within the organization.

Authentic leader must be true to themselves, and must have insight into their own psychological makeup as well as their limitations.

The authentic leader must have integrity, and have empathy and respect for other members of the organization.

Authentic leadership motivates individuals by ensuring that their basic psychological needs are satisfied.

Cognitive Psychology

Jean Piaget Edward Tolman

Cognitive Psychology

Cognitive psychology focuses on the mental processes such as attention, perception, thinking, problem solving, among other processes.

Primarily uses scientific approaches to study cognitive processes, and all research is conducted in a laboratory setting.

Often compares the processes of the mind to how a computer processes information.

Cognitive Resource Leadership

According to the CRL theory, intelligence is the most important factor in leadership.

Stress is inevitable, a more capable leader has the ability to handle the stress and still effectively lead.

Encourages the use of intelligence testing and stress tests in order to place the most qualified leaders into leadership roles.

Militaries around the world, including the United States, use this type of approach to leadership training.

Leadership

There is no correct theory to leading people. Many of the greatest leaders in the history of mankind used different approaches to lead. Many leaders also take parts of each theory of leadership, and apply them to better motivate others to achieve a common goal. As the field of psychology continues to evolve, so too will the various leadership theories.

The Psychology of Leadership