(1532) Psychology The earliest study of leadership regarded as distinctively psychological has been attributed to Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli (1469–1527) in his book De Principatibus or Il Principe (‘The Prince’).
Leadership refers to the management and direction of a group of people or an organization. Theories on leadership vary in their perspectives and emphasis. Some emphasize the notion of specific leadership traits while others suggest that different leaders are required for different situations. See also CONTINGENCY THEORY OF LEADERSHIP, FIEDLER’S CONTINGENCY MODEL OF LEADERSHIP, MCGREGOR’S X/Y THEORY OF LEADERSHIP, NORMATIVE DECISION THEORY OF LEADERSHIP and PATH-GOAL THEORY OF LEADERSHIP.
B M Bass, Stogdill’s Handbook of Leadership (New York, 1981)
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