Chapter 1: Values in Leadership
Leadership awakens passion because when we ask for leadership in our policies and organizations, we ask for something we prize and cherish. The term leadership involves or self image and moral codes. Some people say that Pablo Escobar, who was head of the Medellin drug cartel, was a leader because the he motivated his followers to realize his vision. When you compare leadership to holding high office and making a great influence, we support the behavior to value power. A leader is supposed to get people to accept their vision. If anything goes wrong the leader is at fault. They also mobilize people to face problems.
Leaders influence followers but are under their influence as well. A leader earns influence influence by adjusting to the expectations of followers. The contingency theory is a theory in which the decision-making style fits which situational contingency in order for the decision maker to maintain control of the process. Leadership has long been linked to the use of authority, suggests playing a prominent role in society. Many people never act to be a leader, even though they have the personal qualities we might commonly associate with it. We imagine that a leader is more likely to produce useful outcomes by setting goals that meet the needs of both the leader and followers. This distinguish leadership from getting people to do what you want them to do. Leadership is more than influence.
Chapter 2: to Lead or Mislead
Human notice the acheivements and innovations more than the failures. Developing a adaptation to a new challenge is a learning process for species. Through the survival of some individuals over others, a species makes it way toward new adaptive capabilities. The survivors pass on their offspring the traits that gave them a slight edge in the competition for resources. Biological adaptation is not the result of planning on the parts of a species but is the outcome when some individual happens to be born with a trait that helps it to survive. We have goals to generate new problems and opportunity in society.
Social system under threat try to restore balance. Without a general climate of urgency the society may not do anything until its too late. People fail to adapt for reasons like they may may fail to understand the nature of the threat. People can only respond to those threats that they see. In some other instances the society may recognize the threat, but the challenge may exceed the culture's adaptive capability. Many human cultures and societies have fallen because of diseases, environmental challenges or invasions they could not develop the ability or find the means to adjust appropriately. Leadership requires pacing the work in an effort to prepare people to undertake a hard task at a rate they can stand.
Chapter 3: The Roots of Authority
Our capacity to form authority relationships lies at the base of our organizations, from, the family to the nation. In our everyday language we equate leadership with authority. Having authority brings not only resources to bear but also serious constraints on the exercise of leadership. Authority relationships resemble the dominance and deference relationships of or primate ancestors. Dominant animals serve as reference points by which the rest of the group align themselves. Silverback provides the group with an obvious focal point of attention, situated often at its center. All eyes look to the leader to maintain the daily routine.