{"id":2436,"date":"2024-10-06T13:35:09","date_gmt":"2024-10-06T05:35:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sinological.org\/?page_id=2436"},"modified":"2024-10-08T18:23:30","modified_gmt":"2024-10-08T10:23:30","slug":"definition-of-leadership","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sinological.org\/?page_id=2436","title":{"rendered":"Definition of &#8216;leadership&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Global Network Workshop<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>SDCF Summer Programme<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Edmond Eh (University of Saint Joseph, Macau)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>8 Aug 2023<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Definition of \u2018leadership\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLeadership is a process of social influence, which maximises the efforts of others, towards the achievement of a goal\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Three elements of this definition:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(1) Leadership stems from social influence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It does not depend on authority or power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Leadership requires others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But they do not need to be subordinates or followers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The definition does not mention personality traits, attributes, or even titles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are many styles and many paths to effective leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(2) The definition is different from many academic definitions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It includes the <em>maximisation<\/em> of others\u2019 efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is possible to define a leader who is able to use social influence to <em>organise<\/em> the efforts of others,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But leadership seems to be about maximising the efforts of others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The element of motivation is present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In human resource management, employee engagement is crucial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Engaged employees give discretionary effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(3) The definition includes a goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Leadership is not simply influencing others without an intended outcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Kruse, 2013.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a><strong>Philosophy of leadership<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Peter Drucker has been called \u201cthe father of modern management\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He never expounded a theory or wrote a book about leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Drucker seemed to have little use for the concept of \u2018leadership\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His concern was <em>management<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He was sceptical of the notion that there were specific qualities that defined leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Drucker concluded in his later years that leadership was a capability distinct from management and that it could be learned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It can be argued that Drucker wrote incessantly on the subject and had a coherent concept of leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Four major themes form the basis for Drucker\u2019s philosophy of leadership:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(1) The leader\u2019s role in shaping the organisation\u2019s future<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The leader\u2019s main work is strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Drucker: \u201cThe difference between a manager and a leader is that a manager focuses on doing things right, while a leader focuses on doing the right things\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Figuring out the right things is the goal of strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Devising strategy is a full-time job that should never be delegated to committees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(2) Ethics and personal integrity<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Abiding by business ethics and maintaining personal integrity are prerequisites for leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Drucker believed that leadership was established through character.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Personal values should not be fenced off from business practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Employees may forgive a leader for many things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One quickly loses one\u2019s claim to leadership with a lapse of integrity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(3) Motivation and leadership<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Effective leadership depends upon knowing what motivates people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The motivational levers of leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Drucker felt that allowing employees to be self-directed and giving them responsibility had merit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But it needs the imposition of some authority and the provision of guidance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He thought that making employee satisfaction a primary objective was a recipe for mediocrity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He believed that what motivated employees are the desires:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>to gain experience and competency,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>to feel effective,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>to achieve balance,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>to be part of a social network and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>to give something back.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>(4) The marketing model of leadership<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Leadership is really marketing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Drucker explored the notion that workers, especially knowledge workers, are like customers or partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is the organisation\u2019s job to figure out what they want (and need) and then satisfy those requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to this notion, leadership becomes a marketing job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When leaders are doing their job, motivation is organic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Cohen, 2010.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Sangang wuchang<\/em><\/strong><strong> <\/strong><strong>\u4e09\u7eb2\u4e94\u5e38<\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Three Fundamental Bonds and the Five Constant Virtues are separate Confucian terms for the most important human relations and social virtues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In early Confucianism, one who perfectly fulfilled these relationships and manifested these virtues was the highest form of human\u2014a sage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The neo-Confucians combined these two terms into a single cosmological principle that stood for human social order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The expression sums up a Confucian doctrine that was designed to guide people\u2019s behaviour and aspirations in traditional China.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Three Fundamental Bonds deal with traditional society\u2019s most fundamental social relationships: father and son, lord and retainer, and husband and wife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As essential relationships, these three serve as shorthand for all human relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Five Constant Virtues mean the Confucian virtues of benevolence (<em>ren<\/em>), righteousness (<em>yi<\/em>), propriety (<em>li<\/em>), wisdom (<em>zhi<\/em>), and trustworthiness (<em>xin<\/em>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These five virtues are the most significant ones and thus serve as shorthand for all the Confucian virtues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Three Fundamental Bonds designate the social relationships that are essential for structuring human social life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Five Constant Virtues are the values needed to live a moral life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Zhu Xi believed that humans could become sages by perfecting these three relationships and realizing these five virtues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But in terms of China\u2019s long history, these concepts did not have an ancient pedigree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They were creations and expressions of the unified Han empire (206 BCE\u2013220 CE).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The full four-character term <em>sangang wuchang<\/em> was not commonly used until the tenth century CE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Knapp, 2009.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Three fundamental bonds<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol>\n<li>father and son,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>superior and subordinate,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>husband and wife.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Five constant virtues<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol>\n<li>Ren: behaving kindly<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Yi: behaving fairly<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Li: behaving civilly (civilised: having taste, refinement, or restraint)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Zhi: behaving wisely<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Xin: behaving faithfully<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Profiles<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Task Leadership Style \u2013 productivity<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>People Leadership Style \u2013 morale<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Essential Elements of Group Work<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Task<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mission: Meaning<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Goals: Structure<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Plan: Action<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>People<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Maintenance: Caring<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Pfeiffer and Jones, 1974.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Define the Mission or purpose of an organisation, the <em>Meaning<\/em> element.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Identify Goals (long-term) or objectives (short-term) that provide directions for the organisation to accomplish its mission, the <em>Structure<\/em> element.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Prepare Plans or procedures that indicate the steps for achieving each objective, the <em>Action<\/em> element.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Maintaining the harmonious relationships within the group and showing concern for each individual member, the <em>Caring<\/em> element.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Each of us needs two of the four elements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We are particularly drawn to one of the two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Leaders and group members have to be aware of these elements and consider them when planning group activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Task behaviours:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Initiating<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Seeking information<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Giving information<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Clarifying<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Elaborating<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Summarising<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Consensus testing<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Virtues: behaving wisely, behaving faithfully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Maintenance behaviours:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Harmonising<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Facilitating participation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Encouraging<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Compromising<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Setting standards<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Setting norms<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Virtues: behaving kindly, behaving fairly, behaving civilly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Selected passages of <em>Analects<\/em> Book XIII for discussion:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mission<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>13.11: The Master said, \u201c\u2018If good men governed for a hundred years, cruelty could indeed be overcome and killing dispensed with.\u2019 How very true that saying is!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>13.12: The Master said, If there were one who reigned as a true king, after a generation, all would be <em>ren<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Goals<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>13.10: The Master said, If there were someone who would employ me, things would be in hand within a year. In three years, they would have come to success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>13.16: The Lord of She asked about governance. The Master said, \u201cThose nearby are pleased, those far distant come.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>13.29 The Master said, If a good man were to instruct the people for seven years, they would indeed be ready to go into battle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Plan<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>13.3 Zilu said, \u201cIf the ruler of Wei were to entrust you with governance of his state, what would be your first priority?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Master said, \u201cMost certainly, it would be to rectify names.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Zilu said, \u201cIs that so? How strange of you! How would this set things right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Master said, \u201cWhat a boor you are, Y\u00f3u! A <em>junzi<\/em> keeps silent about things he doesn\u2019t understand\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf names are not right then speech does not accord with things; if speech is not in accord with things, then affairs cannot be successful; when affairs are not successful, <em>li<\/em> and music do not flourish; when <em>li<\/em> and music do not flourish, then sanctions and punishments miss their mark; when sanctions and punishments miss their mark, the people have no place to set their hands and feet\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTherefore, when a <em>junzi<\/em> gives things names, they may be properly spoken of, and what is said may be properly enacted. With regard to speech, the <em>junzi<\/em> permits no carelessness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>13.9 The Master traveled to the state of Wei. Ran Y\u01d2u drove his chariot. The Master said, \u201cHow populous it is!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ran Y\u01d2u said, \u201cAs Wei is already populous, what would you add?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEnrich them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOnce the people were enriched, what would you add?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTeach them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>13.17 Zixia served as steward of Jufu and asked about governance. The Master said, \u201cDon\u2019t seek quick results; don\u2019t attend to matters of minor profit. If you seek quick results, you will not attain success; if you attend to matters of minor profit, you will not succeed in great affairs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Maintenance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>13.1: Zilu asked about governance. The Master said, \u201cBe first to the task and comfort others at their labors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When asked for more, he said, \u201cBe tireless.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>13.2: Zhonggong was serving as steward for the Ji family. He asked about governance. The Master said, \u201cProvide a leading example to your officers. Pardon minor offences. Raise up the worthy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHow can I recognize who has worthy abilities so I can raise them up?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cRaise up those you recognize. As for those you don\u2019t recognize, will the others let you do without them?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>13.19: Fan Chi asked about <em>ren<\/em>. The Master said, \u201cLet your bearing be reverent when you are at leisure, be respectfully attentive in managing affairs, and be loyal towards others. Though you be among barbarians, these may never be cast aside.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>13.28: Zilu asked, \u201cHow must one be in order to deserve being called a gentleman?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Master said, \u201cSupportive, encouraging, congenial \u2013 such a man may be called a gentleman. Supportive and encouraging with his friends, congenial with his brothers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Exemplary person (<em>junzi<\/em>)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>13.23: The Master said, The <em>junzi<\/em> acts in harmony with others but does not seek to be like them; the small man seeks to be like others and does not act in harmony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>13.25 The Master said, The <em>junzi<\/em> is easy to serve and hard to please. If you do not accord with the <em>dao<\/em> in pleasing him, he is not pleased; when it comes to employing others, he only puts them to tasks they are fit to manage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The small man is hard to serve but easy to please. If you do not accord with the <em>dao<\/em> in pleasing him, he is still pleased; when it comes to employing others, he demands they be able in everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>13.26 The Master said, The <em>junzi<\/em> is at ease without being arrogant; the small man is arrogant without being at ease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>See <em>Analects<\/em> Books II, XII, XVI and XX for other passages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Bibliography<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The Analects of Confucius: A Teaching Translation<\/em>. 2015. Translated by Robert Eno. https:\/\/scholarworks.iu.edu\/dspace\/handle\/2022\/23420.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Chan, Wing-Tsit. 1963. \u201cThe Humanism of Confucius\u201d. In <em>A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy<\/em>, edited by Wing-Tsit Chan, 14-48. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cohen, William A. 2010. <em>Drucker on Leadership: New Lessons from the Father of Modern Management<\/em>. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Drucker, Peter F. 2001. <em>The Essential Drucker: The Best of Sixty Years of Peter Drucker\u2019s Essential Writings on Management<\/em>. New York: HarperBusiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Knapp, Keith N. 2009. \u201cThree Fundamental Bonds and Five Constant Virtues\u201d. In <em>Berkshire Encyclopedia of China<\/em>, edited by Linsun Cheng, 2252\u20132255. Great Barrington, MA: Berkshire Publishing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kruse, Kevin. 2013. \u201cWhat is Leadership?\u201d <em>Forbes<\/em>. Last modified 9 April 2013. https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/kevinkruse\/2013\/04\/09\/what-is-leadership\/?sh=5ff5d95a5b90.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kruse, Kevin. 2019. <em>Great Leaders Have No Rules: Contrarian Leadership Principles to Transform Your Team and Business<\/em>. New York: Rodale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pfeiffer, J. William, and John E. Jones, eds. 1974. <em>A Handbook of Structured Experiences for Human Relations Training<\/em>. Volume I, Revised. San Diego, California: University Associates.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Global Network Workshop SDCF Summer Programme Edmond Eh (University of Saint Joseph, Macau) 8 Aug 2023 Definition of \u2018leadership\u2019 \u201cLeadership is a process of social influence, which maximises the efforts of others, towards the achievement of a goal\u201d. Three elements of this definition: (1) Leadership stems from social influence. It does not depend on authority [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sinological.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2436"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sinological.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sinological.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sinological.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sinological.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2436"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sinological.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2436\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sinological.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2436"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}