IMPLICIT LEADERSHIP THEORY AND LEADERSHIP QUALITY

Implicit Leadership Theory and Leadership Quality

Implicit Leadership Theory and Leadership Quality

Introduction

When people meet a leader for the first time, they are not a blank slate. Rather, they have ideas as to what this person may be like and how he or she might behave. General ideas about what leaders are like and how they behave are called implicit leadership theories (ILTs). This term was introduced in 1975 by Eden and Leviatan. Although for a long time, leadership research and practice focused on actual leaders' traits and behaviors, the existence of implicit leadership theories is now widely acknowledged. This theory draws attention to the role of the follower in the process of leadership. Leadership is not only what a leader does but also what a follower makes of it. Research has focused on the contents of implicit leadership theories and their effects. In this chapter, after briefly introducing the most prominent concepts associated with the theories, the focus is on the latter, namely, an outline of how prior research may influence management decisions.

THEORY: IMPLICIT LEADERSHIP THEORIES

Implicit leadership theories comprise ideas about leaders in general, and these are independent of what an actual leader is like or how one views one's own leadership. Implicit leadership theories are about images of leaders in general. What comes to your mind when you think of the term leader? Most of us are quite able to describe a person labeled as leader without ever having met this person. This is because we have a strong idea of what characteristics certain groups of people possess as part of their group membership. To offer another example, you may have specific ideas about a typical football manager, a politician, a teacher, or a pilot. Think about typical clothes they wear, what they look like, and how they will probably behave. Moreover, you will have some ideas about their traits and attitudes. These attributes that are associated with any member of a particular group are called schemata and stereotypes. They may or may not be true. The most important thing is that these schemata guide our perceptions of others, and we use them automatically in our judgment of a person we hardly know. Recall that many people articulated serious concerns about whether a fair-haired actor like Daniel Craig could adequately fill the role of James Bond that had been shaped by Sean Connery. Long before the movie was out, there was a discussion in the media if this man is tough enough. Obviously, in many people's minds there exists a clear implicit theory of the characteristics of a royal spy. As in everyday life, only with more knowledge of a person, we can overcome our stereotypes. So, remember, the actual person you meet who is a leader may or may not correspond to your image of leaders in general. We can easily imagine that it makes a difference for our acceptance and our behavior toward a leader if we recognize him or her as ...