What is Leadership?

This website was created as a final assignment by two graduate students taking a class called Foundations of Leadership in the Master of Education program at Ontario Tech University. Students in this class read a  multitude of perspectives and articles to provide them a solid and comprehensive understanding of what leadership theory is. However, one of the main texts used in this class is called Leadership: Theory and Practice by Northouse (2016) and will be used as the primary resource on this website.  

Throughout history, several attempts to describe the concept of leadership have been made by a profuse number of researchers. While some contributions made by these researchers are outdated according to 21st century norms, these ideas have played a role in enhancing and advancing the theory of leadership. Northouse (2016) describes leadership as a process that is both complex and multifaceted. The literal definition of leadership is “a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal” (Northouse, 2016, p. 6). Within this definition resides four crucial components: process, influence, group and common goal.

This definition suggests that leadership is a process, whereby the experience is transactional - affecting both the leader and constituents. Influence is the effect that a leader has the given group. Throughout this process, a heavy emphasis is placed on the focus of the group, for without the group, there would be no leadership within this given context. The common goal is the mutual purpose that a leader shares with their followers. 

Some key themes that have emerged in correspondence with leadership definitions are personality traits, bi-directional influence, behavioral, power relationship and several perspectives that attempt to encapsulate the variety of leadership styles. This website is the chosen medium in which the two graduate students will attempt to analyze leadership throughout the popular cinematic film called “The Freedom Writers” (2007). A myriad of leadership theories, such as trait analysis, servant leadership and many more will be applied and examined to the protagonists of this movie.