What Do We Mean by Leadership?

This chapter introduces the subject area of Leadership. It provides a brief history of the term and of how Leadership has been studied in higher education. The chapter looks at different interpretations of leadership, because there are many, and none definitive. The chapter also looks at ethical leadership, followership, results-based leadership, charisma and the question of who gets the opportunity to lead. The chapter also engages with selected theories of leadership including the Full Range Leadership Model and Transformational Leadership, and uses two case studies to explore how theory can be applied to practice in leadership. The chapter as a whole comprises an introduction to a complicated and contentious subject and area of enquiry.