Perspectives on Leadership: From the Science of Management to Its Spiritual Heart

(Paperback)

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In tracing the intellectual roots of business leadership over the last one hundred years, award winning author Gilbert W. Fairholm argues that until recently, spirit and soul have been absent from the major models. After outlining the elements of the five major ideas about leadership, he goes on to define and make operational a new focus that must exist in order to truly understand the leaders' role in relation to workers. The study begins with scientific management and traces the evolution of leadership ideas through the quality movement, on to values-, culture-, and trust-based leadership models, and concluding with an emphasis on spirit in the workplace. It suggests that the leader in the twenty-first century will need to embrace a leadership style based on the main premise of each model along with a focus on ethics, community, service, and spirituality.

Reviews

The unique approach of this volume is its focus on the evolution of theories and practices of management, showing that the emerging thinking on this topic incorporates spirituality.-Choice
This is a significant book that attempts to crystallize the soft side of leadership.-Parameters
"This is a significant book that attempts to crystallize the soft side of leadership."-Parameters
"The unique approach of this volume is its focus on the evolution of theories and practices of management, showing that the emerging thinking on this topic incorporates spirituality."-Choice

Author Bio

GILBERT W. FAIRHOLM is Emeritus Professor, Graduate Program at Virginia Commonwealth University, Adjunct Associate Professor of Leadership at the University of Richmond, and Visiting Professor at Hampden-Sydney College. In addition to his academic appointments, he has over twenty years of management experience in state and local government. His previous award winning books include Capturing the Heart of Leadership (1997) and Leadership and the Culture of Trust (1994) published by Praeger Publishers.