Chapter 1:
THEORIES OF
LEADERSHIP
“The strength of the group is in the strength of the
leader.”
Vince Lombardi
Introduction

After reading this chapter, you
should have knowledge about
the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.

The concept of leadership
Canadian leaders in sport and
fitness
Theories of leadership from past to
present
Matching leadership behaviours to
the group and the situation
Good leadership is absolutely
essential to any organization
Contents

What Is Leadership?

Two Contrasting Examples of Successful
Leadership

Canadian Leaders in Sport and Fitness

Studying Leadership

Can Leadership Be Learned?
What is Leadership?
What is Leadership?

Leaders help groups set goals, envision the possibilities and
make commitments

Leaders can have a positive influence on the lives and
behaviours of others

Leaders are not necessarily people who do great things but
rather people who inspire others to do great things
YMCA Definition of Leadership
We measure the effectiveness of a
leader not in terms of the leadership he
exercises, but in terms of the leadership
he evokes; not in terms of power over
others, but in terms of the power
released in others; not in terms of the
goals she sets up and the direction she
gives, but in terms of goals and plans of
action others work out for themselves
with her help; not in terms alone of
products and projects completed, but in
terms of growth of competence, sense of
responsibility, and personal satisfaction
among many participants
Leadership versus
Management


Managers
Direct or control operation or
performance

Leaders
Set the overall vision and
inspire

Influence interpersonal
relationships and motivation

May show management ability
Are concerned with logistics
“Leadership is the knack of getting somebody to do something you want done
because he wants to do it.”
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Leadership versus
Supervision
Supervisors


Oversee or inspect the quality of
the work done
Pass judgment on the group
members’ performance
Leaders

May function as supervisors

BUT also encourage group
members to set and achieve
their own personal standards
The Person at the Top

Sometimes leaders find themselves in their positions because of
their assigned status and leadership ability may be lacking.

On the other hand, people who earn their status as leaders
because of their actions may be a source of either support or
irritation to the official leaders
Two Contrasting
Examples of Successful
Leadership
Success Starts at the Top
Reaching the Peak
Two Contrasting Examples of
Successful Leadership

Vince Lombardi vs. John Wooden

Both coached teams to outstanding records, but their personal
styles were at opposite ends of the spectrum
Vince Lombardi

Legendary NFL coach

“Winning isn’t everything. It’s the only thing.”

An extreme example of a task-oriented leader who asked
everything of his players

Not everyone liked working for him, but almost every professional
football player wanted to have him as a coach because he would
bring out their best performances
John Wooden

Influenced personal development of his players

A person who taught on a constant basis based on his
“pyramid of success”

Although his practices were very demanding, there was
always the sense of people having fun playing a simple game
The Pyramid of Success
Faith &
Patience
Competitive
greatness
Poise
Condition
Self-control
Skill
Alertness
Industriousness Friendship
Strength &
Integrity
Confidence
Loyalty
Reliability &
Resourcefulness
Teamwork
Initiative
Intentness
Cooperation
Adaptability &
Honesty
Enthusiasm
Ambition &
Sincerity
Canadian Leaders In
Sports and Fitness
Wayne Gretzky

“The Great One”

Rewrote the NHL record books:




Winning four Stanley Cups
Scoring 1,016 goals
Assisting on 2,223 others
Amassing an amazing total of 3,239 points

Captained the Edmonton Oilers

Executive director of Team Canada (Olympic
gold medal in 2002)

Co-owner and coach of the NHL’s Phoenix
Coyotes
Carol Anne Letheren

Former CEO of the Canadian Olympic
Committee

A member of the International Olympic
Committee

Trailblazer for women in sport

Lived and advocated the Olympic values
Jack Donohue

The head coach of Canada’s national
basketball team

Extraordinary ability to motivate players
using pioneering sport psychology
strategies

Continues to have an impact on
coaching education for Basketball
Canada and the National Coaching
Development Program
Beckie Scott

Cross-country skiing


2002 Olympic gold medal
2006 Olympic silver medal

Ardent advocate for drug-free sport

An elected member of the IOC’s Athletes’
Commission

Charitable work (UNICEF and Right to
Play)

On Board of Directors for the 2010
Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games
Cassie Campbell

A role model, ambassador, and author in
women’s hockey

Played on six world championship teams
and captained the national team to two
Olympic gold medals

First woman to work as a colour analyst
on Hockey Night in Canada

Charitable work (Ronald McDonald
House’s Cassie Campbell Street Hockey
Festival, and Chevrolet Safe and Fun
Hockey program)
Clara Hughes

A multitalented athlete (cycling &
skating)

The only person to win multiple medals
in both the Summer and Winter
Olympics

A public speaker, a television
commentator and a humanitarian

Does extensive work for Right to Play

Involved with a school program that
introduces Canadian children to the
benefits of sport and physical activity
Dick Pound

Has been one of the most
influential members of the
International Olympic Committee

Largely responsible for making the
Olympics a multibillion dollar
industry

The current chairman of the World
Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)

Outspoken in his efforts to
eliminate cheaters from amateur
and professional sport
David Patchell-Evans

Started off as a champion rower
before a body-crushing motorcycle
accident

Devoted himself to helping other
Canadians realize the importance of
staying physically fit

Owns and operates >50 GoodLife
Fitness Clubs

The key person in the establishment
in 1993 of Can-Fit-Pro Inc.
Silken Laumann

To everyone’s amazement she won the bronze medal despite
severe injury 10 weeks prior to 1992 Summer Olympics

Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame

Member of the Canadian Olympic Association

Charitable commitment to
children



Ronald McDonald Children’s
Charities
Silken’s ActiveKids Movement
Right to Play
Michael “Pinball” Clemons

Came to Canada as a player deemed too
small to make it in American football

Successful CFL playing career that
spanned 12 seasons

In 2004, became the first black coach in
the history of the CFL to hoist the Grey
Cup in victory

Motivational speaking abilities

Leads the Toronto Argonauts in a
campaign to help eliminate bullying in
schools
Rick Hansen

World-class athlete

Man In Motion World Tour (1985):



40,000 km through 34 countries
Raised more than $26 million for spinal
cord research
Goal - a fully accessible and inclusive
society

Appointed a Companion of the Order of
Canada (1987)

The Rick Hansen Foundation has
generated more than $178 million for
research into a cure for spinal cord injury
Danièle Sauvageau

Coached the Canadian women’s
hockey team to a world championship
in 1999

Became the first female coach of a
major junior male team

CHA coach of the year (2000)

The first coach in 50 years to lead a
Canadian hockey team to an Olympic
gold medal (2002)
Leaders or Celebrities?
Many individuals who have
achieved special recognition
in sport – even “icon” status
– have not necessarily
displayed special leadership
skills. For example, Terry
Fox is recognized as an
icon and a positive role
model. Unfortunately, he
never had the opportunity to
realize his potential as a
group leader.
Studying Leadership
Trait Theory of Leadership

Great leaders are born, not made

A summary of the personality traits of leaders vs. non-leaders:







Drive and ambition
The desire to lead and influence
Honesty and integrity
Self-confidence
Intelligence
In-depth technical knowledge
Possessing certain personality traits only makes it more likely
that an individual can become an effective leader
Personality Theory of
Leadership

4 leader personality types:
Organized
Like structure & rules
Very dependable.
Active
Fun loving
Adventuresome
Curious
Innovative
Problem solvers
Warm & empathetic
Strong communication
Strive for harmony
Personality Theory of
Leadership

We usually have a preferred way of functioning

Because we are all a blend of the four types, we can function from
each perspective when necessary

Important to understand all the types to capitalize on your
strengths and build on your weak areas
Behaviour Theory of
Leadership



Two distinct leadership
dimensions
Task orientation leadership–
Emphasis on achieving
performance goals
Relationship orientation
leadership –
Emphasis on interpersonal
relationships
High
High relationship and
low task
High relationship and
high task
Low task and
low relationship
High task and
low relationship
Relationship
Behaviour
Low
Low
Task Behaviour
High
Comprehensive Theory of
Leadership

Leadership success is a
function of the leader’s
behaviour, the group members’
characteristics and situational
factors
Partying
Selling
(Members are able and
unwilling/apprehensive)
(Members are unable
and unwilling)
Delegating
Telling
(Members are able and
willing)
(Members are unable
and willing)
High Low
Relationship
Behaviour


A change in any element
affects the outcome or
effectiveness of leadership
A leader needs to be sensitive
to the characteristics of each
group member
Low
Low
Task Behaviour
High
Comprehensive Theory of
Leadership
Group Member Characteristics
A task-oriented leader will bring out the best in group members who:

Have low affiliation needs

Have a high need to achieve goals

Accept authority

Like careful, detailed planning

Prefer material rewards
A relationship-oriented leader will bring out the best with members who:

Seek opportunities to socialize

Have low achievement needs

Are independent thinkers

Tolerate ambiguity

Prefer intrinsic rewards
Comprehensive Theory of
Leadership

Situational factors:
A task-oriented leader will excel when
A relationship-oriented leader will excel
when
The task is structured
The degree of stress is high
Roles are clearly defined
The group is large
Deadlines must be met.
The task is unstructured
The degree of stress is low
Roles are unclear or flexible
The group is small
Time constraints are loose
Situational Theory of
Leadership

Leadership styles range from highly autocratic (directive) through
democratic (participative) to highly laissez-faire

The most effective leadership behaviour depends on the followers’
ability and motivation
Leader-Centred
Follower-Centred
AUTOCRATIC………………………….………………..DEMOCRATIC……………………………………………..LAISSEZ-FAIRE
Leader makes
decision and
announces it.
Leader
makes
decision and
“sells” it.
Leader
presents
decision and
invites
feedback.
Leader makes
tentative
decision subject
to input from
group
Leader presents
problem,
welcomes
suggestions, makes
decision.
Leader defines
limits and asks
group to make
decision.
Leader permits group to
function independently
within set limits.
Autocratic (Directive)
Leadership Style

Task-oriented leader who makes all
decisions

Directs the group by command or request

Effective when:
•
the group needs complete direction,
(members are novices and respect the
leader’s superiority)
•
the group is unable to work through a
group decision-making process
•
there is a crisis (well-suited to medical
or military situations)
Democratic (Participative)
Leadership Style


Group members contribute to the overall organizational
goals
Key attributes:
Group goal setting = team management
 Open negotiation
 Delegation of control over own performance
 Sharing of the team’s successes and failures
Value placed on achieving consensus
Leader retains right to make final decision
if disagreement persists



Laissez-Faire Leadership Style

Leader is informed but steps back from decision making and
acts as a resource

Effective when the group has become competent and is
functioning well

Leader does not abandon the group but instead retains
responsibility for seeing that it continues to function
Benevolent Dictator

Asks group members for advice, puts on a show of considering
their feelings and opinions, but then makes own administrative
decisions

Initially viewed quite favourably

Eventually resentment sets in

Leaders with this style do not normally last long
Can Leadership Be
Learned?
Can Leadership Be Learned?

Leadership can be learned through experience

It is a lifelong day-by-day learning process built on continued selfexamination, introspection and self-searching honesty

People need to refine their strengths and improve their weaknesses

Although many leadership skills can be learned in the classroom,
practical experience is necessary