Leadership by James Macgregor Burns Book Review

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Where the Burns (1978) book sets itself apart is through its evaluation of the practice and theory of leadership skills. In the book, Burns (1978) states that he defined leadership as "leaders inducing followers to act for certain goals that represent the values and the motivations -- the wants and needs, the aspirations and expectations -- of both leaders and followers" (p. 19).

Another important reason that Burns (1978) remains so popular today is that he addresses leadership styles throughout the book by using examples that can be easily related to. Moses, Napoleon, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, Jr. are all discussed. How they led, why, and in what capacity can shed significant light on specific types of leadership skills and the styles with which they best fit. Also included in Burns' (1978) book are Adolf Hitler and Machiavelli, and they are all used to show how leaders who wish to be successful must make a very vital distinction between needs and wants. A leader who wants something cannot always get it, but those who do not have any goals or things that they want often do not strive to do better or to instill the idea of excelling in the people whom they lead.

According to Burns (1978), the leadership process "must be seen as part of the dynamics of conflict and of power; that leadership is nothing if not linked to collective purpose; that the effectiveness of leaders must be judged not by their press clippings but by actual social change measured by intent and by the satisfaction of human needs and expectations" (3). In other words, if the leaders are not continually changing, evolving, and growing, they are doing a disservice to themselves, their followers, their company, and their community. If they meet the needs of those groups, they are indeed successful. The distinction becomes important with meeting needs vs. satisfying wants. Leaders cannot give everyone around them everything that they want, but they can work to meet those people's needs - and individuals recognize that, keeping them 'in the loop' and interested and supporting the leader's actions, plans, and goals.

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Like Burns (1978), Benson (1994) and others are quick to point out that there is no 'right way' to be a leader in all circumstances. Leaders who remember and recognize this - and even celebrate it in some ways - find that they have more success in their jobs. They not only perform their duties better, but they inspire people who follow them to perform better, as well. Naturally, there are still individuals who feel that there is only one correct way to lead. Often, the 'correct way' is their way. While this is understandable, Burns (1978) clearly shows that there are several ways to lead, and that the circumstances and the people should dictate which way is the best choice for a particular situation. For leaders who are serious about performance and success, this is a crucial and significant bit of knowledge.

Leaders of today should not be quick to dismiss the work of Burns, just because it was created some years ago. Instead, they should see that there has been little change in what is truly important when it comes to leadership styles and roles. The more these are explored, the more a person who is in a leadership position can find what truly works for him or her during a particular leadership role. Anyone who has more than one leadership role may also find Burns' (1978) book very interesting, because it clearly shows that different styles may be appropriate - and even necessary - for these roles. The age of the followers, the type of work that is being done, and other factors all matter, and they all must be taken into account. Because Burns' (1978) work is so profound, leaders of today still use his information on transformational, servant-style leadership as a guide for what to do in many situations. This is opposed to the misguided idea that every leadership issue in existence can only be handled through transactional leadership applications......

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