Principles of Leadership & Management

Abstract

This textbook is an open educational resource (OER) that represents just one stage of many journeys begun by others. Building on what earlier writers have compiled, predominantly on management, the book expands its focus to leadership principles with additional material on gender, diversity, inclusion, and Indigenous leadership. It also includes a Canadian perspective. There are case studies to help provide real world knowledge and the development of critical thinking and problem solving capabilities, as well as exercises, assignments and reflection for students to analyze and expand their own leadership skills. The text is directed toward students studying leadership from the viewpoint of multiple disciplines. Like the study and development of leadership itself, it is not yet complete, nor is it likely to ever be. The words of education expert Amy Collier apply well to the path of leadership and to this text: “Not-yetness is not satisfying every condition, not fully understanding something, not check-listing everything, not tidying everything, not trying to solve every problem…but creating space for emergence to take us to new and unpredictable places, to help us better understand the problems we are trying to solve” (Collier, A., 2015, para. 3). There is great debate on the difference between leaders and managers. Beginning in Chapter 2, you will begin to see the terms leader and manager intermingled throughout the text. For some, this may be an affront to leadership (or management) principles, but the fact remains that good managers are leaders. Read more to support this concept by professor and researcher Henry Mintzberg. This text has been created for a course called Managing Leaders and Leadership in graduate certificate programs at Fanshawe College, and the content is geared not only toward students who are or will become formal leaders (with titles bestowed by an organization), but to those readers who may never fill an official leadership role. We all show regular everyday leadership as we go about our day-to-day lives of working, socializing, parenting, etc. – whether we are aware of it or not. The text addresses myriad leadership concepts to empower the emergence of your own personal leadership, and to assist you in allowing others to do the same. I wish you well as your authentic leadership emerges, and as you enable that emergence in others. May you find joy in the journey – both personally and professionally.