Principles of Leadership

The textbook, Principles of Leadership, was commissioned by the University System of Georgia (USG) eMajor program. This program partners various institutions within the USG system to provide an affordable, quality post-secondary degree and credential plan of study to meet the workplace needs of Georgia. The textbook will be part of the required material for an eMajor course, Profiles of Leaders.

The intent and structure of the book presents leadership principles by using various authors who would offer students a wider variety of academic research and professional experiences. This broader view, then, would enhance the student experience, providing leadership principles that could be used by undergraduate students in not only their course of study but also their current and future career paths. Three faculty members from participating institutions were asked to co-author this text, bringing together various views and experiences to the basic study of leadership. The contributing authors are Drs. Heather Mbaye, University of West Georgia; Stephen Northam, University of North Georgia; and Matthew Hipps, MPA, from Dalton State College. Therefore, the textbook presents both academic research literature and professionally distinct understandings of leadership in practice.

Given the joint nature of the textbook, each chapter is a contribution by one of the co-authors. This approach offers a variety of understandings regarding leadership principles along with the thematic thread of what it means to be a leader in an organization.

The textbook’s structure comprises two parts. Chapters one through four review the theoretical literature and research on leadership. They address topics ranging from what it means to lead from both a historical and current perspective, to differing types of leadership styles and organizations. In addition, these chapters address the on-going and highly debated topic of whether leadership is an innate gift or a learned skill. Last, these chapters end by addressing how leadership needs to be integrated within the organization using the creative process of organization mission and vision building.

The last four chapters present the journey of defining necessary leadership behaviors and how these behaviors must be demonstrated to an organization. The behaviors addressed begin with how to be an inclusive leader who demonstrates constructive actions while helping to create a diverse organization. Next, the textbook considers the difficult leadership task of demonstrating a fair, impartial, and ethical approach to organization conflict resolution as demonstrated in leading an organization in overcoming difficult obstacles. Last, the closing chapter uses several case studies to draw together theoretical and practical techniques in order to demonstrate some of the basic principles of leadership.