Towards a more inclusive leadership framework

Abstract

Leadership is a topic that has attracted much deserved attention over the centuries. Some have held the view that leaders are born not made. Several conceptual frameworks have been provided to explain this phenomenon starting with the "Great Man" theory which has its origin in the trait school of thought. Behavioural and contingency theorists have also provided additional dimensions to the concept of leadership. Modern theorists focus on many dimensions of leadership and how effective leadership con be developed. The recent financial crisis and failure of large corporations such as Enron have heightened the interest in this subject. This topic is of great importance in Africa where the right leadership can have significant impact on societies and countries. About a decade ago, a workshop was held in Ghana where this subject was discussed. Participants came up with a framework for leadership that addresses many of the gaps of earlier theories and provides a more context relevant approach to understanding and fostering leadership development in Africa. It starts with values and ends with renewal which addresses the ability of the leader to adapt his or her style to elements of the model which change over time. This model should be used to assess leaders and should also be validated through research. If research substantiates its efficacy, it can be seen as holistic approach and adopted to foster leadership growth in Africa. This Article critically reviews the essential dimensions of this leadership framework.