A Brief History of Leadership

As long as there have been societies, there have been leaders. And as long as there have been leaders, there have been schools of thought on how and why some leaders excel beyond their peers. And as one would expect, the thinking surrounding excellent leadership qualities has changed dramatically over the last century. In the past, most viewed leaders’ traits as innate aspects of their personality they were born with; present schools of thought indicate otherwise.?

Refreshingly and somewhat recently, it’s become more widely accepted and understood that strong leaders can be cultivated by teaching valuable leadership skillsets. Appreciating that stellar leadership can be learned and replicated from person to person opens up a world of possibilities. What that means is that we’re able to grow exponentially and lift each other up in partnership.

What follows is an amended excerpt from our new book, Becoming Coachable: Unleashing the Power of Executive Coaching to Transform Your Leadership and Life , which will be released this coming Tuesday, September 19. In this excerpt, we review a brief history of leadership, and explore the trajectory of scholarly leadership thinking.?

In this week leading up to the launch of Becoming Coachable, we’d like to ask you: What aspects of your leadership are a result of mentorship from others??

With love, gratitude, and wonder,

Scott, Jacquelyn, and Marshall

Amended Excerpt from Chapter Five, “Open to Feedback”?

Given leadership’s outsized impact across societies, researchers have long studied its nature over the years, including drawing important lessons from its evolution. Imagine stepping into a time machine and heading back to the nineteenth century. The general consensus at that time, largely influenced by the Scottish philosopher Thomas Carlyle, was that leaders were born, not made. They were the superheroes of their time, blessed with a whole host of heroic traits like courage, charisma, intelligence, and a never-say-die spirit. In short, leadership was in their DNA.

But fast forward to the mid-twentieth century, and you’ll see that leadership scholars have flipped the script. Kurt Lewin, considered the founder of social psychology, proposed that leadership styles could be classified into three main types: autocratic, democratic, and laissez-faire. This behavioral approach was groundbreaking because it suggested that anyone could potentially become a leader, depending on their actions and behavior. The spotlight moved away from the inborn traits of leaders to the choices they made—in other words, their behaviors. It was a revolutionary idea—leadership could be learned. And if it could be learned, it could be taught. This shift paved the way for leadership training, executive education, and an emphasis on personal growth, including coaching.?

And as we journeyed further in time, the notion of leadership started to become more democratic and inclusive. Bosses who ruled like emperors became less popular, and executives started to collaborate more. What’s interesting is that as leadership roles changed, so did our expectations of leaders. About a decade ago, John Gerzema and Michael D’Antonio ran a major survey. They asked 64,000 people across thirteen countries about the qualities they most valued in leaders. The top picks? Inclusiveness, humility, and vulnerability. These traits make leaders more open to listening to others and more caring about their thoughts and feelings.

Now, some might see this as moving the goalposts, but really, leadership is always changing. It’s like trying to catch a wave—you’ve got to be responsive to the times, the mood of the moment, and the needs of your community or organization.

Even if your Napoleonic dreams have been dashed and you are now ready to receive feedback, a fear can surface about what you will hear and how challenging the remedy will be. Perhaps you are aware that you don’t always communicate clearly. Or you wonder whether you have rubbed some people the wrong way. So, you worry that when you open the gates of feedback, those flaws will come charging out and flatten you.

Correcting your assumptions and adjusting your behaviors may take time. But simply recognizing blind spots and identifying them as problems can launch you on a course to betterment. There’s a saying among coaches: “Awareness activates agency.” If you receive feedback, and your perspective shifts in a way that allows you to see a new path forward, act upon it. Do something. Inspire change in yourself, and your peers, reports, and organization will thank you.

? 2023 Scott Osman, Jacquelyn Lane, and Marshall Goldsmith from Becoming Coachable: Unleashing the Power of Executive Coaching to Transform Your Leadership and Life. Not to be reproduced without permission.