1. The Psychology of Leadership
BY s.r. tAYLOR

2. Foundations of Leadership
What makes someone a good leader?
Leadership is one of the most important parts of an organization, as it deals
with the human motivation component of an organization.
Modern leadership theories are deeply rooted in the principles of psychology.

3. Early psychologists
Wilhelm Wundt
E.B. Titchener
William James

4. Early Theories of Psychology and Leadership
The earliest theories of leadership developed from the early schools of thought in psychology.
From the works of early theorists such as Wundt, Titchener, and James, the field of psychology was established as its own science.
Perhaps the greatest influence that the early theories of psychology had upon leadership is that it established the field of psychology for others psychologists to expand upon.

5. Behaviorism
B.F. Skinner
Edward Thorndike
John B. Watson
Ivan Pavlov

6. Behaviorism
Believed that psychology should be seen as a science, and therefore studied in a scientific manner.
According to behaviorists, all behavior is learned from the environment. Humans learn from conditioning.
Approach to psychology that focuses the attention of the theory in human behavior.
Behavior is the direct result of a stimuli, and all behavior can be modified.
Through the use of reinforcement, a desirable behavior can be obtained

7. Behaviorism and Leadership
Perhaps the most prevalent leadership style is based upon behaviorist principles.
Through the use of rewards and punishments, behaviors can be modified and motivation can be improved.
Employers reward employees for positive behavior, and punish employees for negative behaviors.

8. Psychodynamic Approach to Leadership
Carl Jung
Sigmund Freud
Erik Erikson

9. Psychodynamics
Systematic study of the underlying psychological forces that influence human behavior, feelings and emotions.
Behavior and feelings are affected by various unconscious motives
All behavior has a cause, therefore all behavior is determined
The personality is shaped through the various stages of drives, and are modified due to different conflicts within the stages.
The mind is made up of three components, the id, ego, and superego.

10. The components of the mind
The id is the part of the mind that is responsible for the instinctual drives and impulses
The ego is the component of the mind that attempts to satisfy the needs of the id.
The super-ego is the moral guide for the other components

11. Psychodynamic Leadership
The theory of psychodynamics has had a great influence on the field of leadership.
Led to the development of the psychodynamic leadership approach.
Leadership theory focuses on unconscious feelings and past experiences

12. Psychodynamic Leadership, ctd.
One major concept of the psychodynamic approach is that the leader must first understand their psychological make-up
Leader must also understand the psychological make-up of the subordinate members of the organization.
Encourages the work group to develop a better psychological insight in order to understand the reactions of the leaders and other members of the organization.

13. Humanistic Psychology
Abraham Maslow
Carl Rogers

14. Humanistic Psychology
Based on the study of the human as a whole.
Developed in response to the shortcomings of the early theories of psychology, behaviorism, and psychodynamics.
Focus of psychology not based upon behavior, the unconscious, or thinking.
Rejected the notions of the scientific approach as well as the comparative approach.

15. Humanistic Psychology
Focuses on the potential of the human.
Believes that humans are innately good.
Humans have the need to make themselves and the world around them a better place.
Maslow developed a “hierarchy of needs” which he believed describes human behavior

16. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
According to Maslow, the needs of the lower levels must be met before a person can move to the next level.
Humans rarely achieve the final level or self-actualization, due to a disruption of a lower level need.

17. Humanistic Leadership
Based on the theories of humanism, the humanistic leadership approach focuses on the psychological well-being of the employees within the organization.
If the psychological and physiological needs of an employee are not met, the employee will not be properly motivated.
The most popular humanistic leadership approach has been coined authentic management, and is increasing in popularity.

18. Authentic Leadership
Authentic leadership is a style of humanistic leadership that focuses its attention of the authenticity of the leader within the organization.
Authentic leader must be true to themselves, and must have insight into their own psychological makeup as well as their limitations.
The authentic leader must have integrity, and have empathy and respect for other members of the organization.
Authentic leadership motivates individuals by ensuring that their basic psychological needs are satisfied.

19. Cognitive Psychology
Jean Piaget
Edward Tolman

20. Cognitive Psychology
Cognitive psychology focuses on the mental processes such as attention, perception, thinking, problem solving, among other processes.
Primarily uses scientific approaches to study cognitive processes, and all research is conducted in a laboratory setting.
Often compares the processes of the mind to how a computer processes information.

21. Cognitive Resource Leadership
According to the CRL theory, intelligence is the most important factor in leadership.
Stress is inevitable, a more capable leader has the ability to handle the stress and still effectively lead.
Encourages the use of intelligence testing and stress tests in order to place the most qualified leaders into leadership roles.
Militaries around the world, including the United States, use this type of approach to leadership training.

22. Leadership
There is no correct theory to leading people. Many of the greatest leaders in the history of mankind used different approaches to lead. Many leaders also take parts of each theory of leadership, and apply them to better motivate others to achieve a common goal. As the field of psychology continues to evolve, so too will the various leadership theories.

23. The Psychology of Leadership