Only a century ago, most human activity and organizations were much smaller, simpler and more localized. In such a world, a single decision-maker could process much of the relevant information make decisions, and announce them. In the modern world of rapid change, globalization, and gigantic institutions, no one individual can possibly process all the information or make all the decisions. Leaders now need to be sophisticated analysts of complexity who focus less on deciding and more on designing systems of multiple decision nodes. The new circumstances call for a view of the leader as a creator of possibilities - dreams of mutual learning and appreciation, and visions or creative ways to work constructively and collaboratively at cultural boundaries.
Leadership is a three-way relationship among leaders, constituents and concepts.
Though leadership is typically seen as a property of individuals, recent research confirms that focusing only on characteristics of individuals provides a very partial and distorted picture of leadership. Individual leaders do make a difference, sometimes a critical difference. But constituents and situations are very powerful forces, often favoring the status quo. Leadership is not a top-down influence for those in high positions. It is a process of reciprocal influence centered on questions of purpose, values, and strategies.