Burns, Leadership

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Bibliographical Entry Burns, J. M. (1978). Leadership. New York, NY: Harper & Row, Publishers. Biographical Sketch of Author James MacGregor Burns is a Pulitzer Prize-winning presidential biographer and pioneer in the study of leadership. He received his B.A from Williams College in 1939 and served as an army combat historian in World War II. Upon returning to the United States, he earned his Ph.D. in political science from Harvard University and later attended the London School of Economics. He has authored more than two-dozen books, including the Pulitzer Prize winning biography Roosevelt: The Soldier of Freedom, 1940-1945. He is currently the Woodrow Wilson Professor of Government Emeritus at Williams College and serves as Distinguished Leadership Scholar at the Academy of Leadership at the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy. He is past president of the American Political Science Association and also of the International Society of Political Psychology. Summary of Concepts The primary purpose of Leadership is to demonstrate that the process of leadership must be seen as part of the dynamics of power and conflict; that leadership must be linked to a collective purpose; and that the effectiveness of leaders must be judged by actual social change measured by intent and the satisfaction of human needs and expectations. The foundation for Burns’ leadership theory builds upon three fundamental concepts: power, purpose, and relationship. Power relates to leadership as both deal with influencing others. Leadership is a unique form of power where the leader induces followers to pursue specific goals that represent the values and motivations of both the leader and the followers. What differentiates a leader from a power wielder is purpose or intention. A power wielder uses his power to exploit followers for his own purposes. Leadership is a

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