Strategic Leadership - Essay Example

They have to influence the behavior of other people in order to get things done. The diverse patterns of behavior and actions that leaders exhibit over a period of time and perceived by followers have been identified as the dominant style of leadership. This style is developed utilizing an interplay of factors which shape leadership development. In this regard, this essay is written to meet the following objectives, to wit: (1) to proffer issues pertinent to strategic leadership specifically focusing on the case study entitled Downfall at Xerox; (2) to summarize two scholarly articles from academic journals on the subject of strategic leadership; and (3) to link theoretical frameworks discussed from the articles to practical applications from the Xerox case.

Leadership is the process of influencing people to work or act towards the attainment of specifically defined goals (Martires & Fule, 2000, 569). Dess, Lumpkin, & Eisner (2008, 379) state leadership as “the process of transforming organizations from what they are to what the leader would have them become”. Another meaningful definition is that “leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal” (Northouse, 2004). Authors Lussier & Achua (2004) define leadership as “the influencing process of leaders and followers to achieve organizational objectives through changes”.

Likewise, Schermerhorn, Hunt, & Osborn (2008, 243) state leadership as “the process of influencing others to understand and agree about what needs to be done and how to do it, and the process of facilitating individual and collective efforts to accomplish shared objectives”. All authors share the same conviction who perceived leadership as a process of influencing others. Further, all authors conform to the following factors as relevant components of the leadership process: (1) influencing people; (2) towards the achievement