Toward an Integrated Leadership Model

Leadership, an enduring subject of inquiry since antiquity, stands as a complex and multifaceted phenomenon in the current era. Although there are many theories and definitions, scholars critique the field for its ambiguity, suggesting that current conceptions of leadership can encompass either everything or nothing. Such critique highlights a need for new theorization that adopts collective and interaction-centric perspectives over traditional leader-centric models. Additionally, a shift toward systemic and integrated approaches has been advocated. Addressing these critiques, the aim of my study, titled “Toward an Integrated Leadership Model,” is to develop and test an integrated leadership model. My dissertation presents the development of the Integrated Leadership Model (ILM), a comprehensive conceptual framework synthesizing the antecedents of leadership (leader traits, leadership structure, and leadership context), leadership behaviors (leadership functions and styles), leadership mediators (psychological mechanisms), and leadership outcomes (task and socio-emotional effectiveness). The model emphasizes the interconnectedness of these concepts, thus reflecting the dynamic and contextual nature of leadership. To empirically assess the partial operationalization of ILM, I conducted a study with 883 knowledge workers and managers from seven diverse Finnish organizations, employing a measurement instrument designed for this purpose. Despite limitations such as geographic scope and the inherent challenges in quantifying complex leadership phenomena, the study underscores the ILM’s potential to refine our understanding of leadership, addressing the field’s prevailing issues of ambiguity and conceptual overlap.