
Reserve it at BN.com & pick it up in 60 minutes at your local store.
Enter a zip code
Textbook (Paperback - Fourth Edition)
Textbook Information
Heartened by the positive response to previous editions of Leadership: Theory and Practice, this Fourth Edition is written with the same objective to bridge the gap between the often simplistic popular approaches to leadership and the more abstract theoretical approaches.
More Reviews and RecommendationsPeter G. Northouse, PhD, is Professor of Communication in the School of Communication at Western Michigan University. For more than 20 years, he has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in leadership, interpersonal, and organizational communication. In addition to publications in professional journals, he is the author of Leadership: Theory and Practice (4th ed.) and coauthor of Health Communication: Strategies for Health Professionals (3rd ed.). His scholarly and curricular interests include models of leadership, leadership assessment, ethical leadership, and leadership and group dynamics. He has worked as a consultant in a variety of areas, including leadership development, leadership education, conflict management, and health communication. He holds a doctorate in speech communication from the University of Denver, and a master's and bachelor's degree in communication education from Michigan State University.
Reader Rating:
See Detailed Ratings
April 16, 2009: Northouse writes engagingly and clearly and presents an excellent primer on managerial leadership. The book covers all the main elements needed to gain an understanding of the topic as well as the general progress of leadership theories and their application in a managerial context.
Each Chapter is dedicated to an approach starting with the Trait Approach in chapter 2 (after an introduction to leadership in chapter 1) and culminating with Contingency theory. All the chapters are organized in a consistent and logical manner starting with (1) a description of the theory; (2) how does it work; (3) its strengths; (4) weaknesses; (5) applications and then some (6) case studies. This makes Northouse's treatment very straightforward and combined with his writing style, both an enjoyable and educational read.However, while this book is probably the best introduction to the topic, readers looking for more in-depth information or a more academic treatment would probably be better serve with Yukl's "Leadership in Organizations."I Also Recommend: Leadership in Organizations.