Abstract:

This paper explores implicit leadership theories through visual research, and illustrates a drawing exercise used in multiple teaching and learning contexts with university students and business executives. Many leader and leadership development programmes start with students encouraged to clearly define the role of a leader. The lists of ideal traits and behaviours produced are then used as a blue print for participants to asses themselves against in order to mould their behaviour accordingly (Ford, Harding & Learmonth, 2008). However, implicit leadership theories expand thinking around leaders and leadership as relative terms which are dependent on context and cultural constructions (Schyns, Kiefer, Kerschreiter & Tymon, 2011). Increased awareness of implicit leadership theories illuminates issues inherent in leader recruitment, development and appraisal.

The nature of implicit leadership theories presents challenges for the educator. Traditional teaching methods, such as rating predefined lists or open question techniques (Schyns & Shilling, 2011) can trigger socially desirable responses, thus regurgitating current vogue leader profiles. For example, informed participants often associate traits and behaviours stemming from new paradigm approaches that emphasise equality and the importance of followers. These models include; leader-member-exchange; shared, conjoined or distributed leadership. Paradoxically, the lack of diversity in leaders in practice suggests that the leadership world is still dominated by traditional western stereotypes such as; the `think-leader-think-male phenomenon` (e.g. Schein, 2001) and; heroic models of the `romance of leadership` literature (Bligh & Schyns 2007).

Findings from the visual research with more than 150 groups suggest that the drawing activity helps to surface embodied assumptions in a non-threatening way. The exercise provides a useful platform for wider debate about leaders and leadership and has proven particularly useful in mixed cultural groups. Analytical coding of the drawings shows that traditional views such as a focus on the leader and their traits as opposed to followers and, gender stereotypes are prominent in leader prototypes (Schyns, Tymon, Kiefer & Kerschreiter, 2013).
This research presents an alternative technique for educators in leadership and may also provide a useful stimulus for organisations to reassess their leadership selection, appraisal and development practice.

References:
Bligh, C. & Schyns, B. (2007) The Romance Lives On: Contemporary issues
Surrounding the Romance of Leadership. Leadership, 3: 343–360
Ford, J., Harding, N. & Learmonth, M. (2008) Leadership as identity:
Constructions and deconstructions. New York: Palgrave Macmillan
Schein, V.E. (2001) A global look at psychological barriers to women’s progress in
management. Journal of Social Issues, 57: 675-688
Schyns, B., Kiefer, T., Kerschreiter, R. & Tymon, A. (2011) Teaching Implicit
Leadership Theories to develop leaders and leadership – How and why it can make
a difference. Academy of Management Learning and Education 10(3), pp. 397-408
Schyns, B. & Schilling, J. (2011) Implicit leadership theories: Think leader, think
effective? Journal of Management Inquiry 20(2): 141–150
Schyns, B., Tymon, A., Kiefer, T. & Kerschreiter, R. (2013) New ways to leadership development: A picture paints a thousand words. Management Learning, 44 (1) ISSN 1350-5076

Keywords:

Visual Research, Implicit leadership, Leadership development.