Development of a Cohesive Theory of Leadership

Abstract

Previous assessments of leadership have failed to fully take into account what leadership is. Therefore, the goal for this study was to combine existing theories into one cohesive theory. In this study, undergraduate psychology students (N = 21), were placed in groups of 3 and recorded during a modified game of "20 Questions." During the game, participants were observed and exhibited "leadership behaviors" were documented. Participants identified as leaders exhibited more leadership behaviors, but only as the experiment went on and no additional "power" was given to followers. Implications of results and possible means of improvement are discussed.