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The Art of Leadership
Dane P. Arnold
Texas Tech University
March 2015

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Leadership Theories
I selected Situational, Contingency and Transformational leadership theories as I feel
they have the most to offer for an interdisciplinary and integrative field of study. According to a
group study (Bolden, p. 4), these later theories actually decentralize the focus of the actual leader
and more on the role of the team members.
Situational Leadership is focused more on the situation at hand. Depending on events
and what might be deemed necessary, the leadership might take a more authoritative stance or
more of a one on one approach. This is more along the lines of an instructor where the leader
has supreme power but does not always exercise it and will work alongside the team when events
allow. I had a teacher in High School that was our Ag Sciences instructor that worked in a
similar manner. He was the undisputed leader of our teams, he could rule with a firm hand but
usually chose not to unless we screwed up and got out of line.
The majority of the time, Mr. Herrington worked alongside us, gave us tips and pointers
on how to perform a task a little more efficiently or safely. We all could tell he cared, valued
each and every one of us and expressed our importance individually and as a whole for the team
effort. His transition from authoritative figure to that of a mentor was so fluid that he inspired us
to work to our best abilities. Our productivity and also our results in competition reflected his
leadership, our team work and individual preparations.
Contingency based Leadership is an expansion upon the Situational Leadership Theory.
This practice works with the viewpoint of the leadership and its sole focus is to identify pitfalls,
challenges and any other possible outcomes and then determines the appropriate leadership style
to use.

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This is more of an exercise of outsight where the leader must identify possible
environmental and internal conflicts, capabilities and other challenges that might be met during
the course of the team organization. There is a place and a time for a specific leadership style
and each style can bring about widely different results within a group. A Drill Instructor from
the United States Marine Corps might not be your first choice, or any choice for that matter, for
teaching a group of kindergarteners how to tie their shoes.
Transformational Theory allows the position of leadership exact change on an
organization and the resulting performance. Transformational Theory is a more recent practice
and reminds me more of the story of the late Steve Jobs. I do not own any Apple/Mac products,
but I did follow his story around his return to the company in his return to Apple. In his absence,
the company had suffered a very long and painful downward spiral over the previous decade.
After his return and tenacious leadership, they released game-changing new products that have
sealed Apple as one of the premier companies for personal communications and electronics. I’m
not saying that Steve Jobs invented it all, but I am saying that he had a vision and a strong
passion which inspired those around him. A transformational leader is important in a group
especially when activity, productivity and motivation is in the doldrums.
Interdisciplinary Leadership
Within the confines of bringing together multiple disciplines, the effort of bridging their
processes requires some forethought into what to choose from and then which combination of
their internal methods of study would work best.
A good leader in an interdisciplinary program will be able to find the best choice that will
yield a new synthesis of knowledge and possible discoveries; this is especially true when the

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groups manage to work in synergy.
In relation to this, I would like to refer to a quote by Sun Tzu (Art of War, p. 22):
“There are not more than five musical notes, yet the combinations of these five give rise to more
melodies than can ever be heard.” Sun Tzu continues on with this rhetoric in regard to other
subjects and his advice on warfare can easily be transformed into inspiration for leadership in a
business or research field leadership position. For an Interdisciplinary focus, I see the use of Sun
Tzu’s advice as a good way to prepare the mind. He speaks of the importance of planning (Tzu,
p. 8) that a good leader is one who is successful makes many calculations before the final choices
are made while also being able to change plans entirely if there is a necessity. This method is
quite similar to Situational with Contingency Leadership Theory being the closest based on my
previous description. Contingency Theory based leadership identifies possible variables to
predict that best pathway of action to take for the absolute best results.
I have heard and read references to The Art of War more and more often. Yes, it is on the
subject of planning for war but even centuries after it was written, we are able to extrapolate the
wisdom in planning and seeing the world as a whole (battlefield, business, interdisciplinary
study) that we can use that broad vision to our advantage in this process of solving very complex
and involved problems.
Having a leader that is not an autocratic figurehead, but one that is technically “in the
trenches” with the rest of the team is a boost to morale and, more importantly, the resulting
energy. Being a leader on a Transoformational level within an interdisciplinary approach has
potential to work wonders. Many times there will be strife between the different factions of
disciplines, a good leader should inspire them to work together, to break out of their silos of
academia and see the whole picture together. A transformational leader can fluidly move about,

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adding good energy balance to every team member, emphasizing the importance of the team as a
whole while preventing it breaking down into fractious and self destructive behavior.
There are many variations of this saying, but my favorite is by Robert Jordan (p. 610)
“The best plan lasts until the first arrow leaves the bow.” We cannot account for every possible
outcome, especially when we start plunging into the depths of the unknown in the attempts to
synthesize new knowledge. A transformational approach appears to work best especially when
unforeseen challenges crop up or if something completely unexpected is discovered. This
leadership can allow for a quick change of course to ensure that momentum is not lost with such
a discovery.
I feel that a proper interdisciplinary and integrative leadership should be versed in the
different theories of leadership to find the best approaches for a situation while keeping the other
methods in their toolbox in the instance that they must suddenly switch to another method or
blend a mixture of the others together.
Transformational, Contingency and Situational theories appear to have a potential of
being mixed together with a skilled leadership and a well picked interdisciplinary team that has a
good understanding of the free form organization they have been transitioned into.
Organizational Leadership
After I finish with my University Studies degree, I find myself gravitating towards the
field of engineering since I already have some background from previous studies. I have a
vested interest in using technology as the equalizer to level the playing field by improving the
quality of life worldwide. With ever increasing inflation and decreasing purchasing power of the
lower class, moving this group up out of the poverty level and closer to that of the lower middle
class is an important move. This puts more purchasing power in the hands of the majority of the

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population, decreases the financial burden on a national government through less taxes deviated
for financial or healthcare assistance. This paired with the income tax of a larger middle class
will allow for better tax distribution to programs that really matter like education. This is
reciprocal as a better educated nation has an improved human capital with the payoff of more
technological innovation and advances in existing technologies and procedures.
Outside of that of the sector of skilled craftspeople, more innovation will lead to less
necessity in use of people in menial tasks and move them into positions where have a sense of
purpose and that they may better serve the community and their family.
Due to the vastness of this effort, it will combine engineering, social sciences and
economics. Human/Social sciences can help to identify the challenges people face, the
psychological burdens as well as the vectors that bring people into poverty. Economics can help
the team understand the impacts and feasibility of such a project as well as help project goals on
a micro and macroeconomic scale. Engineering can use the information gained to create
physical solutions either through improvements in infrastructure or creating a necessity for a
stronger middle class by aiding in the elimination of the poverty level lower class by decreasing
their financial burdens.
These fields address the “how, what, why, when and who” questions with how to address
such an injustice.

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References:
Bolden, R., Gosling, J., Marturano, A. and Dennison, P. (June 2003). A Review of Leadership
Theory and Competency Frameworks. Centre for Leadership Studies, University of Exeter.
Tzu, S. (2013) The Art of War: The Oldest Military Treatise In The World. The Winds of Japan
Shop
Jordan, R. (1993). The fires of heaven. New York: TOR.

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Midterm Essay Grading Rubric
Criteria
Points
Possible
Points
Earned
General
Paper adheres to APA formatting (title page, citations, references
page, etc.). Filename correct. This rubric pasted at the end of the
assignment.
15
Writing is clear with appropriate grammar, spelling, and
punctuation. Headings are appropriately labeled
10
Leadership Theories (750 words)
Student should identify and briefly discuss three leadership theories
not previously discussed in class. Student integrates theory into
professional and academic practice.
25
Interdisciplinary Leadership (750 words)
Student synthesizes a leadership theory from the previous section
with the concept of Interdisciplinary Leadership & Teamwork.
Student discusses how will the integration of leadership theory and
interdisciplinary teamwork impact the workplace?
25
Organizational Leadership (500 words)
Student concisely summarizes an organization they might lead in
the future. Student discusses the mission/vision of the organization,
utilization of interdisciplinary teams/leadership, impact
interdisciplinary teamwork will have on success, and the
interdisciplinary characteristics they possess that will help you lead
the organization.
25
Total 100
Instructor Comments: