Abstract

The strategic management literature has laid emphasis on the role of leadership at several phases of the strategic management process. The literature has however not addressed the construct of leadership strategy as well as integrating it into the mainstream literature on strategic management. Researches already done to link leadership with performance have been biased in terms of the scope of focus on the dimension of performance and at the same time have registered methodological and conceptual challenges affecting the generalization of findings. In this paper, the authors integrate the extant literature on leadership with that on leadership strategy and identify issues that call for an expanded scope on the construct of leadership. The paper reviews extant conceptual, theoretical and empirical literature and raises diverse issues that present a case for a new theoretical model suitable to extend the current understanding on leadership and the phenomenon it brings about in organization into new frontiers in management. This paper proposes an integrated theoretical model for linking leadership strategies and firm performance while providing for the role of leadership paradigms, leadership behavioural focus and firm capabilities. The emerging theoretical propositions and implications for future research are discussed.

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