Perhaps this approach to leadership is particularly British and corporate sector. But there are other sources of leadership concepts which we often ignore and are more akin to the leader as a human motivator and example of sound technical judgement whom followers can look up to and be inspired by to achieve. One such source is, of course, the military of whom the conventional gurus of leadership often have a fairly dismissive or even sneering attitude. This is odd because leadership in the military is so important when people are being asked to go in harm's way and often put their lives on the line. After all it was General Norman Norman Schwarzkopf who said "Leadership is the art of getting ordinary people to do extraordinary things willingly", a more apt definition is hard to imagine.
I recently came across an article by Lt Colonel Matt Joganich of the US Airforce, What is Leadership, which spelled out his understanding of what leadership was. I was much struck by its thoughtfulness and focus on the human side of leadership and the need for a leader to take care of his or her people.