Leadership Terms and Philosophies

(Click on letters in bold to go directly on the terms that start with that letters.)

P

Peter Principle - A maxim first coined by Dr. Lawrence J. Peter that states “every employee tends to rise to his/her level of incompetence”.

Power - An individuals capacity to influence the behavior and attitudes of others. This usually also results in the ability to influence events, decisions and material possessions. Power can be used in productive or destructive ways. There are often many different types of power extant within an organization.

Principle-Centered Leadership – A leadership theory espoused by author Stephen Covey. Based on a principle that “self-validating natural laws” provide a compass or “true north” for leaders. Covey defines Principal-centered leadership as “based on the reality that we cannot violate these natural laws with impunity. Whether or not we believe in them, they have proven effective throughout centuries of human history. Individuals are more effective and organizations more empowered when they are guided and governed by these proven principles. Principle-centered leaders are those who understand and accept the principles by building them “into the center of their lives, into the center of their relationships with others, into the center of their agreements and contracts, into their management processes, and into their mission statements.” Quotations taken from Principle-Centered Leadership by Stephen R. Covey (1992). Simon & Schuster Inc.