Changing the framework for leadership in the construction industry

When you think about effective leadership you typically conceive of leadership in terms of inspiration and innovation; inspirational, because leadership is about influencing people to do things you want them to do, willingly and well; innovative, because leadership is about change and risk-taking. There seems little contention in such a conception of effective leadership. However, there is growing frustration in the management literature with such a conception of leadership, expressed in personal attribute and stylistic terms. This paper examines the root of that frustration and introduces an alternative framework conceived around leadership as an activity: adaptive leadership. Whilst adaptive leadership was originally developed as a response to the tough social and environmental problems we increasingly face, the nature of the construction industry is such that similar features now apply. A case is developed for a change, in the framework for leadership in the construction industry.