The Polycentric Leadership Model – A Circular and Decentralized Approach to Leadership Sociology

This paper introduces a new leadership model. Staring with the examination of the concept of leadership, leaders’ core skills and the differences between various management definitions, the paper highlights what organizational conditions are needed for leadership to be effective and successful. The results of a sociological study show that leadership always promotes change and involvement. It creates social cohesion and sets a clear direction. The paper focuses on these results to present the “matrix of Polycentric Leadership”. Thanks to this matrix, we can identify four leadership styles: methodical, directive, charismatic, and challenger. The paper concludes that leadership cannot be effective if just one or few of these styles are present: all four styles must be represented, as they are complementary and interact with each other, ensuring the unifying function of leadership. To conclude, the paper demonstrates that leadership is always a polycentric phenomenon that takes place via a network of relations between these four leadership styles. When the interaction does not take place, leadership degenerates, and the shadows of these leadership styles’ take over.