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Outside of the Lines: A Comparison of Leadership Styles of Two Collegiate

Article  in  SSRN Electronic Journal · July 2015

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Leadership has been an increasingly growing topic throughout Knight employed an intimidation and semi-dictatorship style,
literature with the mass exodus of the Baby Boomers. These which required others to conform to his way of thinking. His
preparation strategies have researchers searching for the best approach mirrored a managerial tactics which orbited abound
attributes associated with effective leadership outcomes. The Knight’s theories and strategies of being a perfectionist
following study looks at attributes of two distinguish collegiate (Delacey, Perlow, & Snook, 2005). ).
coaches to determine if any common themes exist and align with
literature findings over the past two decades. Additionally, the IV. PERSONALITY
study will seek to affirm any commonalities with influential
strategies and personality traits to leadership effectiveness. Goldberg (1990) model of personality factors which
includes neuroticism (i.e. insecurity, depression, anxiety,
Keywords—Leadership, Strategy, Personality Traits hostility), extraversion (i.e. sociable, positive attitude,
energetic), openness (transparent, information sharing, creative)
I. INTRODUCTION agreeableness (i.e. accepting, conforming, trust), and
Typically, organizational and operational performance can conscientious (organized, controlled, critical, dependable).
be attributed to leadership effectiveness. Leadership Northouse (2013) reflected on literature which found that of the
effectiveness can be found throughout literature and highlighted five personality factors, that extraversion carried the highest
within a diverse range of models that have been configured positive associativity with effective leadership, this was
across many different settings and eras. Northouse (2013) followed by conscientious, openness and low levels of
reviewed general literature on characteristic models related to neuroticism. Though the observation of behavior and responses,
the leadership effectiveness, which yielded intelligence, self- one could infer that Krzyzewski exhibits agreeableness,
confidence, determination, integrity and sociability as having openness and conscientious. This perception can also suggest
the highest frequency across effective leader models. However, that Krzyzewski carries low levels of neuroticism and higher
a funneled model for leadership effectiveness may not suffice in level of extrovertedness as related to his work and events in the
all settings. To demonstrate this perspective, the following field of leadership and ethics. The review of Knight’s behavior
report will provide an assessment of two successfully renowned suggested that in competitive atmospheres that Knight employs
NCAA basketball coaches to determine if difference and high levels of neuroticism and negative extraversion. The
similarities of leadership attributes exist or if variance can reflection on Knight’s coaching theories indicated, a very
expand the variance in characteristics to leadership narrow perspective and fixated on direction. Interestingly, one
effectiveness. would postulate that Knight would have a strong influence on
development of Krzyzewski based on their interactions and
II. SETTING mentorship. This can reflected in other interviews, which
indicated that level of intensity was found at the appropriate
The setting of analyses included two distinguished NCAA times and settings (Delacey, Perlow, & Snook, 2005).
basketball coaches and their leadership strategies and
personality traits. Knight’s career spanned through many V. DISCUSSION
colleges and showed a high level of success, but was plagued
with outbursts of unprofessionalism and unethical behavior The focus of the report was to affirm a common theme of
(Hanyok, 2008). Krzyzewski, a protégé of Knight shared similar strategies and personality traits to leadership effectiveness .The
success as Knight (Bella, 2011), but followed a different review of literature, interviews and behaviors found that
behavior path and was an advocate for leadership and ethics organizational and operational performance can be derived
(Delacey, Perlow, & Snook, 2005). through different leadership strategies. In the cases of
Krzyzewski and Knight showed that negative and positive
III. POWER BASES approaches can lead to similar results and comparison found
success to be apparent in opposite strategies and traits. However,
The comparison of leadership influence behaviors found that
the longevity of leadership may be effected as emerging
there were variances between the coaches as Krzyzewski and
regulation can hinder threatening dictation and intimidation
Knight, as both demanded high level discipline and team
approaches to leading others. Therefore, the model of leadership
performance. The leadership interaction of Krzyzewski was
for future leader would best follow Krzyzewski’s strategies.
reflected as non-managerial and but leadership style that
embraced inclusiveness, relationship building, flexibility and
being dynamic (Delacey, Perlow, & Snook, 2005). In contrast,
 References
[1] Bella, T. (2011). Mike Krzyzewski's Humble Beginnings as Duke's
Basketball Coach. The Atlantic. Retrieved form
http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/11/mike-
krzyzewskis-humble-beginnings-as-dukes-basketball-coach/248572/
[2] Delacey, B. J., Perlow, L. A., & Snook, S. A. (2005). Coach K: A Matter
of the Heart. Harvard Business School Cases, 1.
[3] Delacey, B. J., Perlow, L. A., & Snook, S. A. (2005). Coach Knight: The
Will to Win. Harvard Business School Cases, 1.
[4] Hanyok, D. (2008). A history of violence: Bobby Knight’s legacy. The
College Hill Independent Retrieved from
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[6] Northouse, P.G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and Practice (6th ed). Los
Angeles, California: Sage PublishingArndt, F. (2011). Assessing dynamic
capabilities: Mintzberg's schools of thought. South African Journal of
Business Management, 42(1), 1-8. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

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