Typification
An implicit style in representing leaders is typification. There is an
endless use of adjectives in front of the noun “leadership.” A concept
that can represent this process is typification, Although typification
evokes different meanings (e.g. see Alfred Schultz, who introduced the
term) in this paper it is used to refer to the constant attempt to put
constructs or adjacent constructs in various, but, related, categories.
The attempt to make a distinction between two meanings that on the
surface look similar or perceived to be used interchangeably is a common
practice in leadership texts.
A common adjective-noun pairs in the business texts include “great
leaders,” “exceptional leaders,” “remarkable leaders,” “effective
leaders,” and “disruptive leaders.”
Illustrative Excerpt 3
Anyone in a management or supervisory role is a leader, but not everyone
in those positions exhibits true leadership. Think of leadership
as next level management. The best leaders take their expert
management skills and combine them with people skills to become well
rounded and highly successful. The difference between being a good
leader and a great one is in the relationships you build with
your team. (Forbes, August 28, 2018)
As this excerpt illustrates, fine distinctions such as “good” and
“great” leaders are presented. Similarly, writers offer categories
such as “exceptional leaders,” “remarkable leaders,” and “effective
leaders” in their portrayal of leadership. A deeper look at such a
representation reveals a depiction of a hierarchy of leaders with an
apparent aim of distinguishing what is “ordinary” from the
“extraordinary.”