Know Yourself and Take Charge of Your Own Destiny: The "Fit Model" of Leadership |
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| Authors: | George L. Hanbury Alka Sapat Charles W. Washington |
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| Affiliation: | George L. Hanbury;(PhD, Florida Atlantic University) is the executive vice president for administration at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) and former city manager of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Portsmouth and Virginia Beach, Virginia. Dr. Hanbury also teaches courses in policy analysis, leadership, economics, and finance at NSU. He serves as a volunteer "Range Rider" for the International City/County Management Association, promoting the council-manager form of government and professionalism in local governments. E-mail: . Alka Sapat;(PhD, SUNY–Stony Brook) is an associate professor of public administration at Florida Atlantic University and coordinator of the doctoral program. She teaches courses in public policy, public governance and privatization, methodology, and disaster management. Her research focuses on disaster management, environmental policy, deregulation, and environmental justice. Recently, Dr. Sapat received funding from the National Science Foundation to research best practices in state homeland security and the adoption of disaster-mitigation policies. E-mail: . Charles W. Washington;(PhD, Syracuse University) is the dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Clark Atlanta University and former professor and coordinator of graduate programs of public administration at Florida Atlantic University. Dr. Washington also served as chair of the John C. Stennis Institute of Government at Mississippi State University, where his main interests were (and continue to be) public administration, metropolitan studies, intergovernmental relations, organizational theory, public policy formulation and implementation, and public budgeting and finance. E-mail: . |
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| Abstract: | Leadership scholars have theorized that leaders of an organization must have an appropriate "fit" with those they lead and with their environment. Yet, there is no empirical research to date that has explored this belief. We develop a theoretical model to determine the factors influencing the fit of a city manager, indicated by his or her tenure. We argue that six sets of explanations may help determine the fit of the city manager: the manager's leadership style, his or her personality type, the city manager's perception about fit, the perceptions of city councils, the demographics of the city managers, and the demographics of the cities where they work. Based on a rigorous nationwide study of city managers, the study shows that the fit of city managers is significantly influenced by two of the six sets of explanations. Implications for scholars, city managers, and practitioners are drawn from the study's analysis and findings. |
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