| Perception is reality. No matter how you view yourself, your profile as a leader will be designed for you by those with whom you work and interact. It is vital that your leadership style have an understanding of the human complexities. Well-versed leaders inspire others while educating themselves as part of the continuum of learning (Tinney, 2011). As Socrates said, "Know thyself"; the search for self may be the most challenging and powerful passage taken in this lifelong journey. In this 21st Century, how do semiconductor industry senior executives view their own perception of leadership in an industry that is complex, cyclical, dynamic, and often unpredictable?;The primary focus of this multiple case study design was to examine the prevalence of transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire leadership styles among those senior executives. In addition, this study explored critical areas within organizations during the downturn and assessed what leadership qualities stimulate productivity and innovation.;Results from Bass and Avolio's (2004) Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) indicated that the respondents who participated in this research most commonly showed transformational leadership as the predominant perceived leadership style. Transformational leadership had a very strong correlation with desired leader outcomes. Both transformational and transactional leadership behaviors were commonly present as executives assessed critical areas within the organization. In addition, both transformational leadership and transactional leadership were prevalent in stimulating productivity.;Keywords: leadership styles and behavior, globalization, cycles, productivity, innovation, critical, downturns, perception, transformational, transactional, laissez-faire. |
