Without a doubt, Bass & Stogdill’s Handbook of Leadership has been the most widely used and cited reference book in the study of leadership. Even though there has been a dramatic increase in leadership books of all kinds, including reviews of research and other handbooks, I am quite certain that the impact of this, the fourth edition of the Handbook, will be equal to or greater than the last edition. Why?
For leadership scholars, the Handbook, in its three earlier editions, has been the primary reference book—our bible for all things leadership. I consult the Handbook on a nearly daily basis, so much so that it is the only book that has a permanent place on my work desk. I will retire my third edition to a shelf and replace it with this fourth edition.
The Handbook, thanks to the exacting detail of Bernie Bass, is a thoroughly comprehensive and well-organized review of the voluminous (and growing) leadership literature. To grasp the enormity of this task, two-thirds of all psychological and management research on leadership has been published since the last edition of the Handbook. The comprehensive nature of the Handbook means that scholars can find reviewed here research on nearly every leadership topic imaginable.
The longevity of Bass & Stogdill’s Handbook of Leadership, third edition, provided a bridge between the earliest research on leadership and the research that was being conducted at the time it was published. All too often, researchers are unable (or unwilling) to search the archives for elusive copies of early leadership research. This fourth edition of the Handbook covers the research history and brings it up to date. The fact that Bernie Bass has lived (and published in) the past seven decades means that scholars can use the Handbook as a tool to trace modern research from the present back to its earliest roots.
Finally, the Handbook is well written and arranged and provides a coherent structure to leadership. Leadership is a topic that has been studied from many perspectives by scholars from a myriad of disciplines. While the greatest contribution of the Handbook has been the sheer volume of information packed between its covers, it is Bass’s thoughtful organization and structure that help organize and define what is known about leaders and leadership.
Bernard M. Bass, one of the founders of the social scientific investigation of leaders and leadership, left us in 2007. Although he made enormous contributions to the field, this edition of the Handbook is Bernie’s most impressive gift to the leadership community.
As someone who has followed Bernie around at conferences, as he scurried from one leadership session to another, collecting copies of presentations and making connections with leadership scholars, I know firsthand that Bernie Bass’s heart and soul are in this handbook. His home office was crammed with copies of leadership books, journals, and papers, with his wife Ruth providing good organization to what otherwise would have been a mountainous clutter. It is very fitting that Ruth Bass, who contributed so much to Bernie’s life and his work, be a recognized co-author on this edition.
Bernie’s knowledge of leadership and related topics were truly encyclopedic. The knowledge of leadership research and theory that was inside Bernie Bass’s head could fill a dozen or more volumes the size of this Handbook. He had a very difficult time deciding what should be included, and he regretted greatly all that had to be left out. There are, after all, only so many pages that fit between a single cover.
Although I have consulted the Handbook countless times in my work, I also have had the good fortune of being able to consult Bernie directly on particular leadership topics, and he always had the answer. Those of us who study leadership and the many more who are deeply concerned about the practice of leadership in the world owe an incalculable debt to Bernie Bass.
As you get to know this edition of the Handbook, I am sure you will appreciate Bernie Bass’s legacy, and this final gift, as much as I do.
Ronald E. Riggio
Kravis Leadership Institute
Claremont McKenna College