Historia del liderazgo en Españaorigen del término y evolución contemporánea del concepto de líder

Abstract

Abstract This doctoral thesis proves that the word "leader" appeared in Spain in the first half of the nineteenth century and evolved into the complex concept of leadership that we know today, in line with the booming development of studies on this subject. This is a multidisciplinary work based on the historical method. As a chronological compendium of leadership, the thesis is divided into three main thematic blocks. The first, analyses the history of the meaning of the word “leader”, from the prehistoric man to modern-day characters, looking to conceptualise their distinctive qualities. We performed a comprehensive analysis of numerous case studies from the history of our country, which pinpoint common characteristics and patterns of behavior, which have been quantified. The second section investigates and discovers how and when the word "leader" (later "líder") appeared in the Spanish language and describes the intensity of their written use, throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The third block, details the contemporary development of the concept of leadership through academic and scientific work, up to a point where leadership studies or leadership theory have reached a proto-scientific status. Finally, it is concluded that the term “leader”, and the concept of leadership exist and develop because they are clearly useful for our modern society.