First and ten leadership: A historiometric investigation of the CIP leadership model

Emerging from the early work of Weber (1924), the charismatic, ideological, and pragmatic (CIP) model of leadership (Mumford, 2006) has enjoyed a recent surge in research attention. According to the model, the three leader types differ in a number of fundamental ways — differences largely tied to how the leaders provide sensemaking to followers. Although these differences are central to the model, these components have yet to be examined directly. As such, the aim of this study was to explicitly test the core tenants of the CIP model. Using a historiometric sample of college and NFL football coaches we found general support for specific predictions made by the model and in the aggregate, the model as a whole. We also examined the unique patterns and features that were used to distinguish among the leader types providing useful insight into how leaders may be categorized. Implications and future directions are discussed.