THEORIES OF LEADERSHIP.

 THEORIES OF LEADERSHIP.

There is a wide and ever growing variety of theories to explain the concept and practice of leadership.  We will provide a brief overview of the more dominant or better known theories. 

Trait Theory

This theory postulates that people are either born or not born with the qualities that predispose them to success in leadership roles.  That is, that certain inherited qualities, such as personality and cognitive ability, are what underlie effective leadership. 

 There have been hundreds of studies to determine the most important leadership traits, and while there is always going to be some disagreement, intelligence, sociability, and drive (aka determination) are consistently cited as key qualities.

Skills Theory

This theory states that learned knowledge and acquired skills/abilities are significant factors in the practice of effective leadership.  Skills theory by no means disavows the connection between inherited traits and the capacity to be an effective leader – it simply argues that learned skills, a developed style, and acquired knowledge, are the real keys to leadership performance.  It is of course the belief that skills theory is true that warrants all the effort and resources devoted to leadership training and development

Situational Theory

This theory suggests that different situations require different styles of leadership.  That is, to be effective in leadership requires the ability to adapt or adjust one’s style to the circumstances of the situation.  The primary factors that determine how to adapt are an assessment of the competence and commitment of a leader’s followers.  The assessment of these factors determines if a leader should use a more directive or supportive style.

Contingency Theory

This theory states that a leader’s effectiveness is contingent on how well the leader’s style matches a specific setting or situation.  And how, you may ask, is this different from situational theory?  In situational the focus is on adapting to the situation, whereas contingency states that effective leadership depends on the degree of fit between a leader’s qualities and style and that of a specific situation or context.

Path-Goal Theory

This theory is about how leaders motivate followers to accomplish identified objectives.  It postulates that effective leaders have the ability to improve the motivation of followers by clarifying the paths and removing obstacles to high performance and desired objectives.  The underlying beliefs of path-goal theory (grounded in expectancy theory) are that people will be more focused and motivated if they believe they are capable of high performance, believe their effort will result in desired outcomes, and believe their work is worthwhile.

Transformational Theory

This theory states that leadership is the process by which a person engages with others and is able to create a connection that results in increased motivation and morality in both followers and leaders.  It is often likened to the theory of charismatic leadership that espouses that leaders with certain qualities, such as confidence, extroversion, and clearly stated values, are best able to motivate followers.  The key in transformational leadership is for the leader to be attentive to the needs and motives of followers in an attempt to help them reach their maximum potential.  In addition, transformational leadership typically describes how leaders can initiate, develop, and implement important changes in an organization.  This theory is often discussed in contrast with transactional leadership.

Transactional Theory

This is a theory that focuses on the exchanges that take place between leaders and followers.  It is based on the notion that a leader’s job is to create structures that make it abundantly clear what is expected of his/her followers and also the consequences (i.e. rewards and punishments) for meeting or not meeting these expectations.  This theory is often likened to the concept and practice of management and continues to be an extremely common component of many leadership models and organizational structures.

Servant Leadership Theory

This conceptualization of leadership reflects a philosophy that leaders should be servants first. It suggests that leaders must place the needs of followers, customers, and the community ahead of their own interests in order to be effective.  The idea of servant leadership has a significant amount of popularity within leadership circles – but it is difficult to describe it as a theory inasmuch as a set of beliefs and values that leaders are encouraged to embrace.