Approaches to leading organizations: Understanding various leadership theories and models

Did You Know the Earliest Leadership Theories Focused Solely on Traits?

Leadership theories have evolved significantly over time, beginning with the Great Man Theory, which suggested that leaders are born, not made. This theory was later challenged by the Trait Theory, which proposed that certain qualities such as intelligence, sense of responsibility, and creativity predispose individuals to leadership.

🔍 Trait Theory:

Intelligence: Leaders need to be smart enough to understand complex issues.

Confidence: A leader must be confident to ensure followers trust their decisions.

Charisma: Charismatic leaders inspire and motivate their followers.

For instance, historical figures like Winston Churchill demonstrated high intelligence, confidence, and charisma, which are key traits identified by the Trait Theory of leadership.

Behavioral Theories: Leaders Are Made, Not Born

The Behavioral Theories of leadership, such as the Managerial Grid Model developed by Blake and Mouton, shifted the focus from inherent traits to learned behaviors and leadership styles. This model identifies five different leadership styles based on concern for people and concern for production.

🔍 Managerial Grid Model:

Concern for People: The degree to which a leader considers team members' needs.

Concern for Production: The emphasis a leader places on achieving organizational goals.

A leader scoring high on both dimensions is labeled as "Team Leader," striving for high productivity and a happy team. In contrast, a "Task-Oriented Leader" focuses on high production but may neglect team well-being.

Contingency Theories: The Context Matters

Contingency Theories, such as Fiedler's Contingency Model, argue that the effectiveness of a leadership style is contingent on the context. Fiedler's model uses the Least Preferred Coworker (LPC) scale to determine a leader's style and then matches it to the appropriate situation.

🔍 Fiedler's Contingency Model:

LPC Scale: A tool to measure a leader's style as task-oriented or relationship-oriented.

Situational Favorableness: The degree to which a situation enables a leader to exert influence.

A high LPC score indicates a relationship-oriented leader, who excels in moderately favorable situations, while a low LPC leader is task-oriented and performs best in highly favorable or unfavorable conditions.

Transformational and Transactional Leadership: Beyond Exchange

Transformational Leadership goes beyond the exchange of rewards for performance, aiming to inspire and motivate followers to achieve extraordinary outcomes. Transactional Leadership, on the other hand, focuses on the exchanges that occur between leaders and followers.

🔍 Transformational Leadership:

Inspirational Motivation: Leaders articulate a vision that is appealing and inspiring to followers.

Intellectual Stimulation: Encourages followers to be creative and innovative.

🔍 Transactional Leadership:

Contingent Reward: The leader provides rewards for effort and recognizes accomplishments.

Management by Exception: The leader intervenes only when standards are not met.

Steve Jobs is often cited as a transformational leader for his ability to inspire Apple employees to innovate and exceed their own expectations. Conversely, a transactional leader.