LEADERSHIP
Trait Theory of Leadership
The trait model of leadership is based on the characteristics of many leaders-both
successful and unsuccessful – and is used to predict leadership effectiveness. The
resulting lists of traits are then compared to those of potential leaders to assess their
likelihood of success or failure.
1. Drive: Leaders exhibits a higher effort level. They have a relatively high desire for
achievement, they are ambitious, they have a lot of energy, and they are tirelessly
persistent in their activities and they show initiative.
2. The desire to Lead: Leaders have a strong desire to influence and lead others. They
demonstrate the willingness to take responsibility.
3. Honesty and Integrity: Leaders built a trusting relationship between themselves and
followers by being truthful or no deceitful and by showing high consistency between
word and deed.
4. Self-confidence: Followers look to leaders for an absence of self-doubt. Leaders,
therefore, need to show self-confidence in order to convince followers of goals’ and
decisions.
5. Intelligence: Leaders need to be intelligent enough to gather, synthesize and
interpret large amounts of information and to be able to create visions solve
problems and make correct decisions.
6. Job-Relevant Knowledge: Effective leaders have a high degree of knowledge about
company, industry and technical matters. In-depth knowledge allows leaders to
make well-informed decisions and to understand the implications of those decisions.
Behavioral Theories of Leadership
Behavioral theories focus on how leaders behave. For instance, do leaders dictate what
needs to be done and expect cooperation? Or do they involve their teams in decision-
making to encourage acceptance and support?
University of Lowa
1. Autocratic leaders make decisions without consulting their teams. This style of
leadership is considered appropriate when decisions need to be made quickly,
when there's no need for input, and when team agreement isn't necessary for a
successful outcome.
2. Democratic leaders allow the team to provide input before making a decision,
although the degree of input can vary from leader to leader. This style is
important when team agreement matters, but it can be difficult to manage when
there are lots of different perspectives and ideas.
3. Laissez-faire leaders don't interfere; they allow people within the team to make
many of the decisions. This works well when the team is highly capable, is
motivated, and doesn't need close supervision. However, this behavior can arise
because the leader is lazy or distracted; and this is where this style of leadership
can fail.
University of Ohio
1. Initiating Structure Behavior: The behavior of leaders who define the leader-
subordinate role so that everyone knows what is expected, establish formal lines of
communication, and determine how tasks will be performed.
2. Consideration Behavior: The behavior of leaders who are concerned for
subordinates and attempt to establish a worm, friendly, and supportive climate.
University of Michigan
The university talks about the leadership styles about
Task Oriented: The task-oriented leader creates policies and procedures, informs
subordinates of these procedures and develops criteria for evaluating successful
employee performance. Task-oriented leaders may organize their time around a
schedule of events
Relationship Oriented: Relationship-oriented leadership theory describes a leader who
is primarily motivated by and concerned with her interactions with people.
Relationship-oriented leaders often act as mentors to their subordinates. They schedule
time to talk with employees and incorporate their feedback into decisions.
Goal Path Theory
The four path-goal types of leader behaviors are:
o Directive: The leader informs her followers on what is expected of them, such as
telling them what to do, how to perform a task, and scheduling and coordinating
work. It is most effective when people are unsure about the task or when there is
a lot of uncertainty within the environment.
o Supportive: The leader makes work pleasant for the workers by showing
concern for them and by being friendly and approachable. It is most effective in
situations in which tasks and relationships are physically or psychologically
challenging.
o Participative: The leader consults with his followers before making a decision on
how to proceed. It is most effective when subordinates are highly trained and
involved in their work.
o Achievement: The leader sets challenging goals for her followers, expects them
to perform at their highest level, and shows confidence in their ability to meet
this expectation. It is most effective in professional work environments, such as
technical, or scientific.
Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Theory
(Make this diagram or the table we leant in the class with the technique (of Low ,
Low, High , High ___ Low – High – High –Low wala table)
Telling Style: Refers a high-task, low-relationship style wherein the leader gives
explicit directions and supervises work closely. This style is geared toward low
maturity followers.
Selling Style: Refers to a high-task, high-relationship style, in which the leader
attempts to sell his ideas to the group by explaining task directions in a
persuasive manner. This, too, is used with moderate followers. Unlike the
previous style, these followers have the ability but are unwilling to do the job.
Participating Style: A low-task, high-relationship style that emphasizes shared
ideas and decisions. Managers using the participating style tend to use it with
moderate followers who are not only experienced but with those who aren't as
confident to do the tasks assigned.
Delegating Style: A low-task, low-relationship style wherein the leader allows
the group to take responsibility for task decisions. This is best used with high
maturity followers.
Transactional Vs Transformational leadership
Transactional Leadership
Transactional leadership styles are more concerned with maintaining the normal flow
of operations – this style is best described as “keeping the ship afloat.” Transactional
leaders use disciplinary power .
Transformational Leadership
A transformational leader goes beyond managing day-to-day operations and crafts
strategies for taking his company, department or work team to the next level of
performance and success. Transformational leadership styles focus on team-building,
motivation and collaboration with employees at different levels of an organization to
accomplish change for the better.
