The great man leadership theory suggests that leaders are born, not made. This theory gained popularity in the 19th century after some of the most famous leaders, such as Gandhi and Julius Caesar, contributed to the idea that leaders are born, not made. Early research on leadership examined successful leaders who achieved their leadership position through birthright, as those with a lesser social status had fewer opportunities to achieve leadership roles; this led to the notion that leadership is inherent.
This theory is not without its criticisms. One issue people have with this theory is that not all those who possess the qualities become leaders, suggesting that leadership might not be as innate as previously suggested. Another criticism is that situational factors are being ignored, such as characteristics of the team, leader, and the situation and how they interact with one another. This theory also does not allow for any explanation for how leadership skills can be developed, though others have said that it is these characteristics that shape their environment.
This theory is not as widely used in recent times, as contemporary ideas take a more in-depth view of how different factors influence leadership.
Cherry, K. (2023, September 6). How does the great man theory of leadership hold up?. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/the-great-man-theory-of-leadership-2795311
The situational leadership theory suggests that there isn’t one specific leadership style that works best and instead, it depends on which type of leadership and strategies fit best in the situation. With this theory, the most effective leaders are ones who can adapt their style to the situation and look at the task, nature of the group, and other facts that will contribute to getting the job done. In this theory, researchers Dr. Paul Hersey and Kenneth Blanchard suggest there are four main leadership styles.
Along with these styles, there are also different levels of maturity.
With the leadership styles and maturity levels established, Hersey and Blanchard have paired them together. They suggest that a more telling style might be better at the beginning of a project when the team lacks responsibility or knowledge and as they become more experienced and knowledgeable, there could be a shift into a more delegating approach.
Low maturity (M1) pairs with Telling (S1)
Medium maturity (M2) pairs with Selling (S2)
Medium maturity (M3) pairs with Participating (S3)
High maturity (M4) pairs with Delegating (S4)
Cherry, K. (2023, March 10). Why the most effective leaders know how to adapt to the situation. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-situational-theory-of-leadership-2795321
The behavior leadership theory focuses on how leaders behave and the belief that other leaders can copy these traits. This theory suggests that leaders are not born successful but are rather created based on learned behavior and that the best predictor of leadership is seeing how a leader acts. Actions are the main point of this leadership theory and patterns of behavior are referred to as styles of leadership. This can include task-orientated leaders, people-orientated leaders, status-quo leaders, dictatorial leaders, and more.
One advantage in this theory is that leaders can learn and pick which actions they want to implement to be the exact type of leader they want, meaning there is a lot of flexibility within this theory. This theory also suggests that anyone can become a leader and they will be able to adapt to their environment.
While this theory provides flexibility, there is no exact suggestion on how to behave in circumstances and that there isn’t a right leadership style for every circumstance.
Western Governors University. (2022, October 24). Leadership theories and styles. https://www.wgu.edu/blog/leadership-theories-styles2004.html
The participative leadership theory suggests that the ideal leadership style considers the input of others. Leaders value participation and team contributions, which helps team members feel committed to the decision-making process. The leader will create a conversation with their team, listen to their suggestions about a problem, and come up with what they believe to be the best course of action. Everyone has a voice in this theory and the leader’s role is to direct the charge.
A positive aspect of this theory is that team members feel more motivated since they are directly involved in the decision-making process. A criticism, however, is that leaders might appear weaker and that they might not get the best outcome due to being too engaged in what the team has to say versus what the company needs.
The management leadership theory is also referred to as “transactional leadership” and rewards and punishments are used to motivate and direct team members. In this theory, structure, organization, supervision, performance, and outcomes are stressed. Members are rewarded when they achieve goals and reprimanded if a deadline gets missed. Ther are a few assumptions within this leadership theory.
The one in the leadership position views the relationship between them and their team as an exchange, as if they get something then the team members will get something in return. Rather than growth and change being a focal point, maintenance and enforcing current rules are considered important. Leaders will set expectations and standards, give constructive feedback regarding performance, and all this works to improve team member output. This leadership theory is best used in situations where problems are simple and easily defined.
Cherry, K. (2022, October 20). How a transactional leadership style works. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-transactional-leadership-2795317
The contingency leadership theory focuses on variables in one’s environment that might determine what leadership style would be best for the situation. Researchers have suggested that effective leadership is about creating a balance between behaviors, needs, and context, not just leadership traits. Leaders should be able to assess the needs of the team, assess the situation, and then adjust their behavior accordingly. With this theory, leadership success depends on leadership style, traits of the team, and aspects of the situation.
The success of the leader is dependent on the situation at hand and there are several models of contingency leadership that fall under the contingency leadership theory.
Fielder’s Contingency Theory – puts out the idea that effective leadership hinges not only on the style used by the leader, but also on the control held over the situation.
Path-Goal Theory – puts out the idea that effective leaders help those in their direction attain their goals and in path-goal, leaders have the responsibility of ensuring those on the team have the support and information required to achieve the organization’s goals.
Decision-Making Theory – effective leaders size up situations, assess them, then determine how much support the group will give towards the effort and adjusting their leadership style to fit.
Cherry, K. (2022, May 23). Why do some people become great leaders?. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/leadership-theories-2795323
Villanova University. (2015, January 9). Contingency theory of leadership explained: what is contingency theory. https://www.villanovau.com/articles/leadership/contingency-theory-leadership/
The trait leadership theory suggests that successful leaders come from inherent personality traits and characteristics that create consistent behavioral patterns. This theory is closely related to the great man theory in that certain traits people are born with instead of developing, giving them the ability to lead. Researchers have shown the most common traits associated with leadership include adaptability, assertiveness, courage, creativity, decisiveness, and more.
One controversy with this leadership theory is that researchers found there are few traits that can be distinguished between leaders and followers, as well as those who possess traits associated with leaders do not always become leaders. Along with this, there is disagreement that some people don’t even have traits to become leaders, which overlooks a person’s potential.
This theory also does not take in the changing world and how leadership is defined both online and offline, as many things are moving into the digital world.
Cherry, Kendra. (2022, October 20). Understanding the trait theory of leadership. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-trait-theory-of-leadership-2795322
The relationship leadership theory, also known as transformational leadership, is where leaders control situations by communicating a clear vision of the team’s goals. Leaders under this theory are passionate and inspire positive change in those who follow them. Transformational leaders focus on helping followers support one another and provide them with that support, as well as guidance and inspiration to work hard and perform well. In this theory, the goal is to inspire growth, promote loyalty, and instill confidence. It is suggested that there are four different components of this type of leadership.
It is suggested that those who use this type of leadership have positive effects with their team, including better performance, better well-being, and a sense of empowerment amongst followers. However, this type of leadership has some drawbacks. When team members need stricter guidance and direction, transformational leadership might not be the best approach. In situations where creativity and innovation take high importance, this leadership would be a good style to use.
Cherry, K. (2023, February 24). How do transformational leaders inspire and motivate followers?. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-transformational-leadership-2795313