leadership styles and theory

• Leadership – the process of inspiring and influencing a group of people to achieve a common goal
• Trait Theory – a theory based on leader traits or personal characteristics that differentiate leaders from followers.
• The Trait Theory of Leadership evolved from the earlier Great Man Theory, which was based on the assumption that leaders were born with some innate ability to lead. Trait theorists, however, had a contrasting assumption—that leadership traits were not inborn and could be learned through experience and knowledge gained through studies.
• Behavioral Theory – a theory that focuses on the behavior, action, conduct, demeanor, or deportment of a leader instead of his or her personality traits.
• Behavioral Theory - Studies on this theory began during the Second World War or in the early 1940s because of the belief that the leader’s behavior affects work group effectiveness. Further studies on this theory emphasized that since behavior is learned, leader behaviors can also be learned. In short, leaders are made and not born.
• early leadership theories:

  trait and behavioral theory
• contemporary leadership theories:

  fiedler model, hersey-blanchard model, path-goal theory
• Fiedler Model - This theory is based on the assumption that a leader’s effectiveness is contingent or dependent on the extent to which a leader’s style is fitted to actual situations in the organization’s internal and external environment. Author described such leader’s style as either task-motivated or relationship-motivated, either focused on the achievement of goals or more concerned about having good relationships with subordinates.
• Situational control, which may be low or high, is also exhibited. High control means that the leader has the capability to influence work results while low control implies very little influence.
• four stages of subordinates readiness:

  R1 - the subordinates are both unable and unwilling to accomplish the task.

  R2 - the subordinates are unable but willing to do the task

  R3 - the subordinates are able but unwilling to do the task

  R4 - the subordinates are both able and willing to do what the leader wants to accomplish the task.
• Path-Goal Theory – a theory developed by Robert House which states that the leader’s task is to lead his other followers or subordinates in achieving their goals by providing them direction needed in order to ensure compatibility of these said goals with the organization’s goal
• Under Path-Goal Theory, House identified four leadership behaviors:

  directive, supportive, participative, and achievement-oriented leadership
• Directive leadership – where the leader gives specific guidelines to followers so that task accomplishment would be easier
• Supportive leadership – where the leader shows concern and friendliness to subordinates;
• Participative leadership – where the leader asks for suggestions from followers before decision-making
• Achievement-oriented leadership – where the leader sets the goals that subordinates must try to achieve.
• modern leadership views:

  transactional leadership model, transformative leadership model, charismatic leadership theory, visionary leadership theory, team leadership theory and servant leadership theory
• Transactional Leadership Model – a theoretical model which states that leaders guide their subordinates toward the achievement of their organization’s goals by using social exchange or transactions and by offering rewards in exchange for their productivity.
• Transformational Leadership Model – a view that developed from transactional leadership. It states that leaders inspire or transform follow- ers to achieve extraordinary outcomes. Through their leadership, they are able to excite and inspire followers to exert extra effort to achieve group goals.
• Charismatic Leadership Theory – another modern theory of leadership which states that leaders who have a charismatic personality are able to influence their subordinates to follow them. * leaders pertain to leaders who are self-confident, enthusiastic, and sensitive to both environmental constraints and subordinates’ needs. Charismatic leaders take risks to achieve their vision, and have the ability to communicate well—verbally or nonverbally—through their behavior, among others. .
• Visionary Leadership Theory – is a theory which states that leaders are able to make their subordinates follow because of their ability to create and articulate a realistic, credible, and attractive vision that may improve present conditions or circumstances.
• Team Leadership Theory – is a theory that emerged because of the fact that leadership is increasingly taking place within a team context and that more companies are now utilizing work teams led or guided by leaders. Many managers are now trying to learn how to become effective team leaders. Among the skills that they must learn are information sharing, trusting others, lessening their authority by empowering subordinates, and proper timing for mediation, among others.
• Servant Leadership Theory – a theory proposed by Robert Greenleaf in 1970 stating that servant-leaders must focus on increased service to others rather than to one’s self. *-leaders focus on commitment to the growth of people, building community, stewardship of the material resources and the people they lead, their ability to listen to what others seek to communicate, their ability to empathize with others’ feelings and emotions, and their ability to foresee future circumstances associated with present courses of action and conditions.
• Hersey-Blanchard Model - The theory focused on subordinates’ readiness or extent to which the said subordinates have the ability and willingness to accomplish a specific work assignment