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Leadership Theories Summary

Leader vs Leadership

  • A leader is an individual assigned to lead a group.
  • Leadership is the action, not the position.

What is Leadership?

  • Influence towards a common goal (Northouse, 2010).
  • Enhancing contribution to group goals (Haslam, Reicher, & Platow, 2011).

Key Qualities of a Successful Leader

  • Excellent organization skills.
  • Encouragement.
  • Strong morals and ethics.
  • Promotes connection and teamwork.
  • Strategic thinking.

Traditional Approaches to Leadership

  • Great Man Theory
  • Trait Theory
  • Behavioral Theory
  • Transactional Approach
  • Transformational Approach

Great Man Theory

  • Leaders are born with heroic potentials (Carlye, 1847).
  • Leaders possess unique qualities that inspire.
  • Individuals cannot be taught to be effective leaders.

Trait Theory

  • Effective leaders have specific personality qualities.
  • Early focus on physical and personality traits (intellect, extraversion).
  • Stogdill (1985): Traits alone have little significance; combinations create advantageous personality dynamics.

Stogdill (1948 & 1974)

  • 1948: Intelligence, self-confidence, alertness, understanding of tasks, initiative, responsibility, dominance.
  • 1974: Same traits, but no universal leadership traits found. Context specific

Challenges to Trait Theory

  • Lack of scientific evidence for Great Man Theory.
  • Traits can be developed (Haslam, Platow, & Reicher, 2011).
  • No agreed set of special traits.
  • Stogdill, 1948: leadership depends on the relevance of leader's characteristics to followers' goals.

Leadership and The Big 5

  • Openness: Creativity and vision.
  • Conscientiousness: Discipline and clear expectations.
  • Extraversion: Assertiveness and charisma.
  • Agreeableness: Consideration and cooperation.
  • Neuroticism (Emotional stability): Calmness in crisis.

Leadership and the Dark Triad

  • Related to need for power and social dominance.
  • Narcissism: Egoistic focus, viewed negatively.
  • Machiavellianism: Strategic, less likely to share knowledge.
  • Psychopathy: Impulsive, negatively related to job performance.

Behaviorist Theory

  • Leadership is a learned behavior (Skinner, 1974).
  • Reinforcement of behaviors determines leaders.
  • Challenges the "born not made" view.

Transactional Approach

  • Social exchange and hierarchy.
  • Rewards and punishments based on performance.
  • Leaders monitor attainment; subordinates follow instructions.

Shortcomings of Traditional Theories

  • Power is not something leaders 'have'.
  • Behaviorism ignores emotional factors and social values.
  • Ignores human agency.
  • Followers contribute and can become leaders.

Transformational Approach

  • Inspire and motivate followers through a vision (Bass, 1985; Burns, 1978).
  • Build interpersonal relationships.
  • Focus on followers’ needs and empowerment.

Charismatic Leadership

  • Uses charm and influence to achieve goals.
  • Creates convincing vision of the future (MacGregor, 2003).
  • Relies on personality, while transformational leaders rely on shared vision for change.

TL Components (Bass & Avolio, 1990)

  • Idealized influence: Gaining respect and trust.
  • Inspirational motivation: Raising awareness of a vision.
  • Intellectual stimulation: Creative problem-solving.
  • Individualized consideration: Attending to individual needs.

TL Research

  • Positively associated with employee satisfaction and performance (Lowe, Kroeck, & Sivasubramaniam, 1996).
  • Related to performance at team and organization levels (Wang et al., 2011).
  • Predicts positive measures of well-being (Arnold, 2017)

Critical Reflection

  • Enhances motivation and cohesion (Callow et al. 2009).
  • Limited insight into processes and contexts of leadership (Haslam et al., 2011).

Social Identity Approach to Leadership

  • Focuses on contextual process.
  • Leaders influence through social identities (Haslam et al., 2011; Hogg, 2001).
  • Connected through a sense of belonging.

4 Principles of SIL

  • Leaders as in-group prototypes.
  • Leaders as in-group champions.
  • Leaders as entrepreneurs of identity.
  • Leaders as embedders of identity.

Final Thoughts

  • No agreed traits for a great leader.
  • Leadership is a responsibility.
  • Develop a sense of ‘belongingness’.