Leadership Theories

There are many different theories and ideas that are related to leadership. These various models give leaders ideas about how they should lead their organization to success. In reality, all of these models seek to make leaders successfully manage people and situations so that the outcome of the organization is realized.Paper Masters will explore any leadership theory you need explained in a custom research paper.

Some common leadership theories studied in Business and MBA courses include the following:

• Trait Theories
• Behavioral Theories
• Contingency Theories
• Power and Influence Theories

Theories of leadership vary greatly; however, a successful leadership theory is one that can work in many different situations. The Path-Goal theory of leadership is one that can be successful. The leader must motivate those under them to want to achieve the common goal. Additionally, the leader must be willing to participate to achieve the goal. A leader who delegates responsibility but does nothing to motivate others will have a hard time finding people who will work hard under them. The Path-Goal theory focuses on motivating and supporting in order to achieve success. In this theory, the leader is showing the subordinates that they care about their welfare. This will allow subordinates to feel supported and a sense of loyalty to their leader.

In any society, there will be leaders and there will be followers. Identifying the qualities and traits that make one a leader (as opposed to a follower) can be nebulous. Are good leaders born, or can a person learn effective leadership techniques? This debate is often at the heart of leadership theories. Leadership theories emerged in the mid-19th century, first as historians began to understand how and why certain forces pushed individuals to the forefront.

The earliest of the leadership theories is the Great Man Theory, first articulated in the 1840s. According to this theory, great men rose out of destiny and made history. While this is not an overly progressive way of thinking, it is largely how society projected the course of history. The trait theory began emerging in the 1930s, as social scientists began arguing that certain qualities, namely intelligence, creativity, and such, creating a unique set of personality traits that produced a great leader.

In the 1970s, several transformation leadership theories came into vogue. Under this theory, an individual interacts with others, creating relationships that produced high levels of trust and motivation. Transformational leadership theories put forth the notion that a leader can inspire and transform followers, who are then willing to identify with the leader and his or her objectives.