Answer to Question #172703 in Management for Birago Irene

Question

What does each of the theories on leadership behaviour say about leadership?

Answer 1

Theoretical interpretations of how and why individuals become leaders are known as leadership theories. They concentrate on the strengths and habits that people should cultivate in order to enhance their leadership skills. They include;

1.     Behavioral theory. The behavioral leadership theory examines how leaders act and suggests that these traits can be replicated by other leaders. It is often referred to as the style theory, and it proposes that good leaders are not born, but can be developed by learnable action.

2.     Contingency theory. The contingency leadership theory, also known as situational theory, focuses on a leader's background. These theories analyze the situational consequences of a leader's success or failure. The effectiveness of a leader is directly influenced by the situational background. While a leader's personality plays a role in his or her performance, the environment and circumstance in which the leader finds himself or herself is the most important factor.

3.     Great man theory. The great man theory of leadership, also known as the trait theory, contends that great leaders are bred. They have inherent qualities and abilities that make them special, which cannot be taught or studied. According to the trait principle, leaders are deserving of their positions because of their unique characteristics.

4.     Management theory. Transactional leadership is a management philosophy that focuses on supervision, organization, and group success. Transactional leadership is a form of rewards and penalties that is widely used in the business world. Managers appreciate and reward workers who achieve success. They will be disciplined if they fail. Transactional incentives and punishments are founded on the assumption that people only do something for the sake of getting something in return. Humans are not allowed to do anything out of goodness, but rather out of the expectation of a reward, according to their psychology.

5.     Participative theory. This leadership principle, also known as democratic leadership, advocates that workers be actively involved in decision-making in their organizations. The leader simply encourages a discussion and then considers all of the suggestions before deciding on the best course of action. According to this theory, everyone is heavily involved in team and organizational decisions, with the leader merely leading the charge.

6.     Power theory. This theory examines how a leader uses his or her power and influence to achieve goals. It explores how positional and personal power affect leaders' decisions and outcomes. This theory can seem to be very successful since powerful leaders appear to be very productive and get things done quickly. The majority of staff, on the other hand, despise strong leadership. They want a leader who works for them rather than over them and inspires them.

7.     Relationship theory. Leaders who are primarily concerned with their relationships with others are the subject of the relationship theory of leadership. Employees also refer to them as mentors, setting aside time to chat with them and seeking to meet their needs. These leaders are concerned with making work as fun as possible for as many people as possible, as well as fostering a healthy work climate. Many workers would react best to this form of leadership action. Managers who concentrate on developing relationships with their workers also have better outcomes.