Leadership

What is Leadership?

Leadership, at its core, is an individual’s or group’s ability to influence others towards a common goal. But what exactly does this mean? Is it simply about having authority over people, or is there more to it than that?

The Nature of Leadership

Historically, the concept of leadership has been contested, with various viewpoints on its nature. From Eastern and Western approaches to traditional notions of elitism and modern theories like transactional and transformational leadership, there are numerous perspectives on what makes a great leader.

Theories of Leadership

Let’s dive into some of the key theories that have shaped our understanding of leadership. From traits to situational interaction, behavior, power, vision, values, charisma, and intelligence—each theory offers unique insights into what makes a leader effective.

The Trait Theory

According to the trait theory, certain personality characteristics are essential for effective leadership. Traits like intelligence, adjustment, extraversion, conscientiousness, openness to experience, general self-efficacy, and more can significantly influence a leader’s success.

The Limitations of Trait Theory

However, trait theory has its limitations. It often focuses on a small set of personality traits while neglecting cognitive abilities, motives, values, social skills, expertise, and problem-solving skills. This is where the leader-attribute-pattern approach comes in, suggesting that integrated constellations or combinations of individual differences can better explain variance in leader emergence and effectiveness.

Behavioral and Style Theories

Behavioral theories emerged to address these limitations by evaluating leadership behaviors. Notable theorists like David McClelland, Kurt Lewin, Ronald Lipitt, Ralph White, and Robert Blake and Jane Mouton developed taxonomies of leadership styles such as autocratic or authoritarian, participative or democratic, laissez-faire, task-oriented, relationship-oriented, paternalism, servant leadership, transactional, and transformational.

Positive Reinforcement

A concept like positive reinforcement, developed by B.F. Skinner, involves presenting positive stimuli in response to desired behaviors, increasing the likelihood of repetition. This can be used in business settings to encourage desired behaviors, such as employee punctuality. For example, a manager praising an employee for showing up on time can lead to increased punctuality due to this positive reinforcement effect.

Contingency Theories

Situational theories suggest that different situations call for different characteristics in leaders. Contingency theories include the Fiedler contingency model, which bases leader effectiveness on situational contingency, and the Vroom-Yetton decision model, which uses a taxonomy to describe leadership situations and determine suitable approaches.

Path-Goal Theory

The path-goal theory of leadership, developed by Robert House, is based on the expectancy theory of Victor Vroom. It posits that leaders engage in behaviors that complement subordinates’ environments and abilities to compensate for deficiencies and enhance satisfaction and performance.

Functional Leadership Theory

Integrated psychological theory attempts to integrate the strengths of older theories while addressing their limitations, introducing a new element—leadership presence, attitude toward others, and behavioral flexibility by practicing psychological mastery. These behaviors address what Scouller called ‘the four dimensions of leadership’: shared, motivating group purpose; action, progress, and results; collective unity or team spirit; and individual selection and motivation.

Public vs. Private Leadership

Public leadership focuses on the 34 behaviors involved in influencing two or more people simultaneously, while private leadership covers the 14 behaviors needed to influence individuals one-to-one. The third—personal leadership—is an ‘inner’ level and concerns a person’s growth toward greater leadership presence, know-how, and skill.

Neo-Emergent Theory

The neo-emergent theory views leadership as an impression formed through communication, not actions. The perception of leadership can be constructed and may not accurately reflect genuine leadership attributes.

Constructivists’ Perspective

Constructivists question whether leadership exists or if it’s a myth. Leadership emergence refers to the characteristics associated with becoming a leader, including personality traits like assertiveness and emotional intelligence. Research indicates that up to 30% of leader emergence has a genetic basis, but no single ‘leadership gene’ has been found.

Leadership Styles

Leadership styles vary widely, from autocratic or authoritarian, where decision-making powers are centralized, to participative or democratic, which shares decision-making responsibilities with group members. Laissez-faire leadership allows subordinates to make decisions on their own with high independence.

Task-Oriented vs. Relationship-Oriented Leadership

Task-oriented leadership emphasizes achieving specific production objectives through systematic solutions and deadlines, while relationship-oriented leadership prioritizes the overall well-being and satisfaction of group members through communication and trust.

Paternalism and Servant Leadership

Paternalism is a hierarchical style where the leader provides direction in the lives of team members with limited choices. Servant leadership externalizes leadership, focusing on common goals and culture through a methodology without explicit task directions.

Leadership and Gender

The leadership styles differ between men and women, with men typically adopting an agentic approach and women being more communal in their leadership style. Men tend to focus on task-oriented aspects of leadership, while women emphasize relationships and social connections.

Barriers for Non-Western Female Leaders

Research indicates that barriers to non-Western female leaders include research and literature gaps, maternity leave policies, and cultural norms that hinder women’s ability to achieve leadership goals. In Sweden, increased flexibility for mothers returning to work decreased mental health reports.

The Impact of Leadership

Leadership can significantly impact organizational outcomes, but its influence is overrated. Measuring leadership is difficult due to subjective perceptions and multifaceted factors. Most theories in the 20th century suggested that great leaders were born, not made, but later studies indicated that leadership is more complex and cannot be reduced to a few key traits.

Key Traits of Exceptional Leadership

The concept of leadership involves considering fundamental concerns of relevant parties and creating a future that fulfills those concerns. Key traits include determination, cognitive capacity, self-confidence, integrity, sociability, and more.

Leadership in Organizations

In an organizational context, formal organizations are designed as instruments for achieving defined objectives, with employees expected to behave impersonally towards clients or members. Entry and advancement within the organization is typically based on merit or seniority, with benefits such as salary and tenure safeguards.

Informal Leadership

A leadership approach emphasizes finding the underlying concerns of relevant parties and creating a future that fulfills those concerns, rather than relying on a single leader with others following. The higher one’s position in an organization, the greater their presumed expertise and authority.

Leadership Styles and Gender

The terms ‘management’ and ‘leadership’ are often used interchangeably but carry distinct meanings. Management involves doing things right, while leadership involves doing the right thing. Different approaches to leadership exist, such as transactional and transformational leadership.

Leadership in Action-Oriented Environments

In action-oriented environments, effective functional leadership is crucial for achieving critical tasks in remote and changeable settings. Leadership requires different skills, such as operating remotely, negotiating individual needs, and empowering team members to make decisions independent of executive management.

Conclusion

Leadership is a complex and multifaceted concept that has evolved significantly over time. From traditional notions of elitism to modern theories like transactional and transformational leadership, the understanding of what makes an effective leader continues to grow. Whether you’re leading a team or aspiring to become one, recognizing these different approaches can help you navigate the challenges and opportunities in your path.