The Trait Theory and the Behavioral Theory of Leadership - Coursework Example

Leadership Theories Introduction Leadership as a concept is very difficult to define because of its multidiscipline origins. Leaders exist in almost all spheres of life- be it in sports, business, politics, education, religion or in any group of individuals. It is therefore very difficult to have one definition of the term that can encompass all the different disciplines that deal with leadership. A very general definition of the term is regarding leadership as the ability of an individual to influence his or her followers to achieve certain goals. In some cases the leader may define the main goals and objectives for the followers while in other cases the people may agree on their objectives and the leader will assume the responsibility of guiding them to reach to the goals (Paul, 2005). One way of trying to understand leadership is by using theories. Leadership theories are assumptions about characteristics or styles of a leader. The theories are used to distinguish among different kinds of leaders and their styles as well as their motivations. The focus of the theories is to determine specific skills and qualities that differentiate one leader from his or her followers and other leaders. There are various theories in the study of leadership with each theory using a different approach to explain the concept of leadership (Paul, 2005). Among the most common theories of leadership include contingency theory, great man theory, behavioral theory and trail theory. The most notable question that these theories aim at responding to is as to whether leaders are born or whether they can acquire leadership. This fundamental question has been the main puzzle that leadership analysts have grappled with over the years. A common understanding in leadership and management is that there is no precise answer to the question because every leader is different from the other, and while it is true that some individuals are born to lead, there are others who acquire leadership. This essay will explore two main theories of leadership and critically analyze them with a view of exposing their differences in their approach to leadership as a consequence. The main theories that this essay will endeavor to study are the trait theory and the behavioral theory of leadership. The paper will also explain the concept of strategic leadership. The paper will conclude by examining the effect of strategic leadership in either success or failure of businesses. Trait Theory of Leadership This theory is based on the notion that leaders are born with innate abilities and qualities that enable them to guide their followers. Great leaders inherit such qualities and traits from other leaders in their lineage. The theory states that leaders, or great leaders for that matter, have innate personal or behavioral qualities or characteristics that make them great leaders (Nigel, et al, 2004). These traits cannot be acquired through learning and can only be passed down to the next generation through inheritance. Some of the traits considered to be vital for leadership include self-confidence, courage, extraversion, integrity, assertiveness, empathy and good decision making skills among others. A combination of these qualities is bound to produce a great leader (Paul, 2005). Traits, according to the theory refer to external qualities, behaviors or characteristics that come from one’s internal belief or from various processes within one’s mind. Every individual is born with unique qualities that enable them to be highly effective in everything they do. The theory contends that not everybody is born with leadership qualities (Nigel, et al, 2004). Leadership should therefore be a preserve of those individuals with the desired traits. The trait theory of leadership is an old theory that formed a basis for research in the field of leadership and eventual development of other scientific theories. At the time of this theory, there was a general perception that leaders were born and only specific individual with the traits identified above could become leaders (Nigel, et al, 2004). With time, questions emerged with regard to the scientific nature of this theory. While it is true those individuals with these qualities or traits form great leaders, the theory fails in explaining why some individuals with the identified traits become bad leaders or some never become leaders at all. The trait theory has its own strengths and weaknesses. Some of the strengths of the theory include the fact that it has received some level of scientific validity. There is enough scientific evidence to give ground to this theory in the sense that leaders with the desired traits often make great leaders in the end. Another area of strength for the theory is the fact that it can be used as a yardstick to measure or to assess characteristics of an individual who intends to take leadership positions in any group. Among the weaknesses of the theory is the fact that the theory does not rank the qualities in terms of their importance to leadership (Nigel, et al, 2004). Not all the traits can be considered as having the same weight since not all the traits are applicable in all types of leadership. Behavioral Theory of Leadership In contrast to the trait theory, behavioral theory is grounded on the postulation that leaders are made and not born. This theory aims at analyzing the behaviors and actions of leaders as opposed to their mental capabilities or any inborn qualities (Jay, & Barry, 2004). According to the theory, people can be taught to become great leaders by learning how to act appropriately when in leadership positions. Leaders are defined by their actions or behaviors. This theory was developed by Robert Blake and Jane Mouton back in 1964 and has gone ahead to become a leading theory of understanding contemporary leadership (Jay, & Barry, 2004). Behavioral theorists believe that a leader’s actions or his behavior are accurate predictors of his leadership style and can be used to determine whether the leader is effective or not. Blake and Mouton based their work on the findings of Kurt Lewin whose behavioral model developed in 1930 had identified three main types of leaders. According to Kurt Lewin, leaders can be categorized as democratic, autocratic or leissez-faire. Autocratic leaders display dictatorial behaviors and often do not involve their followers in the decision making process (Jay, & Barry, 2004). Democratic leaders tend to be more engaging and will provide their followers with a chance to give their input before final decisions are arrived at. Leissez-faire leaders on the other hand let their followers do more in the decision making process with minimal interference. Behavioral theorists identify two broad sets of leadership behavior that are common among successful leaders. These are task-oriented behavior and people oriented behavior. Leaders with task-oriented behavior tend to focus more on the organizational structures and existing procedures. This type of leaders is mainly concerned about having a huge impact on existing structures. They may have the interests of their followers such as motivation, but their main objective is to leave a legacy of strong organizational structures (Jay, & Barry, 2004). Task oriented leaders will often tend to show behaviors such as organizing, initiating, gathering information, and clarifying issues in order to be well understood. The other group of people oriented leaders put much of their effort in identifying and catering for the needs of their followers. Their main objective is to make sure that their followers are at peace with themselves and that they are satisfied. These leaders will therefore focus more on motivating their followers, and empowering their human resource. In as much as they may also focus on the tasks ahead of them, they tend to achieve good results by other means such as empowering their followers to improve how they work (Terry, 2005). This type of leaders will often display behaviors such as mentoring and coaching, observing, motivating, and listening among others. Differences between the Two Theories Despite explaining the same concept of leadership, the two theories explained above use very different approaches. The theories are therefore very different from each other. Whereas the traits theory is founded on the belief that leaders are born, the behavioral theory is founded on the idea that leaders are made and that any individual can be trained to become a great leader. Another difference is that the traits theory, in as much as it identifies the desired leadership qualities, it does not clearly define the most important trails of a leader (Terry, 2005). The theory is therefore not conclusive. The behavioral theory on the other hand is very conclusive as it recognized the most desired behaviors of leaders, which they can display in their relation with their followers or the structures within which they operate. Another difference between the two theories is the fact that the traits theory was formulated a long time ago to explain the perception of leadership at that time. Behavioral theory on the other hand is more contemporary and can be easily relied upon in today’s world to define leaders. Strategic Leadership Strategic leadership is a leadership style that drives an organization towards success by using a clear vision and mission. A strategic leader is one who exerts influence on his or her followers with an ability to communicate clear visions and missions to his or her followers (Colin, 2005). Strategic leadership has become an important leadership style in contemporary organizations because of the rate at which organizational change is taking place in contemporary business environment. Strategic leaders possess the ability to plan and guide their followers through difficult times in the organizations such as initiating and manage g organizational change processes. Strategic leadership entails motivating and persuading employees or group members to work towards the same vision. The members are convinced that the vision of the organization is good for all of them and that all of them should cooperate in achieving the shared vision by following their leaders. The role of strategic leaders therefore is to plan, organize and communicate with followers on the way forward for the organization (Colin, 2005). After developing a clear vision for the organization, the leader has to come up with adequate strategies that can guide the members towards realizing that goal. These strategies are referred to as the mission of the organization and are very vital to the organization because they form the road map of achieving the desired vision. Strategic leadership can act as a catalyst for organizational change or as a stepping stone towards creating good organizational structures that can stand the test of time in highly volatile markets and industries. Businesses face many challenges today. Leaders in the business organizations need to be at the forefront in driving their organizations to achieve the desired results amidst all these challenges. One major challenge facing contemporary organizations is dealing with organizational change, competition, innovation, and increasing market share. It takes leaders with a lot of skills, experience and motivation to help their organizations to overcome these challenges. Strategic leadership has been identified as one of the best leadership styles in management today. This is because of its attention to detail, teamwork and shared values among members of an organization. These qualities are the basic building block for successful functioning of a business (Colin, 2005). Strategic leadership improves synergy among the different departments of an organization and creates a culture that drives employees to produce results for their organization. Strategic leadership has therefore had huge success I business organizations today since it helps organizations overcome some of the most difficult challenges such as change. Strategic leadership helps to unite members of an organization and create a sense of identity. It also improves the rate of employee engagement since people in the organization are motivated to perform their duties (Colin, 2005). The long-term effect of all these benefits of strategic leadership is that there will be increased performance from employees, better results hence the success of the business organization. References Colin, S. 2005. Revolutionize Your Customer Experience (1st Edition), Basingstoke: Pal grave. Jay, H. & Barry, R. 2004. Principles of Operations Management (5th edition), London: Pearson Prentice Hall. Nigel, S. et al, 2004. Operations Management (4th Edition), Harlow: Financial Times Prentice Hall. Paul, G. 2005. Project Management (1st edition), Basingstoke: Palgrave. Terry, H. 2005. Operations Management (2nd edition.), Basingstoke: Palgrave. Read More