Leadership Theories and Roles - Term Paper Example

? Leadership Theories and Roles Leadership Theories and Roles Over the decades as leadership kept on raising interest, analysts put into place measures to analyze and distinguish different theories and roles depicted by leaders. This aimed at bettering the effectiveness of leaders since it is a crucial aspect within the society. With time, other timelines gave rise to subsequent theories that analysts could use to determine leadership. They are level of skills and situational factors. These enabled analysts to elaborate on not only leadership theories and roles, but also distinguish between real time leaders and mere followers. Clearly, all true leaders have a high degree of intelligence, a great IQ, and above all, an outstanding level of technical skills (Early, 2005). This has caused the difference in the output of leaders within the same locality. However, for leaders to understand their full potential of intelligence they must also consider other people’s strengths and personal skills in an organization. Revival of concept in leadership has further explained different types of leadership theories. For example, there are those known as great man theories. They give assumption that, the capacity and length of leadership is inherent. It ascribes leadership as in-born but not made. Such explanation tend to picture leadership as heroic or mythic and those people destined to lead arise to leadership roles when needed or in due time. Giving into account, analysts use the term great man because there was a time when leadership was primarily a masculine quality, precisely in military leadership. As far as Richard Branson leadership is concerned, he depicts great man theory traits throughout his leadership. In his Virgin group, there are other great leaders but he surpasses them because he is a great man and above all, he was born a leader. Other potential theories that analysts use to define a leader are trait theories. Facts surrounding this case deliberate that some leaders gain certain leadership abilities and qualities through inheritance. These characteristics help identify one’s personality or behavior as shared by leaders in a certain line of decency. However, scholars claim that inherited traits cannot explain those people who possess leadership characteristics but are not leaders. Even though there are no articles explaining Branson’s line of decency, it is not arguable whether his ability to lead is inherent. Cognitively, in his organizational work, he addresses his ability to lead through interacting with all his employees, listening to their views and subsequently noting them in his notebook that he has at all times. With his ability to lead, he was able to form, manage, and lead the Virgin group that has more than two hundred companies. In addition, there is the contingency theory that focuses on variables that relate to the environment that help identify and choose the type and style of leadership that can best suit a particular situation. This theory explains that there is no leadership style is best in all environments or situations (Mclntosh, & University, 2007). However, it develops criteria that shows success depends on several variables such as leadership style, skills, and qualities of followers and aspects of the environment. In view of great leadership portrayed by Branson, I on the other hand would incorporate a different form of stages that would render his leadership best of all times. There is forming which is the first phase of leadership stages, then storming, norming and finally performing while in development of group model. These stages help in facing and tackling challenges, finding solutions and planning work as well as delivering results. Moreover, analysts have found it worth noting an arena that proposes the way leaders choose the most appropriate course of action based on situational variables surrounding a certain environment. In so doing, they termed this theory characterized by such actions as situational theory. With the evaluation of other scholars’ thoughts, it is essential we put across that, different types of leadership styles might prove appropriate in other aspects of policy and decision-making. Determining how to administer leadership in a major project, a leader must properly carry out several activities in line with the situation one is. This result in correct choice of course of action leader should take in order to execute his/her roles adequately. In response to Richard Branson’s leadership, not all employees have the ability to change and adapt to new situations at a vast rate. However, a lot can be saved through employee empowerment and creating friendly working environment. While in leadership theory classification, analysts up rooted another form of leadership theory suggested by behavior called behavioral theory. Behavioral theories explain that people make great leaders as opposed to the belief that they are born. As the name suggests, this theory focuses on what a leaders does not quality of mind or internal strength. Therefore, according to behavioral theory people can become leaders through observation and teachings. In an institution like school or at work one can learn to master what superiors do while carrying out their daily duties within the organization hence possess and deliberately practice all the traits acquired. In the end, one can end up achieving leadership desires with respect to what they can watch and learn. Study shows that analysts pointed another type of major leadership theory that they termed as the participative theory. With persistency and consistency, one can earn a great deal of leadership qualities and skills that can result into a successful leader since this kind of theory encourages people’s participation. It stresses that members in a group should actively participate and contribute during interactions since ideal leadership is one that takes into account others input. During group discussions, leaders encourage and make group members feel less valued and more relevant thus commit themselves in the process of making core decisions. In relevance to Branson’s leadership, Virgin group staff feels valued and encouraged to give views, make decisions, and dedicate themselves to working in a stress free environment through making their working conditions more fun. In line of evaluating leadership theories, scholars came across a theory that focuses on an organization can balance. This happens when we view how a firm can run. Management theory is the only tool that explains this nature as it elaborates on role of supervision in an organization and group performance. In this case, analysts show case systems that base leadership on rewards for well-done assignments and punishment for mistakes. Although many people in an organization express fears when carrying out unfamiliar or rather hard tasks, some managerial systems give room for expression and discussion of any obstacle that can result to failure. Other scriptures refer management theories as transactional theories. Present in the list of leadership theories is the relationship theory, also given the synonym transformational theory. It focuses on ties developed between leaders and their followers. This takes place when transformational leaders help in boosting morale or rather motivating and inspiring other members of the group in order for them to see the greater good of the tasks performed by their superiors. Transformational leaders also lay their focus on group members perform their given tasks and encourage each individual realize his or her full potential. Analysts point out that, leaders of such caliber possess a high level of moral standards and ethical behavior (Komives, 2009). This theory expounds on how members can help one another in a group by establishing working relationships that view each other as equal. It is possible to show group formation, existence and member’s relationship throughout the above theories. Therefore, application of power in a group can help us build consensus while pointing at group dynamics. This is a procedure whereby individuals come together and portray a certain behavior towards their surroundings. It comprises of personality influence, group process behavior, and finally power. Group dynamics also evaluates whether the relationship between group members is essential while in pursuit of meeting the group’s objectives. Additionally, it helps in determining if the composition or structure and group size is either an asset in realizing the set tasks and up-keep purposes of the group or a liability. Since a group is comprised of different people with diverse cultures, it is the responsibility of group dynamics to asses whether the combinations of persons makes the right culture.  In conclusion, evident in this paper, leadership and humankind are two inseparable entities. Worth noting, leadership theories give situation content while roles present assignment titles like chairperson or manager as well as emergent roles. These arise due to organization’s social or emotional requirements. Actually, whether an individual is assertive or passive affects the performance of others in a group. Therefore, an effective team cannot just happen, but can be meticulously brought together by choosing highly skilled and motivated personnel who are compliant, have clear picture of their objectives, and possess tangible evidence of their success. This result to smooth running of activities in an organization hence application of power in a group becomes easier. References Early, G. (2005). Leadership expectations: how executive expectations are created and used in a non-profit setting. Georgia: OCMS. Komives, S. ( 2009). Exploring Leadership: For College Students Who Want to Make a Difference. New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons. Mclntosh, T & University, R. (2007). How Peruvians define and practice leadership. Miami: ProQuest. Read More