Phoenix LDR 535 Signature Assignment: Applying Leadership Theories

Leadership Theory

Definition

Advantages

Disadvantages

Behavioral Theory

The behavioral theory has a focus on how the leaders will behave. There is the assumption in this theory that the behavior can be copied by other leaders. The theory can sometimes be referred to as the style theory and it suggests that the leaders are not born successful but it is created through learnable behavior. The behavioral theories focus on the actions which the leader is going to take. The best predicator of the success of a form of leadership is on the actions of the leader. The action is emphasized as opposed to the qualities. There are various styles of leadership under this such as status-quo leaders, dictatorial leaders, country club leaders, and people-oriented leaders.

There are several advantages of this theory.

· The primary one is that leaders can learn and make decisions on what actions they need to implement to become the type of leader which they are desiring to be.

· The theory is also good as it allows the leader to be flexible.

· A leader can also adapt to any circumstances that can come their way.

· The theory also suggests that anyone has the potential of becoming a leader.

There are some disadvantages of this theory.

· The theory does not directly suggest how someone needs to behave in some circumstances.

· The theory is too broad and does not provide the right suggestions for any situation which may arise.

Contingency Theory

This theory is sometimes referred to as the situational theory and its focus is on the context of a leader. It looks at the failure or success of a leader. It insists that while the personality of a leader is a small factor, the most important is the situation and context of a leader. The theory suggests that the good leaders can situationally adjust their leadership styles. It makes the suggestion that it may be best to select the right kind of a leader in every situation.

There are several advantages of this theory.

· The advantage is that leaders are able to ensure effectiveness despite the context of the situation.

· The theory has criticism because there is not enough detail which will go into the context of whichever situation is there.

· It focuses on the importance of a situation but there is not enough focus on the psychology of the employees or the organization.

· The theory does not appreciate the change of the leadership styles over time periods.

Participative Theory

The participative leadership is not common when it comes to the corporate world. It is also referred to as democratic leadership. The theory suggests that employees should be directly involved in decision making. The leader needs to work towards facilitating a conversation and then takes the suggestions and generates the best possible action. Each member of the team is involved when it comes to decisions and what the leader offers is direction.

There are several advantages:

· The employees feel motivated and engaged as they contribute to the outcomes.

· The employees take more ownership of the vision of the organization.

· There is a lot of criticism of this theory that it makes the leadership of an organization appear weak.

· At the same time, this theory can make one appear unnecessary in the context of decision making.

· The theory does not also get the best outcomes as they concentrate more on what the people want and not what the organization requires.