HRMN 495-Mini Case Study 3
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LeadershipTheories.pdf
Learning Topic
Leadership Theories
Transcript Leadership Theories
Management and leadership are often used interchangeably; however,
most theorists distinguish differences between the two constructs. Both
are important, and good leaders should also be good managers. It is said
that managers have people who work for them, while leaders have people
who follow them. Another way to distinguish the two is that management
is about allocating resources, while leadership is about empowering
people.
While there are various theories of leadership, some of these theories
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Leadership Theories
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UMGC (n.d.). Leadership Theories. Retrieved from https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tus/hrmn/hrmn495/2228/learning-topic-list/ leadership-theories-.html#
tend to contradict rather than complement each other. They seek to
identify a single set of rules or behaviors that turns someone into a
leader, without considering other theories. Here, we will look at some of
the main theories around leadership. However, the reality of leadership is
likely best described by a combination of all these theories and some
ideas that have yet to be defined. Consider these theories with an open
mind and understand that they each have their own merits.
Trait Leadership
Trait leadership theory argues that leaders have personal characteristics
that nurture the ability to lead a group of people effectively. These
include traits such as self‐confidence, creativity, and charisma.
Zaccoro, Kem, & Bader (2004) introduced a model of leadership that
categorized and specified six types of traits that influence leader
effectiveness. The model rests on two basic premises about leadership
traits:
1. that effective leadership derives not from any one trait, but from an
integrated set of cognitive abilities, social capabilities, and
dispositional tendencies, with each set of traits adding to the
influence of the others
2. that the traits differ in how directly they influence leadership
This model contends that the following traits are correlated with strong
leadership potential: extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness,
openness, neuroticism, honesty, charisma, intelligence, creativity,
achievement motivation, need for power, communication skills,
interpersonal skills, problem‐solving skills, decision‐making skills,
technical knowledge, and management skills.
Leadership experts Kouzes and Posner (1987) find honesty to be the most
important trait of effective leaders. In its absence, leaders lack credibility,
and their ability to influence others is diminished. Honesty also brings a
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degree of transparency to a leader's interactions with others. Kouzes and
Posner (1987) identify the five leadership behaviors:
• Model the way. Leaders must establish their values and set an
example for their employees to imitate, underscoring the importance
of positive characteristics such as honesty.
• Inspire vision. A company's vision is the emotional element of a
company's mission statement, and this vision must be communicated
honestly and passion. Promoting the company's vision allows leaders
to inspire employees.
• Enable others to act. Leaders often make the critical mistake of
micromanaging rather than trusting others to do their jobs. Trust
stems from honesty, and creating an honest environment allows
other employees more personal autonomy.
• Challenge the process. Leaders need to be attentive to how things
are done, not just what gets done, and they must be willing to
address areas that require change. These practices are essential for
continuous improvement, progress toward goals, and innovation.
• Encourage the heart. Leaders must nurture the emotional dimension
of their relationships with followers. Showing appreciation, creating a
supportive environment, and fostering community sentiment helps
build commitment to the leader's vision.
Situational Leadership
Another approach to leadership is Kenneth Blanchard and Paul Hersey's
(2007) situational leadership theory (SLT), which argues that leaders must
use different leadership styles depending on their followers' development
level. According to this model, employee readiness—defined as a
combination of their competence and commitment levels—is the key
factor in determining the proper leadership style. The model summarizes
the level of directive and supportive behaviors that leaders may exhibit. It
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argues that to be effective, leaders must use the right style of behaviors
at the right time in each employee's development. This approach has been
highly popular, with 14 million managers across 42 countries undergoing
SLT training and 70% of Fortune 500 companies employing its use.
While the SLT has been popular with managers for decades because it is
relatively easy to understand and use, research has been mixed on
supporting or challenging the basic assumptions of the model.
Therefore, while it can be a useful way to think about matching behaviors
to situations, overreliance on this model alone is unwise.
Follower
readiness
level
Competence
(low)
Competence
(low)
Competence
(moderate to
high)
Competence
(high)
Commitment
(high)
Commitment
(low)
Commitment
(variable)
Commitment
(high)
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Recommend
ed leader
style
Directing
behavior
Coaching
behavior
Supporting
behavior
Delegating
behavior
Path‐Goal Theory
Robert House's (1971) path‐goal theory of leadership is based on the
expectancy theory of motivation. The expectancy theory of motivation
argues that employees are motivated when they believe—or expect—that
(1) their effort will lead to high performance, (2) their high performance
will be rewarded, and (3) the rewards they will receive are valuable to
them. According to the path‐goal theory of leadership, the leader’s main
job is to make sure that all three of these conditions exist: Leaders create
satisfied and high‐performing employees by making sure that employee
effort leads to performance and that their performance is rewarded. The
leader removes roadblocks along the way and creates an environment
that followers find motivational.
Four Leadership Styles
The path‐goal theory of leadership identifies four styles leaders may
adopt. Directive leaders provide specific directions to their employees.
They lead employees by clarifying role expectations, setting schedules,
and making sure that employees know what to do on a given workday.
The theory predicts that the directive style will work well when
employees are experiencing role ambiguity on the job. If people are
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unclear about how to go about doing their jobs, giving them specific
directions will motivate them.
Supportive leaders provide emotional support to employees. They treat
employees well, care about them on a personal level, and encourage
them. Supportive leadership is predicted to be effective when employees
are under a lot of stress or when they are performing boring and
repetitive jobs.
Participative leaders make sure that employees are involved in making
important decisions. Participative leadership may be more effective when
employees have high levels of ability and when the decisions being made
are personally relevant to them.
Achievement‐oriented leaders set goals for employees and encourage
them to reach their goals. This style challenges employees and focuses
their attention on work‐related goals.
Transformational Leadership
Transformational leadership is an approach to leading that enhances the
motivation, morale, and performance of followers through a variety of
mechanisms. Transformational leaders challenge followers with an
attractive vision and tie that vision to a strategy for its achievement. They
engage and motivate followers to identify with the organization's goals
and values. Transformational leadership comprises four types of behavior:
• show individualized consideration to followers by paying attention to
and meeting the needs of followers.
• stimulate ideas and creativity from followers by creating a safe
environment to challenge the status quo.
• have a vision that inspires and motivates followers to achieve
important goals.
• serve as role models for their followers, allow them to identify with a
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shared organizational vision, and provide a sense of meaning and
achievement.·
Emergent Leadership
Emergent leadership theory argues that true leadership emerges
organically within the organization, without necessarily being connected
to a role or a title. In this situation, leaders are identified within the
organization based on their decision‐making skills and their capacity to
generate results.
Emergent leaders have certain characteristics that allow them to stand
out in a group:
• self‐motivation
• creative thinking
• influence
• self‐management
• adaptability
• team orientation
Emergent leadership is different from other leadership theories in a few
key ways:
• Timing. Emergent leadership evolves over time and through actions
and communication, regardless of titles.
• Involvement. Leaders are actively involved with their colleagues or
followers. The followers are the primary way to identify emergent
leaders.
• Collaboration. Emergent leaders rely heavily on collaboration to
influence decisions and actions. They are generally trusted and
supported by other employees. They often consult with their
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colleagues, in contrast to the traditional top‐down approach to
management and leadership.
This type of leadership is often difficult to practice because it requires
organizations to give up control and hierarchy. However, it provides
agility in decision making and creates a positive organizational culture.
Ultimately, emergent leadership is focused on self‐management and self‐
motivation.
References
Hersey, P., & Blanchard, K. H. (1977). Management of organizational
behavior: Utilizing human resources. Prentice Hall.
Hersey, P. H., Blanchard, K. H., & Johnson, D. E. (2007). Management of
organizational behavior: Leadership human resources. Prentice
Hall.
House, R. J. (1971). A path goal theory of leader effectiveness.
Administrative Science Quarterly, 16(3), 321–339. https://doi.org
/10.2307/2391905
Indeed Editorial Team. (2021, February 21). What is emergent leadership?
https://www.indeed.com/career‐advice/career‐development
/emergent‐leadership
Kouzes, J. M. & Posner, B. Z. (1987). The leadership challenge. Jossey‐
Bass.
Project Practical. (2021). Emergent leadership explained with examples.
https://www.projectpractical.com/emergent‐leadership/
Zaccaro, S., Kemp, C., & Bader, P. (2004). Leader traits and attributes. In J.
Antonakis, A. Cianciolo, & R. Sternberg (Eds.), The nature of
leadership. Sage Publications.
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Licenses and Attributions
Unit 2: Leadership Theory (https://learn.saylor.org/course
/view.php?id=70§ionid=666) from BUS401: Management
Leadership by Saylor Academy is available under a Creative Commons
Attribution 3.0 Unported (https://creativecommons.org/licenses
/by/3.0/) license. © 2010–2021, Saylor Academy. UMGC has modified
this work and it is available under the original license.
© 2023 University of Maryland Global Campus
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