Leadership: Definition, Traits, Styles, and Theories

Leadership

Leadership refers to the direction of a political party, social group, or other community.

Definition by Rallph M. Stogdill

Leadership is the interpersonal influence exercised in a situation, addressed through the process of human communication, to achieve one or several specific objectives.

Importance of Leadership

The ability of a leader to lead is vital for the survival of any organization.

Leadership Roles

  • Achieve goals, tasks, or objectives.
  • Promote unity in the group.
  • Empower each team member.

Traits of a Leader According to Rallph M. Stogdill

  • Intelligence
  • Personality
  • Skills

Intelligence

Judgment, Decision-making, Knowledge, Fluency

Personality

Adaptability, Alertness, Creativity, Personal Integrity

Capabilities

Ability to secure cooperation, Ability to cooperate, Popularity and prestige, Sociability, Tact and diplomacy

Leadership Styles

Autocratic, Participatory, Liberal

Types of Leadership

Authority:

  • Traditional Leadership
  • Legal Leadership

Formality:

  • Formal Leadership
  • Informal Leadership

Business Leadership

Leadership is key in political organizations and in the entire field of human resource management because it serves to influence the behavior of employees.

Shared Leadership

Shared and collective leadership is a set of perspectives and skills that can be learned by anyone who wants to lead their own life, co-lead teams, and contribute to the development of new leaders to exercise and practice their own leadership.

Leadership and Creativity, Vision, and Interactionism

Leadership can be seen as a process that attempts to create conditions for the emergence of creativity in group members, instead of producing innovations. A creative leader need not necessarily be an innovator, but someone who helps maintain the conditions for group members to innovate.

Emotional Leadership

The leader needs emotional intelligence, beginning with self-knowledge of what Peter Senge calls personal mastery and having a shared vision, teamwork, and systematic discipline.

Leadership and Total Quality

The total quality movement focuses on customer needs and satisfaction.

Effective Leadership

Goals, Action, Causality, People, Communication, Priorities, Teamwork, Service.

Theories on Leadership

Theory X and Y by Douglas McGregor, Traditional Leadership, Transformational Leadership, 21st Century Leadership.

Leadership Must Be

Enhance strengths, rather than correct weaknesses; be based more on efficiency than power; seek to inspire, rather than to rule and order; and aim to create, rather than repeat.

The 360-Degree Leader – by John C. Maxwell

Develop your influence from anywhere in the organization. Many managers, despite all their responsibilities, are devoid of power, since they cannot exert any influence over their bosses, colleagues, or subordinates.


Strategic Planning Model

  • Needs
  • Steering
  • Equipment
  • Planning
  • Execution of Plans
  • Recognition
  • Evaluate
  • Reward
  • Learn and Improve
  • Motivate
  • Continue