Leadership: Traits, Behaviors, and Theories
Leadership
Definition
Leadership is an influence process, influencing others to achieve objectives.
Trait Theories of Leadership
Theories that consider personality, social, physical, or intellectual traits to differentiate leaders.
- Leadership traits:
- Extraversion
- Conscientiousness
- Openness
- Traits can predict leadership, but they are better at predicting leader emergence than effectiveness.
Behavioral Theories of Leadership
Proposing that specific behaviors differentiate leaders from non-leaders.
Differences Between Theories of Leadership
Trait theory: Leadership is inherent, so we must identify the leader based on his or her traits.
Behavioral theory: Leadership is a skill set and can be taught to anyone, so we must identify the proper behaviors to teach potential leaders.
Important Behavioral Studies
- Ohio State University found two key dimensions of leader behavior:
- Initiating structure: The defining and structuring of roles.
- Consideration: Job relationships that reflect trust and respect.
- University of Michigan also found two key dimensions of leader behavior:
- Employee-oriented: Emphasizes interpersonal relationships and is the most powerful dimension.
- Production-oriented: Emphasizes the technical aspects of the job.
Contingency Theories
Theories about the environment in which the leader exists. They deal with this additional aspect of leadership effectiveness studies.
Fiedler’s Model
Effective group performance depends on the proper match between leadership style and the situation. It considers three situational factors:
- Leader-member relations: Degree of confidence and trust in the leader.
- Task structure: Degree of structure in the jobs.
- Position power: Leader’s ability to hire, fire, and reward.
Leader-Member Exchange (LMX)
Accounts for followers and heterogeneous leadership approaches to individual workers.
- Because of time pressures, leaders very quickly form special relationships with a small group of employees, the “in-group”. This group tends to be like the leader (gender, race, age, etc.) and will receive more time and attention from the leader. This group will experience more stress because of the added workload.
Contemporary Theories
The focus is the leader as a communicator. Leaders are individuals who inspire followers through their words, ideas, and behaviors.
Contemporary Leadership Theories
- Charismatic leadership: Someone with certain gifts or abilities gains followers through personality rather than through power or authority.
- Transformational/Transactional: (Great transformational leaders must also be transactional)
- Transactional Leaders: Guide or motivate their followers in the direction of established goals by clarifying role and task requirements.
- Transformational Leaders: Inspire followers to transcend their own self-interests for the good of the organization.
- Authentic leadership: Accept own mistakes, are selfless and honest. Focus: moral aspects of leadership. Related to ethics.
Leadership is not free from values.
Ethical Leaders
Use charisma/power in a socially constructive way and serve others.
Unethical Leaders
Use charisma/power to enhance power over followers, directed toward self-serving ends.
Trust and Leadership
Trust is a psychological state that makes you agree to make yourself vulnerable to another because you have positive expectations for how things are going to turn out. (Key attribute of leadership)