Why do some leaders succeed while others fail?What makes some people stand out in leadership roles?In this article, we’ll look at the main theories about leadership that can answer these and other questions.
There is no magical combination of features that make a leader a guaranteed success, however, this does not mean that there are no greater opportunities to achieve this success and that we cannot learn to be more effective leaders. It is necessary to understand what is already known about leadership, so that it is possible to use the right theory in a specific situation. One way to do this is to know the different theories about leadership.
- Leadership theories seek to explain how and why some people become leaders; these theories tend to focus on the characteristics of leaders.
- But some also try to identify the behaviors that people tend to adopt to improve their own leadership skills in different situations.
Early discussions on leadership psychology suggested that these skills were simply characteristics with which some people were born. Some more recent leadership theories suggest that having certain traits can help people become leaders, being almost born leaders, but experience and variables also play a very important role. important role.
Leadership theories are designed to explain why and how the process of becoming a leader is.
As interest in different types of leadership and its consequences has increased over time, several theories about leadership have been created to explain exactly how and why some people become great leaders.
Many people are interested in leadership, and always have been throughout human history, but the emergence of theories on the subject is somewhat more recent, at least more formal. The first half of the twentieth century marked a turning point for growing interest in this issue.
Early theories about leadership focused on the qualities that distinguished leaders and followers, while the theories that emerged later also analyzed other variables, such as environmental factors and skill levels.
According to this vision, great leaders are born simply with the necessary characteristics, such as charisma, trust, intelligence and social skills.
This theory assumes that the ability to lead is inherent, that is, great leaders were born, not made. These theories often depict great leaders as mythical heroes destined for leadership positions.
The term, Big man? Because at the time of the emergence of these theories, originally proposed by historian Thomas Carlyle, leadership was seen primarily as a male capability in terms of military leadership. These theories suggest that people cannot learn to become strong leaders because they were born with the innate ability to do so.
Trait theories are, in some respects, similar to the theories of great men. Trait theories assume that people inherit certain qualities and traits that best fit leadership.
Trait theories then examine personality traits and behaviors that contribute to leadership, focusing on personality and behaviors shared by great leaders.
The problem, however, is that people with similar traits may end up becoming completely different leaders. In some cases, one may become a leader, while another remains a follower, regardless of personality and behavior similarities.
Contingency theories focus on different leadership styles depending on the situation in which the leader is located, focusing on specific variables related to the leader’s environment, which can determine a particular leadership style, which is in fact the most appropriate only for this situation.
According to this theory, no leadership style is better for all situations. Leadership researchers White and Hodgson suggest that a truly effective leader is not just a leader; it’s also about balancing behavior, needs and context.
In this sense, good leaders are able to assess the needs of their followers, take stock of the situation and then adjust their own behaviors. Success depends on a number of variables, including leadership style, follower qualities, and aspects inherent in each situation.
Situational theories, such as contingency theories, advocate adapting leaders to the situation they find themselves in. The difference here is that the leader is expected to change his leadership style as the situation evolves.
Situational theories include a change in the motivation of the leader, as well as the skills of the people who follow him, the leader can change his supporters, his situation and his mental and emotional state, all these factors contribute to the decisions made by a leader.
In addition, situational theories suggest that leaders choose the best way to act based on situational variables. Different leadership styles may be more appropriate for certain different types of decision-making.
According to behavioral theories, the belief is that leaders are formed or created regardless of whether they are born with one trait or another; leadership is learned through observation and teaching; as with other behaviors, leadership is also thought to be learned and developed.
In other words, leadership theories are based on the belief that great leaders are created and not born. According to this theory, people can learn to be leaders through teaching and observation.
Participatory leadership theories suggest that the ideal leadership style is one that takes into account the role others can play. The inclusion of others in the leader’s decision-making process would be vital under participatory leadership theories. Other.
This process then implies that people are led, so a good leader would be the one who would be able to reach a state where people feel valued, as well as being able to play a role in influencing the decisions that are made. being a part of and being really important in the process would encourage followers to feel more engaged as a whole.
Management theories, also known as transactional theories, focus on the group’s role of supervision, organization, and performance, these theories based leadership on a system of rewards and punishments, that is, it is a system of management of the performance of individuals by leaders, in which followers are rewarded for their success and punished for their failures.
It is, in fact, the most common form of leadership. The role of the leader in this context is also to manage the expectations of the followers and adapt them to the objectives of the group. Basically, the leader would be a manager, both people and resources.
Relationship theories, also known as transformational theories, focus on the bonds that form between leaders and followers, this approach is not only in the group’s performance, but also in knowing why and how each member can develop its full potential.
Transformational leaders motivate and inspire people by managing and aligning two interests: that of the group and that of the individual; In addition, for them, the definition of the objective is as important as the means necessary to achieve them.
The leader motivates and inspires, making followers take on the best role considering their way of being and their ability to perform it, all of this is important to the outcome. The relationship and connection between a leader and his followers is at the heart of concerns, without neglecting respect for the ethics and care of each follower or subordinate.