Unit 6: Lesson 2: Leadership

Lesson 2: Leadership

Lesson 2: Leadership

What makes a person a good leader? If you were to list the characteristics that make someone a good leader, what would they be? Perhaps you've heard the phrase 'a born leader' used to describe someone with particular characteristics. Yet, some people argue that leaders are made by acquiring the skills needed to be good leaders as they gain experience and information. Leadership is 'a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal.'

Sometimes, the words boss, manager, and leader are used interchangeably. However, these terms are distinct. A boss, manager, or someone else in a 'leadership' position, such as a hospital administrator or a nurse manager, has a certain amount of authority to make decisions due to their position in the organization. Yet, the authority that someone has doesn't automatically make them a leader that others will listen to and follow. You may have encountered someone in a position of authority that people either don't listen to or don't like. This would be an excellent example of the disconnect between a boss/manager/authority figure and a leader. Leaders inspire others to listen to them and follow their actions. They encourage people to want to reach higher goals.

Scholars who study leadership and leaders have created many different theories to explain leadership, who becomes a leader, and the types of leadership leaders use. In general, leadership theories can be grouped into eight distinct categories. Some focus more on how leaders develop, while others focus more on the types of leadership that leaders use with people. Let's look at some of these theories and what they tell us about leadership.

Popular in the 19^th century, the 'Great Man' theories argue that leaders are born to be leaders. Leaders are thought to have particular characteristics, such as charisma and intelligence, which allow them to influence history. These theories were often developed by looking at political leaders throughout history, many of whom were men (hence the 'Great Man' name to the theories) and from the upper classes. The theories had almost a mythical explanation for leadership, claiming that leaders were born and would arise when the world needed them.

Trait theories are somewhat similar to 'Great Man' in that they claim leaders have particular characteristics that make them more suited to leadership than individuals without these characteristics. Some traits that leaders were thought to be born with include assertiveness, dominance, self-confidence, and decisiveness. However, these theories do not explain why some leaders may not have these characteristics or why some people do not become leaders.

Since theories that rely on traits as an explanation didn't seem to explain these variations, scholars studying leadership turned to other factors to describe the development of leadership in some people. Behavioral theories argue that leaders are made, not born. These theories use the psychological theories of behaviorism as their foundation, focusing on the actions of leaders rather than the internal characteristics or personalities of individuals. These theories argue that people learn to act like leaders through experience and observing other leaders. These theories offered a radical change from the trait theories because they opened up leadership to a broader range of people. Rather than being traits associated with particular groups of people (often men and upper class), leadership now becomes something that could be taught and learned by many other people (including women, people of all races, and individuals not currently in positions of power).

Both trait and behavioral theories lead us to some of the characteristics and skills many influential leaders share. Although the exact characteristics and skills will vary from leader to leader, we can identify some common characteristics. Discussions on leadership and the qualities of leaders often identify factors such as a clear vision, integrity, charisma, intelligence, passion, an ability to motivate followers, confidence, and a commitment to excellence.

Leadership studies and theories have also examined the different types of leadership exhibited by individuals considered leaders and how they make decisions. Situational leadership theories argue that external factors help determine a leader's best course of action. In other words, a leadership style (or even a particular leader) might be suitable for one type of situation but not work well in others. For example, followers' motivation and specific skills and capacities may determine which leadership style is best to gain the team's most significant potential.

Contingency theories state that a leader's ability to lead is contingent on factors such as the leader's style of leadership and the followers' capabilities. With contingency theories, there is no 'best' way of leading others since what is best will vary depending on the situation, group, and leader. These theories help to explain why someone might be a good leader for one group but struggle when taken out of that situation and placed in another problem with a different set of people.

Participative theories state that the ideal leadership style in a given situation depends on the input of others. These theories suggest that people are more involved in the goal and more willing to cooperate and collaborate when they have some decision-making input. A participative style is one in which the leader actively seeks out the opinions and thoughts of peers, followers, subordinates, and others connected to the leader. The degree of participation in decision-making varies, with some leaders giving all decision-making power to the team and some leaders giving a portion of, but not all, decision-making power to others. This leadership style can encourage team members and followers to become more involved in the leader's goals and vision. However, leaders must carefully use the team's input since ignoring it after it is requested can create resentment.

Management or transactional theories argue that leadership can effectively use a system of rewards and punishments to encourage team members. This leadership style is often utilized in the business world, where employees may be given rewards (promotions, pay raises, perks, etc.) for doing their job well. The theories suggest that a clear hierarchy is needed for this type of leadership and that the leader takes control over decision-making. The team member's role is to do what the leader has told them to do. While the management style of leadership is popular, it relies on the rationality of team members (who are thought to seek the rewards rationally). However, people are not always rational in their decisions.

Finally, relationship or transformational leadership theories emphasize the connections between leaders and their followers or teams. Transformational leaders inspire people to follow them; they have a vision and a passion for what they are trying to accomplish. They also tend to be charismatic. These leaders promise to change the situation somehow, but there is also a more unspoken promise to change the people who follow. While transformational leaders can achieve significant changes in society, organizations, and people, they may overwhelm and tire followers with their enthusiasm for the goal. They also may experience frustration when people are not unhappy enough with the condition to want to change it.

As you can see, there are many different theories and explanations for leadership. Each of these theories offers an understanding of what makes a leader and how they can motivate people. However, no single leadership theory thoroughly explains the complexity and variation in leadership and leadership situations.