Theories of leadership

1. Hardeep Kaur Samra

2. OVERVIEW
1.MEANING OF LEADERSHIP
2.CHARACTERISTICS OR NATURE OF
LEADERSHIP
3.LEADERSHIP STYLES OR TYPES OF
LEADER
4.THEORIES OF LEADERSHIP
5.TRAIT APPROACH
6.BEHAVIOURAL APPROACH

3. Leadership is an important element of the
directing function of management.
Leadership is the ability to build up
confidence and zeal among the peoples and
to create an urge in them to be led.
To be a successful leader, a manager must
possess the qualities of foresight, drive,
self-confidence and personal integrity.

4. According to Koontz and O’Donnell,
“ Leadership may be defined as the ability
to exert interpersonal influence by means of
communication towards the achievement of
a goal.”
According to George R. Terry,
“ Leadership is the ability of influencing
people to strive willingly for mutual
objectives.”

5. Followers
Personal Ability
Influencing Process
No Need of Coercion
Full Capability Utilization
Ideal Conduct
Leadership is a Continuing Process

6. 1.Followers: The first requirement of leadership
is the presence of followers without whom
leadership cannot be thought of. Without
followers, leader himself has no existence.
2.Personal Ability: Leadership depends on the
ability of a particular individual. For example, the
degree of the success of a manager will be in
proportion to his qualities of leadership.
3.Influencing Process: Leadership is a
process of influencing people. It means taking
other people under one’s influence. Under
leadership a leader behaves with his followers in
such a manner that they come under his influence
effortlessly and they start working in accordance
with his wishes.

7. 4. No Need of Coercion: It is an important
characteristic of leadership that it does not require
coercion. A manager so impresses the employees
with his behavior that they willingly start working.
5. Full Capability Utilization: It is clear that
ordinarily an individual does not work at his full
capacity. He needs to be encouraged to do so and
this is only possible under leadership.
6.Ideal Conduct: It is important for leadership
that a leader should have an ideal conduct. He
should not only be delivering lectures to others but
should behave in a manner that he expects from
others.

8. 7. Leadership is a Continuing Process:
Leadership is a continuous process. In other words,
the job of the leader does not end by explaining the
objective of the organization to his followers but
they have to be regularly guided.
8.Leadership is ever a new Process: To
face new problems the leader has to find out new
techniques of leadership so that he continues
motivating his followers as usual so that they can
successfully achieve the objectives. It is, therefore,
said that leadership is always a new process.
“ Leadership is the art of accomplishing more than
the science of management.”

9. Autocratic
Laissez-faire
Democratic
Paternalistic
• Absolute power
• Maximum freedom is
allowed to subordinates
• Participative
compromise between
autocratic and laissez-
faire
• It is based upon
sentiments and
emotions of peoples

10. Theories of Leadership
 Trait
 Personal-Behavioral
 Situational
 Transformational

11. TRAIT APPROACH
Leadership ability is inborn and it cannot be
achieved by making any efforts.
Bernard and Ordway Teed have propounded this
theory. The Trait Approach was popular between
1930 and 1950. According to this theory, there are
certain personal qualities and traits which are
essential to be a successful leader.
Traits are distinctive characteristics that
distinguish leaders from non-leaders.

12.  Early STOGDILL has divided 40 qualities into 5
parts:
◦ Physical characteristics (height, appearance)
◦ Personality characteristics (extrovert)
◦ Skills and abilities (intelligence)
◦ Social factors (interpersonal skills)
◦ Task related Traits (initiative, persistence, etc.)
Leadership ability in a particular person depends
on his special qualities In other words, if that
individual possesses these special qualities he
will certainly be a successful leader in all the
situations.

13. The study of the line of successful leader reveals that the following
important traits are possessed by many of them;
Intelligence
Physiological
Factors
Emotional
Stability
Human Relation
Attitude
Vision and
Foresight
Empathy
Fairness and
Objectivity
Technical Skill Open minded
and Adaptability
Art of
communication
Social Skill
Intense Inner
Motivational
drive

14. This trait is considered to be
the most important trait. Leadership generally
have higher level of intelligence than the average
of their followers. Intelligence is the natural quality
of a person, to be a great extend because it is
directly related to the brain.
It is generally laid that “ leaders are born and not
made”
Physical features
of a person determine his personality which , in
turn, is an important factor in determining success
of leadership. It includes:
# height
# weight
# health etc.

15. To be a successful
leader must have high level of emotional stability. He
must be consistent in his actions, should not be
biased and should know how to control anger.
Successful leader generally have very intense inner
motivational drives. Not only should he be self
motivated, but he must have the requisite quality to
motivate the others also.
The success
of a leader depends on the co-operation of a people.
He should always try to develop social understanding
with other peoples. He should have intimate
knowledge about the people and the inter-personal
relationship.

16. A successful
leader should have the capability to look future and
devise policies and programmes with foresight based
on logical programmes.
Empathy is the ability of a person
to observe the things or situations from the point of
view others. On the basis of empathy he can predict
and understand the behavior of people but for that he
must have an understanding of the
> rights;
> beliefs;
> values; and
> feelings of other people.
To be a
successful a leader must know how to communicate
effectively.

18. Recent Results on Traits
 Some studies have
identified these traits:
◦ Drive
◦ Motivation
◦ Integrity
◦ Self-confidence
◦ Intelligence
◦ Knowledge
 An AT&T study found these
characteristics in managers
who advanced:
◦ oral communication skills
◦ human relations skills
◦ need or motive for
advancement
◦ resistance to stress
◦ tolerance of uncertainty
◦ energy
◦ creativity
After being rejected as a basis for identifying leaders,
trait theories have had a revival.

19. Lack of
Uniformit
y
Ignoranc
e about
Situation
s
Un-clarity
about the
degree of
Traits
Problem
of
Meaning
the Traits

20. The shortcomings of the trait theory led to a
significant change in the emphasis of leadership
approach. This shift in emphasis began to focus
attention on the actual behavior and actions of
leader as against personal qualities or traits of
leaders.
According to this approach, leadership involves
an interpersonal relationship between a leader
and subordinates in which the behavior of the
leader towards the subordinates constitute the
most critical element.

21. The good behavior of the leader raises the morale,
build up confidence, spirits among the team
members and lack of good behavior will discard him
as a leader.
Behavioral
Theories
Ohio
State
University
Studies
Michigan
Studies

22. MICHIGAN STUDIES
These empirical studies were conducted slightly
after word war II by the institute of social
Research at the university of Michigan.
The purpose of these studies was to identify
styles of leadership behavior that result in
higher performance and satisfaction of a group.
Michigan
Studies
Employee
Centered
leadership
Production
Centered
leadership

23. 1. Production Centered Leadership =>
This leadership is also known as task oriented
leadership. The production oriented leadership
stressed on certain points:
Rigid work standard, procedure and rules;
Close supervision of the subordinates;
Technical aspects of the job;
Employees were not to be considered as human
beings but as tools to accomplish the goals of the
organization.

24. 2. Employee Centered Leadership =>
This style is also known as relation oriented
leadership because it emphasis on human
relations.
The main parts which are concentrated upon in this
approach are:
To treat subordinates as human beings.
To show concern for the employees, needs,
welfare, advancement etc.
To encourage employee participation in goal
setting and in other work related decisions.
To help ensure high performance by inspiring
respect and trust.

25. Decrease
Satisfaction
Increase
Turnover
Production
Oriented
Style
Increase
Satisfaction
Decrease
Turnover
Employee
Centered
Style
The findings of Michigan studies were as follows:-

26. TANNENBAUM and SCHMIDT identified two more
style of leadership on the basis of authority used by
the boss and the degree of freedom available to the
subordinates. These styles were:
1. Boss Centered Leadership => A manager
who exercises a high degree of control, is said
to exercise a Boss Centered Leadership.
2. Employee Centered Leadership => A
manager who allows a high degree of freedom to
the subordinates is known as the Employees
Centered Leadership.

27. Criticism Of Michigan Studies
i. These studies failed to determine whether
leadership behavior is a cause or effect.
Employee centered leadership makes the
group production or the productivity of the
group induces the manager to be employee
centered.
ii. These studies ignore the personal
characteristics of subordinates, group
characteristics and the other situational
variables.
iii. The leadership style suggested by these
studies is an extreme. A leader is supposed to
follow either of the two styles.

28. Ohio State University Leadership
Studies
The Bureau of Research at Ohio State University
conducted these studies.
The main objective of the studies was to identify
the major dimensions of leadership and to
investigate the effect of leader’s behavior on
employee behavior and satisfaction.
Dimensions
Initiating
Structure
Consideration

29. 1. Initiating Structure => It refers to the
leader’s behavior in defining and organizing the
relationship between himself and member of the
group. The purpose of initiating structure is to:
 Establish well defined patterns of organization.
 Develop channels of communications and
methods or producers.
 To supervise the activities of employees.
2. Consideration => Consideration refers to
the behavior which can be characterized by
# Friendliness
# Mutual trust
# Respect
# Supportiveness etc.

30. HIGH
CONSIDERATION
AND
LOW STRUCTURE
HIGH
CONSIDERATION
AND
HIGH STRUCTURE
LOW STRUCTURE
AND LOW
CONSIDERATION
HIGH STRUCTURE
AND LOW
CONSIDERATION
HIGH
LOW HIGH
INITIATING STRUCTURE
CONSIDERATION

31. 1. This approach does not take into consideration
the situational variables. A particular leadership
style may be effective in one situation, but it
may not be so effective or ineffective in another
situation. In fact, the situation determines the
effectiveness of a particular leadership style.
2.This approach does not consider the time factor
also. A particular behavior or action of the
leader may be effective at one point while the
same may be ineffective at some other point of
time.