Theories of leadership how to#

This group of theories relies on the basis that employees are mostly extrinsically motivated by things like pay and benefits, rather than internally motivated. When employees fail or fall short, management punishes (e.g., reprimands) them in some way.

When employees are successful or exceed expectations, management rewards them in some way. In many ways, the management theory is the foundation of modern business management. Management leadership theories - also known as transactional leadership theories - emphasize the role of supervision, organization, group performance, and a system of rewards and punishments to get things done. Not to mention its wild exclusivity and failure to include other groups of people who are, obviously, very capable of being great leaders. In many ways, the body of evidence amassed over the past few decades and represented by the other seven leadership theories on this list has shown that the “Great Man” theory is not only false but wildly biased.

Theories of leadership how to#

This group of leadership theories suggests that people can’t learn how to become strong leaders - they’ve either got it, or they don’t. 3) “Great Man”Īs we mentioned earlier, the “Great Man” theory of leadership has largely fallen out of favor because it holds that great leaders are born with the requisite skills - e.g., charisma, confidence, intelligence, etc.

Truly effective contingency leaders don’t focus on their own qualities, but on creating a balance between the needs of their direct reports, the situation at hand, and the behaviors they and their team exhibit. This theory suggests that striking a balance between behaviors, needs, and context leads to success. Instead, contingency theory focuses on specific environmental variables that can help managers determine which type of leadership best suits their team. 2) ContingencyĬontingency leadership theories posit that there is no one right way to manage every situation. More on the “Great Man” theory later on in this article. It often lies in direct opposition to one of the other leadership theories on this list - the “Great Man” principle - but has, in recent years, rightly come to overshadow and debunk this outdated holdover from the 20th century.

The behavioral leadership theory is the strongest proponent of the idea that individuals can learn to become a great leader through observation and practice. As the name suggests, this set of leadership theories is rooted in behaviorism and focuses on a person’s actions and behaviors rather than their mental qualities or internal state of mind.