Leadership Theory
By
Mohamed Ragab
Reda Ragab
Under Supervision of
Prof. Dr. Dalal Akel
Professor of Nursing Administration
Faculty of Nursing, Ain Shams Universityiversity
Out line
1- Introduction.
2- Definition of leadership.
3- Leadership theories:
1) Early leadership theories:
Great man theory.
Trait theory.
Behavioral theory.
Role theory.
Out line
2) Contingency theories:
Fiedler model.
Situational theory.
Participation model.
Path goal model.
Leadership grid.
Lewin's leadership style.
Likert's leadership styles.
Out line
3) Contemporary views on leadership.
Transformational leadership.
Transactional leadership.
Charismatic leadership.
Authentic leadership.
Leader-member exchange theory.
Servant leadership theory.
Introduction
Theory may be defined as a kind of general principle or
explanation. Theory is often thought to be a
scientifically acceptable general principle that governs
practice, or is proposed to explain observable facts.
Early research on leadership was based on the study of
people who were already great leader. Leadership
theories has been classified into three different
categories .
Definition of
leadership
Is a process of directing the behavior of others
toward the accomplishment of specific goal.
Leadership
theories
Early leadership theories: Contingency theories Contemporary views on
leadership
Great man theory Fiedler model Transformational leadership
Trait theories Situational theory Transactional leadership
Behavioral theory Participation model Charismatic leadership
Autocratically Path goal model Authentic leadership
Democratically Leadership grid Leader-member exchange
theory
Laissez faire leadership Lewin's leadership styles Servant leadership theory
Role theory Likert's leadership style
Leadership theories
Early leadership
theories:
Great man theory
The great man theory evolving from Aristotelian
philosophy, which contends that some people are born to
lead and others are born to led. The great man theory
premise that certain people are born to be leader, having
inherited a set of innate characteristics that endow them
with the unique ability to lead others. This theory grew
because the ability to lead others was often seen within
royal and prominent families (Ellis and Hartley, 2005).
Leadership theories
Early leadership theories:
Great man theory
Leadership theories
Early leadership theories:
This approach focuses on the personal traits of leader
such as physical and personality characteristics, competencies,
and values, the trait theoryTrait
assumes
theories that people inherit certain
qualities or traits make them better suited to leadership
(Grossman and Valiga, 2000). Researchers identified the
leadership traits as:
Assertiveness. Ambition.
Charisma. Creativity.
Intelligence. Initiative.
Friendliness. Honesty.
Fairness. Loyalty.
Better education, and Self-confidence.
Leadership theories
Early leadership theories:
Behavioral theories of leadership are based on the belief that
great leaders are made, not born.
The primary difference between
Behavioral theory the trait and behavioral
theories is that the behavioral theories are concerned with what a
leader does rather than who the leader is.
This leadership theory focuses on the actions of leaders not
on intellectual qualities or internal states.
According to the behavioral theory, people can learn to
become leaders through training and observation. The interest in the
behavior of leaders has been stimulated by a systematic comparison
of autocratic and democratic leadership styles. It has been observed
that groups under these types of leadership perform differently:
(Lewin, Lippit, and White)
Leadership theories
Early leadership theories:
Autocratic leaders centralize power and decision making in
themselves. The leader create the work situation and decide the role
of employees. The employees may be not be aware about
Autocratically
organization goals.
Advantage:
Satisfying for the leader
Allows quick decision making.
Helpful to less competent employees.
Provide security for employees.
Productivity is usually high.
Useful in crisis situation.
Leadership theories
Early leadership theories:
Disadvantage:
Reduced creativity, self-motivation, autonomy, hostility and
Autocratically
aggression.
Low morale of employees.
Reduce organizational commitment among employees.
No enhance of development.
High absenteeism.
Leadership theories
Early leadership theories:
Autocratically
Leadership theories
Early leadership theories:
Is just opposite to autocratic style. Democratic leaders
clearly de-centralize authority. The leader and group are acting as a
social unit. Employees are informed about conditions affecting their
Democratically
job and encouraged to express their ideas, make suggestions and
take action. The leader participates as a facilitator, encouraging
group discussion and decision-making.
Advantages:
Promote satisfaction of the employees.
Employees are aware about organizational goals.
Promote decision making skills of employees.
Increase chance of taking good decisions.
Encourage cooperation and coordination between groups.
Promote autonomy.
Leadership theories
Early leadership theories:
Disadvantages:
Employees can dominate Democratically
leader.
The leader may not take the responsibility of failure.
Time consuming.
Less efficient leadership.
Leadership theories
Early leadership theories:
Leaders have no authority and responsibility under this
style. So the employees themselves take decisions for which they
get authority. This style is employees centered. The leader depends
Laissez faire leadership
largely upon the group to establish its own goals and solve its own
problem (Naylor 1999).
Advantages:
All group members are highly motivated.
Disadvantage:
Less efficient leadership.
Reduced creativity, self-motivation
No enhance of development.
High absenteeism.
Leadership theories
Early leadership theories:
(Merton, 1957; Pfeffer & Salancik, 1957) was based on the
assumption that individuals:
Define role for themselves and others based on social learning
Role theory
and reading.
Form expectations about the roles that they and others will play.
Subtly encourage others to act within role expectations.
Will act within the role they adopt.
Within organization, formal and informal information about
leadership values, culture, training and modeling shapes
expectations and behavior. When expectations don’t match
behavior, role conflict can occur.
For example, when a nurse struggle to take over the head nurse role,
conflict can result until these people learn new behavior patterns.
Leadership theories
Contingency theories:
Predicts that leadership effectiveness will depend not only
on leadership style, but also on the relationship between the leader
and the subordinate (Fiedler's 1967).
Fiedler model
Leadership theories
Contingency theories:
These theories suggests that the traits required of a leader
differ according to varying situations.
Among the variables that determine
Situational theory the effectiveness of
leadership style are factors such as the personality of the leader, the
performance requirements of both the leader and the followers; the
attitudes, needs, and expectations of the leader and followers; the
degree of interpersonal possible; time pressure; organizational
structure, the person may be a leader in one situation and a
followers in another, or a leader at one time and a follower at other
because the type of leadership needed depends on the situation
(FRED FIEDLE, 1960).
Leadership theories
Contingency theories:
Situational theory
Leadership theories
(Likert)
Contingency theories:
Holds that involvement in decision making improves team
members understanding and commitment to action.
Participative leadershipParticipation
theories suggest
model that the ideal leadership
style is one that takes the input of others into account.
Participative leaders encourage participation and contributions
from group members and help group members to feel relevant
and committed to the decision-making process. A leader who
uses participative leadership, rather than making all the
decisions, seeks to involve other people, thus improving
commitment and increasing collaboration, which leads to better
quality decisions and a more successful business (Lamb, 2013).
Leadership theories
(Robert J Hiuse)
Contingency theories:
Helps clarify the path to a goal, removes roadblocks, and
increase reward along the way.
Path goal model
Path goal theory helps leader to:
Clarify the path toward the goal.
Remove roadblocks.
Increase rewards along the way.
Leadership theories
(Robert J Hiuse)
Contingency theories:
This theory offers three leadership styles depending on
followers needs:
Path goal model
Supportive leadership: is the best choice when work is stressful,
boring, and or hazardous.
Making the environment more friendly.
The leader strives to increase follower's self-esteem and make
the job more interesting.
Leadership theories
(Robert J Hiuse)
Contingency theories:
This theory offers three leadership styles depending on
followers needs:
Path goal model
Directive leadership: is the best choice when the task is
unstructured and or complex and the followers are
inexperienced.
Achievement oriented leadership:
With this style, the leader knows the right and the best way of
achieving a goal, the follower is dependent but is believed to be
able to succeed (House & Mitchell, 1974).
Leadership theories
(Robert J Hiuse)
Contingency theories:
Path goal model
Leadership theories
(Blake and Mouton, 1961)
Contingency theories:
This grid is a great way to understand more about certain
leadership styles and how they work.
The two dimensionsLeadership
of this grid
gridquickly identify concern for
people and concern for results.
Concern for People: For example this leader is thinking before
making assignments:
Which tasks will help each individual progress their careers?
Which tasks are likely to be enjoyed?
Concern for Results: naturally, this is the opposite of the
previous approach. With this kind of leadership, the only concern
is for the job getting done as successfully as possible.
Leadership theories
(Blake and Mouton, 1961)
Contingency theories:
Leadership grid
Leadership theories
Contingency theories:
These theories focused on leadership styles, through
identified leadership styles:
Autocratic style: Make decisions
Lewin's leadershipwithout
styles consulting any one.
Autocratic leadership sometimes happens in health care
situations when the administration decides on a change without
consulting a nursing this may lead to low morale and bad feeling.
Democratic leaders: Involve people in their decisions, although
they may make the final decisions.
Lasissez-faire leaders: Are minimally involved in decision
making (Lewin's, 1939).
This style works best when people are capable and motivated to
decide and are not hindered by a central coordinator.
Leadership theories
Contingency theories:
Lewin's leadership styles
Leadership theories
Contingency theories:
He identified four main styles of leadership for decision
making (Likert's, 1967).
Likert's leadership style
1. Exploitive authoritative style:
The leader uses fear and threats to achieve conformance.
One-way communication.
Decision making is centralized.
2. Benevolent authoritative style:
The leader listens to people concerns.
Rewards are dispensed.
Some decision may be delegated, but most are still made by
the leader.
Leadership theories
Contingency theories:
3. Consultative leadership style:
Based on appropriate rewards
Likert's leadership style
Two-way communication (limited upwards communication(
Decision making is decentralized.
4. Participative leadership style:
Helps make sure everyone works well together at all levels
Two-way communication
Engage people to make decisions.
Leadership theories
Contingency theories:
Likert's leadership style
Leadership theories
Contemporary views on leadership:
Transformational leadership promotes employee
development, attends Transformational
to needs and leadership
motives of followers, inspires
through optimism, provide intellectual stimulation and encourage
follower creativity. The leader is a role model who uses
individualized consideration, provides a sense of direction and
encourage self-management (Lamb, 2013).
Leadership theories
Contemporary views on leadership:
Transformational leadership
Leadership theories
Contemporary views on leadership:
This theory bases leadership on a system of rewards and
punishments that are contingent upon the performance of the
Transactional leadership
followers.
Bass (1985) describes transactional leadership in terms of four
aspects:
1. Contingent reward: is based on the exchange of reward for
work effort or performance.
In some circumstances, contingent reward can be a highly
effective form of leadership, in terms of employee performance
(Judge and Piccolo 2004).
Leadership theories
Contemporary views on leadership:
2. management by exception active:
Management by exception is based on monitoring
Transactional leadership
performance; in the active form, leaders will be proactive in
identifying and correcting errors.
3. management by exception passive:
In the passive form the leaders are reactive when problems
occur.
4. Laissez-faire:
Is the most passive form of leadership as it is based on
indifference to employees and non-intervention. Laissez-faire
leadership has a significant negative association with organizational
outcomes (Judge & Piccolo, 2004).
Leadership theories
Contemporary views on leadership:
Transactional leadership
Leadership theories
Contemporary views on leadership:
Charismatic leadership is rooted in the personal and behavioral
characteristics of the leader.
Charismatic leadership
Openly sharing information with employees so that everyone is
aware of problems and the need for change. Empowering
workers to help with solutions. Engaging in the development of
employees by working hard to help them build skills (House,
1977).
Charismatic leadership theories focus on how leaders are seen
through the eyes of their followers (Ebert and Griffin, 2009).
Leadership theories
Contemporary views on leadership:
Charismatic leadership
Leadership theories
Contemporary views on leadership:
Is another kind of positive leadership that is genuine,
Authentic leadership
trustworthy, credible, and believable (Shirey, 2006).
Authentic leaders have:
Purpose.
Values.
Positive relationships.
Credibility.
Ability to encourage others.
Leadership theories
Contemporary views on leadership:
Explain how group leaders maintain their position by exchanging
informal agreement with their members.
Leader-member exchange theory
LMX theory focuses on the relationship between the leader and
each individual subordinate. High quality LMX leads to
enhanced employee satisfaction, performance (Ilies, Nahrgang
& Morgeson, 2007).
Furthermore, high quality LMX has a positive impact on leader
behaviors. For example, (Mayer, Davis and Schoorman, 1995)
found that leaders in high quality LMX were more trusted by
their subordinates, who were in turn, more trusted by their leader.
Leadership theories
Contemporary views on leadership:
This resulted in leaders delegating tasks to these subordinates
Leader-member exchange theory
and being more willing to empower them.
The strength of LMX theory is its emphasis on the role of both
the leader and the subordinate and its recognition of leadership
as a dynamic interactive process.
Leadership theories
Contemporary views on leadership:
Leader-member exchange theory
Leadership theories
Contemporary views on leadership:
Servant Leadership is a recent theory of leadership that
argues that the most effective leaders are servants of their people.
Servant leadership theory
Servant leaders get results for their organization through whole-
hearted attention to their followers and followers’ needs (Robert
Greenleaf, 1970).
Characteristics of servant leader: (Northouse, 2016)
1. Listening: servant leader listen first.
2. Empathy: see the world through the eyes of others.
3. Healing: wish to make the injured healed.
4. Awareness: are aware of their physical, social and political
environment.
Leadership theories
Contemporary views on leadership:
Characteristics of servant leader: (Northouse, 2016)
5. Persuasion: persuade by the use of gentle non-judgmental
Servant leadership theory
argument to create change.
6. Conceptualization: visualize the big future.
7. Foresight: use the past and present to plan for the future.
8. Stewardship: take responsibility.
9. Commitment to people: place a premium on the individual.
10. Building community: seek to create union or synergy.
Leadership theories
Contemporary views on leadership:
Servant leadership theory