Leadership

Abstract

This article examines and evaluates major leadership theories, as well as summarizes findings from empirical leadership research. Major topics and controversies include leadership versus management, leader traits and skills, leader behaviour and activities, leader power and influence, situational determinants of leader behaviour, transformational leadership, the importance of leadership for organizational effectiveness, and leadership as an attributional process. This article attempts to provide some clarity on the major topics mentioned above. Over time there have been several writings about the importance of leadership in driving change, achieving organizational goals, and facilitating appropriate responses to many other life challenges however stakeholders have also argued that strong leadership is required, particularly during difficult times such as conflicts, economic meltdowns, or flu pandemics. What leadership means, what competencies are required to be a leader, and what role the application of leadership plays in successfully responding to challenges are all unclear in this dialogue. These questions are pertinent to the advancement of an institution, nation or a discipline and profession. The consensus among many academics and practitioners is that the growth of thinking over time has created a perception that leadership is a fluid developmental process, with each new piece of research building on and extending earlier studies rarely ignoring anything that came before it completely. Main conceptions that arose in the 20th century are the Great Man Theory, Trait Theory, Process Leadership Theory, Style and Behavioral Theory and Laissez Faire, transformational, and transactional leadership theories