Examining how leadership has evolved over time will reveal that leadership is indeed a product of its times. The active study of leadership began in the early 1900s, and the important theories that have guided our understanding of leadership are listed below*.1900s to 1940s (and a resurgence from 1980s to present): The trait approaches ( initially called the Great man theories). This approach to studying leadership tried to identify certain common inherent characteristics (traits) shared by great leaders of that time, in order to understand what makes some people leaders. An analysis of the major findings of research of over a century indicates that there is some general consensus about the important desirable traits in leaders. These are intelligence, self-confidence, determination, integrity and sociability (Northhouse, 2013).
It is easy to understand the appeal of trait theories because of their simplicity. However, the trait theories assume that leaders are born than made, which makes them irrelevant in developing leaders. Interestingly there has been a resurgence in the study of the traits approach, with studies focusing on the personality of leaders using the Big Five model (Goldberg, 1990). It appears that the personality of extraversion was most strongly associated with leadership, followed by conscientiousness, openness, and emotional stability. There is also a rising interest in the study of emotional intelligence as an important attribute of leaders. Since it is believed that emotional intelligence can be developed through reflection and practice, the leaders are "born" drawback of trait theories has diminished with these new areas of study of human traits.
1930s to 1960s (behavioral theories): The study of leader behaviors (how they behave and act) was the next significant area of research. Some important behavioral studies are the Ohio State University and the University of Michigan studies in the 1950s and 1960s. These studies essentially found that leaders could be differentiated into task oriented versus people oriented. However, it was Blake and Mouton's 1964 study which discussed the implications of these differences in leader behaviors in an organizational setting. For example, according to Blake and Mouton, the team oriented style (also called the 9.9 style), which is considered to be most effective, is the result of leadership which is high in both task and people orientation. While these studies made significant inroads in understanding the behavioral aspect of leadership, they were still considered narrow in scope in explaining the complexities of leadership.
1960s to 2000: Situational or contingency theories: Contingency theories believe that instead of exhibiting a consistent leadership style, effective leaders should behave according to the situation. One important theory using this approach is Hershey and Blanchard's situational approach. They suggest that an effective leader uses different styles depending on "employee readiness". For example, a rookie and a veteran need different leadership styles. Another interesting theory is Fiedler's contingency theory which suggests that the effectiveness of a task oriented leader and relationship oriented leader depends on the type of situations they manage. Task oriented leaders are most effective when things are going extremely well, or when there is chaos. Relationship oriented leaders are effective when things are going moderately well. Fiedler's theory is a tad controversial because he suggests that the leadership style of a person is fixed.
1990s to present : Relational approach. One prominent theory using this approach is the leader member exchange theory (LMX) which suggests that leaders with high quality and stronger relationships are more effective. The LMX theory makes a significant departure from other theories by examining one to one relationships between the leader and the follower.
1980s to present: Transformational leadership. This approach considers leaders as those who inspire a shared vision for their organizations and bring about positive transformations. Charismatic leadership is closely related to transformational leadership, but recognizes the fact that charisma while potent could also be used for negative ends (Hitler being the most common example).
2000 to present: New emerging approaches. We are living in exciting times for leadership. The context for leadership continues to change at a rapid pace due to globalization, the rise of women in the workplace and the advent of technology. The sub-prime mortgage crisis and the wide wave of destruction it left behind in the entire world, has brought the need for ethical leadership to the forefront. Authentic Leadership is one theory generating a lot of interest due to its focus on values and moral compass of leaders. Servant leadership stresses that leaders must view themselves as servants of their followers, and strive to empower them. Spiritual leadership with its focus on meaning is another contemporary theory of leadership which is gaining ground.
This blog's focus is on the transformational and the new emerging approaches because these theories have universal appeal, and are relevant to our times. For example, a leader in any culture must have a vision, and possess the ability to influence others to share their vision. Ethical leaders are desired by all cultures, and will be particularly effective in these times where trust will have to be established first and quickly. A leader's reputation is certain to precede them today. The focus on serving employees rather than controlling them also has universal appeal. Finally, spiritual leadership's emphasis on meaning also strikes a chord universally as people try to make sense of their place in their increasingly complex environments.
Goldberg, L.R. (1990). An alternative "description of personality": The big-five factor structure. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 59, 1216-1229.
Hershey, P., & Blanchard, K. H. (1969). Life-cycle theory of leadership. Training and development journal, 23:26-34.
Northhouse, P.G (2013). Leadership. Sixth edition. California: Sage Publications Ltd.
* Northouse, P.G. (2015). Adapted from Introduction to Leadership (Concepts and Practice). California: Sage Publications Ltd.
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