Leadership Theories and Approaches

This document discusses various leadership theories and approaches, including trait theory, situational leadership, transformational leadership, and servant leadership. It also provides examples of leaders who have used their power and influence in both positive and negative ways. The document concludes with a discussion on personal leadership and management philosophy.

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Trait theory
1. Trait theory, also known as “Great Man Theory” emerged during 1920-1930s that
instilled in leaders’ specific traits that makes them unique from the others (Asrar-ul-
Haq & Anwar, 2018). Accordingly, while looking back to my personal experiences, I
feel that I poses responsibility and self-confidence traits that have always helped me
in accomplishing my tasks effectively. One incident that reveals my responsibility
trait is whenever I am been given tasks at University or at home, I keenly look
forward in completing it without failure. Even when things went wrong, I took
responsibility that were entrusted to me. Among all tasks, one task was given to me
for distributing pamphlets in my locality for social cause and raise funds. With my
effective confidence trait, I could sell many of them and contributed in collecting
huge amount of fund. One trait which I lack is emotional stability since while I was
selling pamphlets, few people rejected it and told that they were not interested. This
created frustration and anger in me. And as Kanodia & Sacher (2016) said good
leaders must poses emotional stability so that intense situations within organisations
can be handled tactfully, the lack of emotional stability somehow created disrespect
for me in my team.
2. One characteristic that I pose and does not belong to trait theory is persuasion skill
that helps leaders in influencing others by persuading them with tasks effectively.
Even Fisher & Gonzalez (2013) claims that persuasive skills and ability to influence
others has become very significant at workplaces that help leader’s achieve work
goals to drive businesses forward.
3. From my personal point of view, I think that I can become an effective and confident
leader since I poses three most significant traits required in a leader: responsibility,
self-confidence and persuasiveness. At present, I do not believe myself an effective

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leader due to emotional instability in me and thus I need to work on my emotional
stability trait so that it does hinders my leadership effectiveness in future.
Situational, Transformational, and Servant Leadership
1. Situational leadership is more based upon how leaders adapts to different situation
that are faced by them (Amanchukwu, Stanley, & Ololube, 2015). Transformational
leadership approach is followed by those leaders who are believed to have strong
passion and vision for accomplishing great objectives. Servant leadership philosophy
is more based on generosity in which leaders focus to serve followers and support
their interest (Latsachanh, 2016). According to me, both transformational and servant
leadership approach can be applied while encouraging employee’s inspiration and
motivation. While situational leadership approach can rely upon analysis and intuition
of any given situation to lead it in a manner that can create opportunities for the firm.
2. Out of three, according to me, transformational leadership approach is the most
effective. Though situational leadership approach allows leaders to choose best
possible way that can result in good outcomes, transformational leaders focuses more
on connections that are formed between leaders and followers thereby creating a
connection that helps organisations in the long-run. Servant leadership focuses on
how leaders can satisfy the needs of the followers, nurture them alongside showing
empathy to develop their potential (Latsachanh, 2016). However, such leadership
approach may not fulfil organisational needs many times as present dynamic business
requires more charismatic approach that can motivate people to understand the
significance by higher good of the job performed. Therefore, transformational

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leadership fits appropriately in present business world (Amanchukwu, Stanley, &
Ololube, 2015).
3. As stated earlier, I believe transformational leadership approach over others, this fact
can be related to my own personal experiences also. While I recall my days during
internship period, I remember my leader or manager who used to perform every role
with perfection, sophistication and simplicity that drove every employee work in a
motivated manner. He constantly challenged others, including me to think beyond
what have been done on past and required changes and thus have created an
inspirational figure in front of me. My leader in the office showed transformational
leadership approach as he inspired, created and led people in a way that they could try
more than their capabilities along with inventing and innovating things as a
transformational leader do (Korejan & Shahbaz, 2016).
Identify a Leader – Power
1. Adolf Hitler was a leader who influenced his followers through charismatic powers.
According to me, his strong sense for success kept motivating him and he was able to
defeat France. However, history says that when German troops encountered
resistance, Germany had to withdraw from League of nations, thereby revealing
Hitler’s leadership use in a harmful way that made Germany face defeat
(Biography.com, n.d.). Example of a leader who used his power and influence in
positive is Martin Luther King who used various leadership styles to lead the
movement for bringing success in ending legal segregation within US. He too
possessed charismatic power but acted more like a mentor and a coach. I personally
admire Martin Luther King since he had a heart for American public that kept

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motivated him to work for his people by influencing them in a positive manner
(Biography.com, n.d.).
Leadership Scenarios
1. If I notice that one of my employees is underperforming and seems to lack
confidence, I will use telling behaviour in Hersey Blanchard model through which I
will provide him/her with organisation’s instruction and monitor the work progress
alongside motivating the employee in positive way (Meier, 2016).
2. Since the employee being once motivated and creative in her work have started
showing unhappy, unmotivated and unfocused, I will use supportive leadership
approach of path goal model. Farhan (2018) defined “supportive leadership behaviour
as an emotional support of subordinates” (p. 18). And thus, by considering her needs
and showing concern for her welfare, I will support my employee while regaining
back her self-esteem and making the job more interesting than ever.
3. Under this scenario, I will use participative leadership approach and consult with the
employees who are working in the project regarding new reward system that can work
in more positive manner. This approach works best when followers expect that their
advice is needed by the leaders and they expect that the leaders will show concern for
it (Farhan, 2018).
4. This scenario can be solved using Hersey Blanchard model’s participating leadership
style that can help me work with my employees, get involved in their team and
encourage their efforts through new reward system that suits their individual or team
needs.
5. Being a General manager under the given scenario, I will use achievement leadership
style of Path-goal theory as such leadership approach sets challenging goals, both in

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self-improvement and in work. Higher work standards will be expected and
demonstrated to the talented workforce. Alongside, by showing trust in employee’s
capabilities employee’s morale will be enhanced thereby retaining them from leaving
the workplace (Farhan, 2018).
Personal Leadership/ Management
1. According to my new found knowledge regarding leadership and management, my
leadership philosophy remains determinant in becoming a leader who has qualities that are
inspirable to the others and shall involve being hard-working, competent, supportive,
trustworthy, ethical and approachable. These are the elements which followers seek from
their leaders or managers. Kanodia & Sacher (2016) cited that trait theory is the conceptual
way that can study human behaviours and personality after identifying the degree to which
they reveal their personality traits, thoughts and other human attitude like shyness,
anxiousness, optimistic and pessimistic thought and openness towards newer world that may
differ from person to person. Accordingly, I poses self-confidence, responsible and
persuasive skills through which I can easily share my vision with my subordinates in future
and provide my organisation with effective guidance and leadership. Though, I am still
working on my emotional stability traits so that my leadership role in future remains free of
any kind of error or flaw.
One remarkable leadership theory is transformational leadership that will be adopted
by me in my future career as I belief that core competencies which I hold at present can be
well developed into a transformational leader than any other type. As said by Korejan &
Shahbaz (2016), transformational leaders’ personal abilities, values and beliefs promotes and
transfers individual’s performance to other level. Such leadership style can benefit me as well

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as my organisation in lot of ways for example, I will be able to motivate by subordinates and
encourage them at the times when they feel demotivated or stressed due to work pressure.
Moreover, after developing such leadership, I will be able to give attention to individual
performances and their needs alongside providing my team members with mental stimulation
thereby increasing member’s engagement and empowerment for bringing team effectiveness.
To manage and handle different situations appropriately, I will use path-goal model
effectively due to simplicity and practicality seen in this model. To be successful, it is
important to understand and access difficult situations from different perspectives along with
identifying others strengths and weakness before making suggestions for further
improvement or development. Since path-goal theory suggests flexible behaviours for the
leader’s like direction, structure, clarification and rewards, the adoption of path goal model
has always enabled leaders with clarification on how to direct followers to remove obstacles
and provide them with encouragement alongside rewards for accomplishments (Farhan,
2018).
On concluding note it can be said that to be successful, it is significant to understand
and self-access about our personal insights and beliefs. The above assignment has helped me
gain significant knowledge regarding various leadership theories and models that can be used
significantly by me in future professional life. Moreover, the two real life examples provided
have made me gain knowledge about how power can either lead us positively or in negative
manner. Now I am confident to work upon my new parameters that have been set by me
during this course and will be developed conceptually to capitalise on my inner strengths,
capabilities and interests.

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References
Amanchukwu, R. N., Stanley, G. J., & Ololube, N. P. (2015). A Review of Leadership
Theories, Principles and Styles and Their Relevance to Educational Management.
Management, 5(1), 6-14.
Asrar-ul-Haq, M., & Anwar, S. (2018). The many faces of leadership: Proposing research
agenda through areview of literature. Future Business Journal, 4, 179-188.
Biography.com. (n.d.). Adolf Hitler Biography. Retrieved from
https://www.biography.com/dictator/adolf-hitler
Biography.com. (n.d.). Martin Luther King Jr. Biography. Retrieved from
https://www.biography.com/activist/martin-luther-king-jr
Farhan, B. Y. (2018). Application Of Path-Goal Leadership Theory And Learning Theory In
A Learning Organization. The Journal of Applied Business Research, 34(1), 13-22.
Fisher, E., & Gonzalez, Y. S. (2013). The Art of Influencing and Persuasion: How Managers
Can Put ‘Square Pegs’ into ‘Round Holes’. Journal of Management Research, 5(4), 1-
19.
Kanodia, R., & Sacher, A. (2016). Trait Theories of Leadership. Retrieved from
http://data.conferenceworld.in/ICSTM6/P141-153.pdf
Korejan, M. M., & Shahbaz, H. (2016). An Analysis of the Transformational Leadership
Theory. Journal of Fundamental and Applied Sciences, 8(3S), 452-461.
Latsachanh, V. (2016). The role of transformational- and servant leadership in a
governmental agency (Bank ofthe Lao PDR) in order to build an effective working

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environment. Retrieved from
https://unitec.researchbank.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10652/3499/MBus_2016_Veingsav
anh%20Latsachanh__1430688_Final%20Research.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
Meier, D. (2016). Situational Leadership Theory as a Foundation for a Blended Learning
Framework. Journal of Education and Practice, 7(10), 25-30.