Traits and Behaviors of Early Leadership Theories

Traits and Behaviors of Early Leadership Theories

Table of Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................3
Trait Theories of Leadership.......................................................................................................................4
Behavioral Theories of Leadership..............................................................................................................5
The Contrast between Trait Theories and Behavioral Theories...................................................................6
Conclusion...................................................................................................................................................6
References...................................................................................................................................................7

Introduction
A hiring manager understands the requirement of soft skills in an individual at the time of
recruitment. In the current scenario, leadership quality is considered one of the most sought-after
soft skill because the employee is expected to manage its team efficiently and should be able to
reconcile the goals of the project with the interests of team members. A leader is an individual
who can utilize the abilities to manage or influence a group of people or even an organization.
Leadership is the practical skill of a person to guide or lead an individual or a group of people.
Leadership theories are the theories trying to define qualities and abilities which distinguish the
good leaders from the mass. These theories focus on characteristics, attitude and most
importantly, the behavior of good leaders which can be adopted to improve own leadership
skills. An individual can polish their natural leadership skills by possessing some certain traits
but circumstances and experience also play an important role (Gill, 2011). Most of the different
leadership theories can be classified under one of eight major types.
1. “Great Man Theories”
2. Trait Theories
3. Behavioral Theories
4. Situational Theories
5. Contingency Theories
6. Relationship Theories
7. Participative Theories
8. Management Theories