Evolution and Applicability of Leadership Theories

LITERATURE REVIEW
[Type the document title]
LEADERSHIP THEORIES
4/17/2019
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Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................. 3
Analysis and Evaluation............................................................................................................... 4
Conclusion................................................................................................................................... 7

Introduction
Leadership may be defined as a quality required by an individual in order to lead others, whether it be for
the fulfillment of a task, completion of a project, attainment of a mission or achieving a said goal or
vision. Leadership is an indispensable quality required by many managers, business owners and even
employees these days as being a great leader essentially means one can get a large number of people to
follow him/her. Such qualities are extremely sought after in many workplaces and businesses (Mango,
2018).
This research paper aims to review the current and ongoing research on the topic of evolution of the
theories of leadership. This paper also aims to review whether or not these theories are relevant,
applicable and effective in the modern day.
The theories of leadership are guidelines that suggest why certain individuals are better leaders than
others and how any person can become a great leader by acquiring specific qualities and abilities. For the
purpose of this paper, the research question shall be as follows-
“How has the research on the evolution and applicability of leadership theories changed in the current
times?”
It is said that any leader has certain common characteristics or qualities such as charisma, charm, ability
to give direction and delegation to others, confidence, perseverance, great communication skills, intellect
among others (Junker & van Dick, 2014).
Leadership has been quite an interesting topic ever since the dawn of time and been researched over time
and again. However it was Dr. Peter North house who laid the foundation for the study of leadership
skills and theories in the early 20th century in his book called as "Leadership: theory and practice". His
works were contributed to by Dr. Gary Yukl who also shared his perspective on leadership in his
publication titled "Leadership in Organizations". Since then an enormous amount of research has been
done on the topic of leadership and several theories have been postulated. Whether or not these theories
remain relevant in the current era or how they have been modified or changed is what shall be discussed
further(Dion, 2012).