Leadership Theories Report: Situational and Transformational Analysis

This report provides an in-depth analysis of two prominent leadership theories: situational leadership and transformational leadership. It begins with an introduction to leadership, defining its role in guiding individuals and organizations, and highlighting the importance of leadership theories in understanding how individuals become leaders. The report then delves into the specifics of situational leadership, emphasizing the leader's adaptability to different situations and the importance of observable behaviors. It further explores the components of situational leadership, including directing, coaching, supporting, and delegating. The report also examines transformational leadership, which focuses on guiding team members toward organizational goals, and discusses its components like idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration. The report then contrasts the two theories, pointing out their differences and similarities. Finally, it explores the implications of both theories in Early Childhood Education programs, discussing how they can enhance pedagogical structures, promote teamwork, and influence the role of a director within the organization. The report concludes by summarizing the key insights and emphasizing the significance of leadership theories in organizational development and early childhood education.

Running head: LEADERSHIP THEORIES 0
LEADERSHIP THEORIES

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Introduction
Leadership is both a research area and a practical skill encompassing the ability of an
individual or organization to lead or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations.
Leadership theories are schools of thought brought forward to explain how and why certain
individuals become leaders (Linzey, 2015). The study of leadership has led to more advanced
theories on this subject and has led society to recognize different types of leadership
characteristics. The theories emphasize the traits and behaviors that individuals can adopt to
boost their own leadership abilities (Carroll, Ford, & Taylor, 2019). In this report the two
leadership theories that is situational leadership theory and transformational leadership theory is
analyzed. In this the implications of using this theory in an Early Childhood program is also
discussed.
Situational Leadership theory
This theory suggest that the leadership should focused on the situation and act
accordingly. The theory believes that effective leader adapts the changes and adopts their style of
leadership. It is the part of behavioral theory; however the origin of situational theory starts with
focusing on that how the manager as well as leader acts. The theory proposes that effective
leaders could be formulated as well as it can be made. It also believes that traits of leaders are not
an inborn behavior (Miner, 2015). However, the successful leader is stands on the behavior of
definable, discoverable and learnable. The situational theory, which are considered as the
leadership theory is, focus on studying the particular behaviors and actions of an individual
leader and act according to the situation. The theory is applied in all the situations, in all the

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organization and at all the places because effective leader leads in development of the
organization (Borkowski, 2015).
Transformational Leadership
The theory demonstrates that leaders should guide the group members to focus on the
objectives of the organization by keeping their personal needs and requirements aside and
researcher should also motivates each and every member. It is the part of process theory, the
origin of transformational theory leads in guiding their team members to keep their private
interest aside because the theory believes this will be efficient for the group to give better results.
However the theory also assumes that the managers or leader should take the needs as well as
requirements and inputs of the employees on priority, through this the person can convert every
group leader as a leader by providing them various authorities and through motivating them to
achieve the better results (Linzey, 2015). This theory mainly applied in the organization while
making grouping the employees to achieve the common objective because this helps in
developing the leaders, group members and also leads development of the organization
(Harrison, 2017).
Theories and its components
Situational Leadership Theory
The situational leadership theory considered the leaders who adapt diverse style of
leadership in the different situation, this helps in progression level of the team members and
adopted style of leadership is according to the needs and requirement of the organization. The
situational theory develops scientifically by focusing on the behavior of leader in specific
situation on the particular object. The theory also focuses the influence of leaders on the business

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environment in which the organization operates. However, the theory mainly concentrates on
studying the activities and actions of leaders for identification of all the patterns of behavior
(Fenici & Zawidzki, 2016). The theorists recognized the there are various leadership
determinants through which the individual can be trained to become leaders. The components of
situational leadership theory are:-
Directing
The new employees require higher directive style because they are new and have lower
experience in the responsibilities. In the early stage the leader should be directive and should
focus on the roles rather than developing the relationship among the employees because new
employees have lower skills and the employee should be high in making commitments (Miner,
2015).
Coaching
The leadership should adopt this style when he has many of the followers by providing
them guidance and should focus on the task. In this style the leadership should build the trust and
relationship among their team members.
Supporting
The leaders should follow this style when the employees are dedicated but has low
competence. This style is adopted by providing them support as well as participates with them in
various decisions making (Huntrods, An, & Pascarella, 2017).
Delegating

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The leaders should always follow this style that is delegation of tasks among the team
members. This will help them in motivating their team members and also leads in reduction of
burden.
Transformational Leadership
The theory demonstrates that leaders should guide the group members to focus on the
objectives of the organization by keeping their personal needs and requirements aside and
researcher should also motivates each and every member. The transformational leadership theory
suggests that the leaders should take the needs of group members, so that they can motive and
work efficiently. The various components are:-
Idealized influence of manager
The idealized influence is considered the transformational leader who has the capability
of take risks as well as follows set of values and moral principles while conducting the activities
(Borkowski, 2015).
Inspirational
It refers to the ability of leader to motivate, encourage as well as inspire others to achieve
the goals and objective of the organization. The effective leader should have good
communication skills, sense of responsibility etc.
Intellectual stimulation

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In this the leader supports and guides their followers to achieve the objective in efficient
manner and also helps them in decision making as well as puts creative and innovative efforts
(Bauer & Erdogan, 2015).
Individualized concern
The leader treats each individual in different manner and puts emphasis on their
particular needs and requirements so that they feel motivated.
Differences between two theories
There are differences between situational and transformational of leadership which
includes that behavioral theories suggest that the leaders should act according to the situation.
There are no perfect trait of leadership it is only based on the circumstances happened in the
organization whereas process theories describe certain traits like leaders should be determined,
supportive, procedure oriented and also should b efficient in serving other group members
(Hagger, Polet, & Lintunen, 2018). The situational theory proposes that leadership style is no
born leaders; it will develop only through training and teaching. However transformational
theories proposes that style of leadership is a born potential because it believes that supportive,
soft-spoken and other aspects cannot be taught to the person.
Similarities between two theories
The similarities in both the theories demonstrate that both of them belies that the leaders
should provide guidance to the other group members to focus on the objectives of the
organization and to work together for the common objective (Ralph, 2016). However, both of

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them believes that leader should support their team members and ask them to keep their personal
requirements in side and work in corporation with the team members.
Implications of these theories in Early Childhood Education program
The implications of situational and transformational theory in Early Childhood Education
program will be positive because it helps in elaborating the pedagogical structure, adopts the
organized structure for documenting the practices which is related to the education. In the early
childhood education these leadership servant theory and leadership social change model offer the
opportunities to work jointly in group with corporation (Patterson, DeBaryshe, & Ramsey,
2017). The implications should be optimistic because the preschools as well as nursery schools
activities of leadership includes leadership of education and management or administration of
economic, management of human resource, collaborating with the parents, child, teams and
community. The situation theory helps in making the decision based on the trends in the early
childhood education and also does strategic management.
Theories influence the role of director
The situational and transformational theory of leadership lead the positive influence in
role of director and also in the organization because through this theories director can motivates
their team members to work efficiently and it also leads corporation in the organization. It
influence optimistically because while adopting the situational theory director can develop
(Friedrich, Griffith, & Mumford, 2016). However, it is due to making decision according to the
situation leads in increasing the decision making skills of the director. For example McDonald,
adopts the situational theory of behavioral theories to motivate the employees for efficient work.

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However, it increase the decision making and problem solving skills of the leaders and leads in
developing the company that is in the year 2018, the revenue of the McDonald was $21.03
billion (McDonald, 2019).
Conclusion
From the above it is conclude that leadership theories helps in increasing the leaders
capabilities and abilities and also leads in the development of the organization. In this report two
theories is discussed that is situational theory of leadership and transformational theory, there are
various components of these theories like providing direction, coaching etc. From above it also
conclude that leadership theories are also significant in the early childhood education program to
increase the team work among the children and these two theories also positively affect the role
of leader in the organization.

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