A Comprehensive Analysis of Leadership Theories Evolution

This report provides a comprehensive overview of the evolution of leadership theories, categorizing them into heroic and post-heroic frameworks. The heroic theories discussed include the Great Man Theory, behavioral theory, and trait theory. The post-heroic theories encompass cross-cultural leadership, spiritual leadership, distributed/disperse theory, paternalistic/maternalistic leadership, adaptive leadership, green leadership, CSR leadership, and toxic leadership. Each theory is briefly explained with relevant scholars and their remarks. The report highlights the key characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses of each leadership approach, offering a comparative analysis of their development and impact on organizational practices. It examines how leadership has evolved over time, adapting to changing societal and organizational contexts, and explores the implications of each theory for effective leadership in various settings.

Running head: EVOLUTION OF LEADERSHIP THEORIES
EVOLUTION OF LEADERSHIP THEORIES
HEROIC THEORY
THEORIES SCHOLAR REMARKS/CONCLUSION
1. Great man Theory Spector, Bert Alan, "Carlyle,
Freud, And The Great Man
Theory More Fully
Considered" (2015)
12(2) Leadership
Burns, Wallace A, "A
Descriptive Literature Review
Of Harmful Leadership Styles:
Definitions, Commonalities,
Measurements, Negative
Impacts, And Ways To
Improve These Harmful
Leadership Styles" (2017)
3(1) Creighton Journal of
Interdisciplinary Leadership
The theory is based on the idea
that huge influential men and
unique individuals can have an
impact on the history of the
world. Such heroic people have
superior intellect, divine
inspiration as well as heroic
courage1. This are their natural
attributes. The theory seems to
give credit to the role of those
individuals who inspire the
world through their heroic
deeds2.
2. Behavioral Theory Burns, Adam, "Book Review:
14-18: A New Vision For
Secondary Education" (2015)
43(2) Educational
Management Administration
& Leadership
Kumar, Robin D.C. and
Noshaba Khiljee, "Leadership
In Healthcare" (2016)
17(1) Anaesthesia & Intensive
Care Medicine
This theory is based on the fact
that certain behaviours can be
conditioned in the manner that
can change the behaviour of an
individual to adapt to certain
situations3. Leadership in an
individual is the capability that
can be learnt and is therefore
not innate4.
3. Trait Theory Griffith, Jennifer A., John E.
Baur and M. Ronald Buckley,
According to this theory, the
qualities of leadership are
1 Bert Alan Spector, "Carlyle, Freud, And The Great Man Theory More Fully Considered" (2015) 12(2) Leadership.
2 Wallace A Burns, "A Descriptive Literature Review Of Harmful Leadership Styles: Definitions, Commonalities,
Measurements, Negative Impacts, And Ways To Improve These Harmful Leadership Styles" (2017) 3(1) Creighton
Journal of Interdisciplinary Leadership.
3 Adam Burns, "Book Review: 14-18: A New Vision For Secondary Education" (2015) 43(2) Educational
Management Administration & Leadership.
4 Robin D.C. Kumar and Noshaba Khiljee, "Leadership In Healthcare" (2016) 17(1) Anaesthesia & Intensive Care
Medicine.

1EVOLUTION OF LEADERSHIP THEORIES
"Creating Comprehensive
Leadership Pipelines: Applying
The Real Options Approach To
Organizational Leadership
Development" (2019)
29(3) Human Resource
Management Review
inherited and therefore, those
individuals who have these
traits inherent are born
leaders5. The theory possesses
questions like whether the
leaders are really born or they
are made through various
learning processes.
5 Jennifer A. Griffith, John E. Baur and M. Ronald Buckley, "Creating Comprehensive Leadership Pipelines: Applying
The Real Options Approach To Organizational Leadership Development" (2019) 29(3) Human Resource
Management Review

2EVOLUTION OF LEADERSHIP THEORIES
POST-HEROIC THEORY
THEORIES SCHOLAR REMARKS/CONCLUSION
1. Cross Cultural Theory Mittal, Rakesh, "Charismatic
And Transformational
Leadership Styles: A Cross-
Cultural Perspective" (2015)
10(3) International Journal of
Business and Management
Puspitasari, Nur Wahyu,
This theory analyses the way in
which different individuals
work across different cultures
and thus establish an
interaction with each other in
that process. It is a way in
which the process of the
workings of the leaders are
understood in the global
market6. A leader has to face
many challenges while working
6 Rakesh Mittal, "Charismatic And Transformational Leadership Styles: A Cross-Cultural Perspective" (2015)
10(3) International Journal of Business and Management

3EVOLUTION OF LEADERSHIP THEORIES
"Transformational Leadership
Dalam Menurunkan Beban
Kerja Perawat Puskesmas"
(2018) 7(04) Jurnal Ilmiah Ilmu
Keperawatan Indonesia
in cultures that are different to
his, therefore, it is always
important to analyse the
environment in which the
person works in7.
2. Spiritual Theory Afsar, Bilal, Yuosre Badir and
Umar Safdar Kiani, "Linking
Spiritual Leadership And
Employee Pro-Environmental
Behavior: The Influence Of
This theory comprises of the
three basic components that
are vision, hope and altruistic
love. These three principle
components establishes the
leader’s values, morals,
attitudes and behaviours8. This
7 Nur Wahyu Puspitasari, "Transformational Leadership Dalam Menurunkan Beban Kerja Perawat Puskesmas"
(2018) 7(04) Jurnal Ilmiah Ilmu Keperawatan Indonesia
8 Afsar, Bilal, Yuosre Badir and Umar Safdar Kiani, "Linking Spiritual Leadership And Employee Pro-Environmental
Behavior: The Influence Of Workplace Spirituality, Intrinsic Motivation, And Environmental Passion" (2016)
45 Journal of Environmental Psychology

4EVOLUTION OF LEADERSHIP THEORIES
Workplace Spirituality,
Intrinsic Motivation, And
Environmental Passion" (2016)
45 Journal of Environmental
Psychology
theory can make great leaders
in future.
3. Distributed/Disperse
Theory
Jones, S. Distributed
leadership: A critical
analysis. (2014)
Leadership, 10(2), 129-141.
Harris, A., & DeFlaminis, J.
Distributed leadership in
practice: Evidence,
misconceptions and
possibilities.
(2016) Management in
Education, 30(4), 141-146.
It is an analytical approach that
looks into the understandings
of how leadership works
among the people and in a
complex organisation9. It is
more concerned with the
practice if the leadership than
the specific role of leadership
and the responsibilities. The
change as well as improvement
can come through shared and
collective leadership
practices10.
4. Paternalistic/Maternalistic Chan, S. C. Paternalistic
leadership and employee
voice: Does information
sharing matter?.
This involves a dominant or an
authoritative figure that acts as
a patriarch or a matriarch in
the organisation. They treat
9 Jones, S. Distributed leadership: A critical analysis. (2014) Leadership, 10(2), 129-141.
10 Harris, A., & DeFlaminis, J. Distributed leadership in practice: Evidence, misconceptions and possibilities.
(2016) Management in Education, 30(4), 141-146.

5EVOLUTION OF LEADERSHIP THEORIES
(2014) Human
Relations, 67(6), 667-693.
their employees as members of
a large and extended family11.
In exchange of all the benefits
of an authoritative figure
showers on the organisation,
they expect the loyalty, trust
and obedience from their
employees.
5. Adaptive (EQ vs IQ)
Theory
Khan, N. Adaptive or
transactional leadership in
current higher education: A
brief
comparison. International
Review of Research in Open
and Distributed (2017)
Learning, 18(3), 178-183.
Akhtar, P., Tse, Y. K., Khan, Z.,
& Rao-Nicholson, R. Data-
driven and adaptive leadership
contributing to sustainability:
Global agri-food supply chains
connected with emerging
markets. (2016) International
Journal of Production
Economics, 181, 392-401.
This is a framework where the
individuals as well as the
organisations readily adapt to
the environment that change
constantly and hence, respond
to those problems in an
effective manner12. The change
has to be considered
subsequently and then the
organisation has to come with
effective means of change13.
11 Chan, S. C. Paternalistic leadership and employee voice: Does information sharing matter?.(2014) Human
Relations, 67(6), 667-693.
12 Khan, N. Adaptive or transactional leadership in current higher education: A brief comparison. International
Review of Research in Open and Distributed (2017) Learning, 18(3), 178-183.
13 Akhtar, P., Tse, Y. K., Khan, Z., & Rao-Nicholson, R. Data-driven and adaptive leadership contributing to
sustainability: Global agri-food supply chains connected with emerging markets. (2016) International Journal of
Production Economics, 181, 392-401.

6EVOLUTION OF LEADERSHIP THEORIES
6. Green Leadership Tan, B., Pan, S. L., & Zuo, M.
Harnessing collective IT
resources for sustainability:
Insights from the green
leadership strategy of China
mobile. (2015) Journal of the
association for information
science and technology, 66(4),
818-838.
This theory emphaises on the
organisation’s green vision. The
company and the organisations
are devoted to deliver the
green values that are necessary
for the organisation as well as
the environment14. This makes
the subordinates in the
company consider their work as
the reflection of their own
values and morals.
7. CSR Leadership Veríssimo, J. M., & Lacerda, T.
M. Does integrity matter for
CSR practice in organizations?
The mediating role of
transformational
leadership. (2015) Business
Ethics: A European
Review, 24(1), 34-51.
This theory focuses on the
responsibilities of CSR on
leadership. A CSR leader is one
whose actions inspire, support,
and contribute towards a
better world15. It is a blend of
many individual characteristics
that define a CSR leader. It
focuses on the sustainability
challenges that today’s world
faces.
8. Toxic Leadership Mehta, S., & Maheshwari, G.
C. Toxic leadership: Tracing
the destructive trail. (2014)
International Journal of
It is a combination of
motivations, behaviours and
the self-centered attitudes that
can have an impact on the
14 Tan, B., Pan, S. L., & Zuo, M. Harnessing collective IT resources for sustainability: Insights from the green
leadership strategy of China mobile. (2015) Journal of the association for information science and
technology, 66(4), 818-838.
15 Veríssimo, J. M., & Lacerda, T. M. Does integrity matter for CSR practice in organizations? The mediating role of
transformational leadership. (2015) Business Ethics: A European Review, 24(1), 34-51.