Leadership Theories and Development: A Reflective Journal

This assignment is an individual reflective journal created by a student for the MBA401 People, Culture, and Contemporary Leadership course. The journal explores six leadership theories: Great Man, Trait, Behavioral, Contingency, Transformational, and Transactional leadership. For each theory, the student reflects on their understanding, their own leadership style, organizational factors affecting leadership effectiveness, and personal development strategies. The journal analyzes the historical context, strengths, and weaknesses of each theory and how they relate to the student's professional development. The discussion includes the impact of different leadership styles and how these styles can be applied to improve leadership skills. This assignment demonstrates a critical analysis of leadership theories and their practical applications in a professional context.

Running Head: LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Introduction:
This research paper aims to contact of a brief discussion about leadership theories.
Therefore the leadership theories will be described briefly. Six types of leadership theories
exist in this research paper; every leadership theory journals will be presented in a brief
reflective manner. The six type of leadership theories are the great man theory, trait theory,
behavioural theories, contingency theories, transactional leadership theories transformational
leadership theories. However, the six types of leadership theories will be comprised
reflectively by defining their journals in a way to describe my leadership style, describing the
organisational factors that can either assist or inhibit myself from being an effective leader,
what should I do to develop myself and my leadership skills. Therefore, the three key points
will be reflected in every leadership journal's reflective discussion to make a valid point and
to make an individual reflective journal that can explore people culture and its contemporary
leadership theories as well as concepts that can cover new way of leadership theories
comprised in a reflective manner that can be applied to assist own professional development.
However, the discussion will be conducted in six different leadership journal reviews
reflective manner in the later part off the research paper.
Discussion:
1. The Great Man Theory:
I think that the origin of the great man theory and how this theory greatly influences
the people as well as the academic leadership literature to date. In this research paper, I will
present the leadership style I believe as well as that exercise in collaborative and exclusive
activities that can be most effective. If I have a chance to lead, I can be confident that I would
be a great leader to perform collaboratively and exclusively. Later, I was surprised, by
knowing that it is the way of great man tendency of leadership style. Therefore the purpose of

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the great man theory is to focus on the great leaders such as Winston Churchill, Mahatma
Gandhi, and so on. These people have performed as a great man, and the great man was born
out of aristocracy. As I have read the journal, the great man always came from the lower and
middle-class families given the opportunity to be a leader. However, the confidence and the
positivity the leaders possessed, such as Napoleon Bonaparte, he was said to be a born leader
through his leadership qualities.
The great man theory, however, perceived to be derived from the trait theory of
leadership. Great man theory features that in the early times, the leaders were mostly male
and the researchers as well. Therefore this theory presents a golden opportunity by creating
and androcentric bias in the leadership theories. In this theory, I observed the leaders look act
and give their leadership skills to make fundamental changes by their intelligence,
adjustment, extroversion, masculinity and dominance as well.
2. Trait Theory:
I think that the Trait Theory has begun from the habitable patterns related thoughts
behaviour actions feelings and emotions that can determine and individuals perspective to
make relative and consistent ways the taking part in the situations with time. Leadership itself
is a unique as well as debatable topic, if I perform s treat leadership believer I will express
my personality traits as a quality and characteristic related to complex patterns of thoughts
emotions and behavioural approach of me to distinctive, stable situations of a group of
people, place, community or nation. The trait theory is an approach to identify and measure to
study the personality of a human being as I have convinced by reading the journal. Therefore
the development of personality traits is one of the very behavioural changes human being to
be anxious shy having thoughts will lead to being an optimist pessimist that varies from
person to person.

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The trait theory, as I believe, is raised the development of a human being in his
leadership skills from the internal notions related to emotional as well as personality.
Therefore the treat leadership theory suggests the terms like intelligence honesty shyness and
main anxiousness traits that develop with time. The trait leadership in my experience is
focused on the basic foundation of a person that changes with time and develops there
personality like building blocks build a house.
3. Behavioural Theory Of Leadership:
I think that the behavioural approach of a leader tends to affect more than having
leadership traits. Therefore, the effectiveness of the behaviour aspects of a leader can lead to
more variance of leadership than just developing personality traits. I think the behavioural
perspective of a leader is a very important predictor of the effectiveness of his leadership skill
as well as the leadership traits he possesses. In terms of evidence across the behavioural
paradigms, It can make the effectiveness comes from a behavioural perspective related to
personality and intelligence can make a humongous change in the leadership skill set as well
as its effectiveness. As found in the journal, there is no integration among leadership traits,
whereas, in terms of the effectiveness, the behavioural aspects have independent effects on
the leadership development of an individual being.
The behavioural theory of leadership, as I have experienced, is not focused on
different traits of leadership, such as their gender intelligence and personality. The sole
purpose of the behavioural theory of leadership is to find the effectiveness of a leader through
his behavioural aspects. A leader can be effective in making behavioural changes by
relational orientation to make a change in his skills. Therefore the behaviour aspects need to
consider, empower, participate, develop and enable the leadership skills transformation and

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bring charismatic, inspirational leadership movement in this way I believe the behavioural
theory of leadership can bring change in me.
4. The Contingency Leadership Theory:
I think that the contingency leadership theory is solely focused on the fundamental
belief that no one is the best leader or possess a unique style of leadership. Particularly I can
suggest that leader with contingency leadership believes in identifying the indispensable role
of growth and survival by ensuring the best possibility with the right behaviour. Therefore it
can be Saint that the contingency leadership theory relies on behavioural aspects. As per the
journal, contingency leadership theory projects to find the best opportunity to bring success in
the organisational performance by encouraging employees to share their creative ideas,
opinions and provide the leader clear direction to achieve organisational purposes and
objectives as well.
However, theories and concepts of contingency theory are profoundly focused on
small businesses and their relationship between the leader and the employees. According to
my point of view, the revelation of the multidimensional characteristics of a leader is
involved in the process of influencing to make sustainable changes in the mission vision
beliefs and values of an organisation by achieving the greater goals as a leader by making
changes according to the contingency theory of leadership skills. As I have read the
contingency theory of leadership expresses the fact that a leader can adjust the behavioural
understanding to make a rational change in the situation by assuming the forthcoming
occasion. I believe conceiving leadership theories based on the contingency leadership
method which is only focused on behavioural approaches of a leader depending on the

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situation can be an effective way to make a validate change in making organisational
progress.
5. Transformational Leadership Theory:
I think the transformational leadership theory is profoundly Focus down the cultural
aspects of an organisation. Therefore it is solely focused on making transformational leaders
contribute to making an effective culture within an organisation. As per the journal, the
transformational leadership theory focus on making leader who accounts for the higher level
approaching influence superiors rather than making a middle-level leader who takes the
approach by influencing the subordinates as well. I believe in the theoretical concepts of
transformational leadership theory, and there is no determined set of effective leadership
skills. Therefore it lacks the diversity of leadership theories which can make an effective
change in leadership skills. I also read in the journal that the transformational leadership
theory lax in providing a systematic approach to make fireworks on the leadership aspects,
therefore, the transformational leadership have very less connection with the realities of
changing situations in the present world.
I, as a transformational leader, can experience the viewpoints that can argue in
making a leader or an effective leader. However, other leadership theories can give birth to a
leadership aspect; Transformational Theory suggests to make a leader focused on the positive
philosophy rather than making effective changes. Therefore I would recommend the title
servant leader as per the journal as well in respective of transformational leadership. The
critical insights as I have understood is mainly the lack of past studies, and theoretical
development of the transformational theory has not gone so far to make it effective in
exploring with the current situations.
6. Transactional Leadership Theory:

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I think that the transactional leadership theory is mainly focused on creating a shared
value of behavioural approach between the employees and the leader in an organisation to
promote creativity and sharing through a contingent reward system. As per the journal the
transactional leadership theory is profoundly interested into behavioural changes to create
and innovate new organisational development strategies by predicting the employee
motivation as well as effective the effectiveness of a leader by the transactional leadership
theory. I, as a transactional leader, can mostly focus on creative involvement among the
employees to generate more robust growth in making sustainable changes in enhancing the
organisational culture.
Transactional leadership theory, as I believe is offered to generate new ideas to solve
problems negotiate to collaborate as well as communicate in order to bring out a purpose
among the employees and the leader to determine in which way the organisation can be led to
gain and generate creativity and innovation by achieving competitive advantage in the goals
as well. The critical perspective of the transactional leadership theory is it is solely focused
on the creativity and innovation where the employees of an organisation, please put forward
to generate creative ideas improve and modify the organisational ways procedures as well as
policies. I believe in this way, the leadership aspects of organisational leader can flourish by
taking initiatives for innovation by the subordinates. The leadership skills nurturing creativity
and innovation competes in a greater value-added to growth and survival strategies of an
organisation.
Conclusion:
This research paper was aimed to conduct a brief analysis of leadership theories and
their journals reflective manner. Therefore a study conducted on the six leadership theories
such as the great man theory the trait theory of leadership the behavioural theory of

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leadership the contingency leadership theory the transformational leadership theory and the
transactional leadership theory. Therefore the leadership theories express values mission
vision and beliefs of an organisational leader various aspects related to organisational
development. Such as the great man theory suggests a leader is gone out of aristocracy, which
is related to the past times of political conflict in the world. Whereas, the trait theory makes
perspective where did to the personality of a leader. Trait theory suggests that leaders are
developed with their thoughts, behaviour actions, feelings and emotions which help them to
determine the perspective and the notion of the situations with time. However, the
behavioural theory of leadership tends to affect more than leadership traits it focuses on
behavioural aspects of a leader which can be effective in predicting the changes related to the
situations. The Contingency leadership theory solely focused on the fundamental beliefs
related to the non-existence of the best leader or and unique style of leadership. Therefore it
suggests that ensuring the right behaviour can lead to making the best leader achieve
organisational purposes and objectives as well. Whereas, the transformational leadership
theory profoundly focuses on the cultural aspects of an organisation and its leadership aspects
related to it. It is accounted for the higher level of approaching and influencing the superiors
to make a change in the organisational processes. The transactional leadership theory is
mainly focused on creating and innovating new ways to make an organisational change by
generating employee involvement in the control of the leader. Therefore the research paper
solely aims at differentiating among the leadership theories and their significant aspects by
assessing them reflectively to put forward a discussion that can be effective in learning the
leadership theories with time.

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The Journals:
1. http://www.jameslconsulting.com/documents/GreatManTheory.pdf
2. http://www.ijstm.com/images/short_pdf/1480489811_537ijstm.pdf
3. https://www.academia.edu/4142273/Behavioural_theory_of_leadership
4. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1847979017743172
5. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/dd7c/e38da908a1db02d569bb5a7a68b1cc1a8eab.pdf
6. https://www.cogentoa.com/article/10.1080/23311975.2017.1361663.pdf