Theories of Leadership free essay sample

The leader provides coaching, direction, motivation and rewards for the followers. †¢ Situational Theory recommends that different situations call for different kinds of leadership. This calls for the leader to change their style to the abilities of their followers. Transactional Theory. Transactional leadership requires that the leader and follower agree to a contract. The follower is responsible for following orders to perform a task. The leader, in turn, gives rewards for following orders in completing the task. Transactional leadership suggests that people only complete tasks when there are external rewards. However, many people accomplish tasks and reach goals because of their own internal motivation. Transformational Theory. Transformational leadership is a process in which the leader engages others, builds trust and creates a connection that increases the motivation and morality in both the leader and the follower. (Northouse, 2001). A trans ­ formational leader focuses on others and their needs in order to help them reach their potential. We will write a custom essay sample on Theories of Leadership or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In many ways, transformational leadership is about a leader’s ability to create a vision related to a goal that has meaning for both the leader and follower. Personalizing Leadership Which of these theories has the most appeal to you? Write a description about how and when you would use the theory, with whom, where and what skills you may need to learn to be more effective. What theory? Behavior theories are based on categories of behavior and leadership types. The myth in this thinking is that outward behavior is enough to establish leadership. In the 1970s, research found most of the Behavior theory research to be invalid (Howell and Costley, 2001; Yaverbaum and Sherman, 2008); however, leadership behavior is still frequently discussed. Contingency Theory. In a more progressive approach to leadership, Contingency theory recom ­ mends matching a leader’s style to the right situ ­ ation, which involves matching to the team of people and goals. Two common Contingency theories are Path-Goal theory and Situational theory. †¢ Path-Goal Theory proposes that effective leaders help followers reach goals through motivation by involving them in fulfilling and meaningful tasks How do you plan to use what you have learned? When will you use what you learned? References and Suggested Reading Bass, B. M. (1990). Bass and Stogdill’s Handbook of