Leadership has been described as a “complex process having multiple dimensions” (Northouse, 2013). Over the past 60 years, scholars and practitioners have introduced a vast amount of leadership models and theories to explain this complex field and examine its many perspectives. Numerous leadership theories and models have attempted to define what makes a leader effective. From the early 1900s, the trait paradigm dominated leadership literature, focusing on inherited traits of leaders and suggesting that “leaders are born, not made”. However, during the 1950s, the trait approach lost enthusiasm as focus shifted to the behavior of leaders. Similar to the trait theory, the behavioral paradigm was based on general effective leadership behaviors
Northouse, P. G. (2004). Leadership: Theory and practice (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
Kouzes, J., & Posner, B. (2008). The leadership challenge. 4th ed. San Francisco, CA Jossey-Bass. ISBN: 9780787984915
There tend to be a variety of concepts regarding how, as well as what should undergo consideration when developing leadership in individuals. Scholars have different suggestions on the kind of approaches that should get observed during the practice. As a result, this paper seeks to unravel various forms of leadership approaches, as well as suggesting the best theory that should be in use when creating a perfect leader. Additionally, the work will establish ways of determining the effectiveness of a leadership program.
Hughes, R. L., Ginnett, R. C., & Curphy, G. J. (2012). Leadership: Enhancing the lessons of experience. New York: McGraw-Hill Irwin
Hughes, R. L., Ginnett, R. C., & Curphy, G. J. (2015). Leadership: Enhancing the lessons of experience (8th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill
Northouse, Peter Guy. Leadership: Theory and Practice. 6th ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2004. Print.
Nahavandi, A. (2011). The Art And Science of Leadership (6 ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
This paper first explains the three articles covered by this study to allow the reader to be informed about its topics. After reading these explanations one could be better prepared to understand the following comparisons, contrasts, conclusion, and recommendations. The first article is written by researchers Wright and Panley (2010) and discusses some unexpected findings for transformational leadership in non-private organizations. The second article is an outstanding article written by researchers Emery and Baker (2007) which examines the findings of transformational and reward based leaderships on customer service personnel and its effects on customer satisfaction. The third article is an excellent article written by researchers El-Gazzar, Fornaro, and Jacob (2008) which studies the voluntary disclosure of the Reports of Management’s Responsibilities (RMRs) to the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) and its benefits for the related organization.
From corporations to nonprofits and higher education institutions, leaders – the cornerstone and foundation of organizations – are ultimately responsible for its success. Nonetheless, leadership, often described as complex, can mean different things to different people. Given no standard approach to leadership exists, scholars focus on the process of leadership as opposed to the definition (Northouse, 2013). As a process, leadership is not simply possessing formal authority, traits, or attributes. Quite the reverse, leadership is primarily a relationship – engagement and interactive exchange – between leaders and followers (Morrill, 2007; Northouse, 2013). Effective leadership, commonly regarded as both a learned skill and innate ability, is
Lussier, R. N., & Achua, C. F. (2010). Leadership: theory, application, skill development (4th ed.). Mason, Ohio: Thomson/South-Western.
Leadership at times can be a complex topic to delve into and may appear to be a simple and graspable concept for a certain few. Leadership skills are not simply acquired through position, seniority, pay scale, or the amount of titles an individual holds but is a characteristic acquired or is an innate trait for the fortunate few who possess it. Leadership can be misconstrued with management; a manager “manages” the daily operations of a company’s work while a leader envisions, influences, and empowers the individuals around them.
The literature generally suggests that effective leaders express their needs and motives in ways that benefit the organization. These needs or motives, are considered to be; tenacity, power, drive and work ethic (DuBrin et al. 2006). The power motive is significant, as it plays a major role in the relations taking place within the organization. Power over others is an inevitable part of leadership, but it also carries with it the risks associated with the misuse or abuse of power (Wikipedia, 2008).
Northouse, P. (2010). Leadership: Theory and practice (5th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
Hughes, Ginnett, & Curphy (2009). Leadership: Enhancing the Lessons of Experience (6th Ed). New York, NY McGraw-Hill Irwin