Leadership Theories: Main Trait Theory

Lussier and Achua (2004) define the leadership styles as a combination of traits, skills, and behaviours leaders use as they interact with employees. In order for one to understand and decide on a certain leadership styles, one must know the characteristics of the favourable leadership style. Over the years researchers have been debating on the topic of leadership, as conducting different studies the styles have different output.

Nevertheless, the research done on this topic is indicating that specific characteristics or traits are inherent in leaders and as cited in Murphy (2005) is can’t be develop thought educations or personal skills. The Great Main Trait Theory indicated that leaders were born and not made and the trait theory is pointing out that certain traits are necessary for a leader to succeed.

The studies conducted on leadership styles, didn’t started until the 1930s, as there was not much academic interest in these respective areas of leadership. In the literature the most extensive research that analysis the two types of leadership styles and the influences that has on the work performances was carried out by University of Iowa conducted by Kurt Lewin, White and Lippitt, the two styles identified were the autocratic and democratic leadership style (Sadler, 2003, p. 70).

Lewin and associates conducted studies on four groups formed by eleven-year-old boys under different types of work climate, their aim was to compare the two leadership styles identified by them and analyse how the group’s members will react to.

The conclusion made by researchers was that the autocratic leader is the type of leader that will take decisions and impose them on the subordinates without giving them any opportunity to question the decisio...

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...h consideration. A comparative study by Hersey and Blanchard (1988) found that the effectiveness of leadership styles was consolidated on the maturity of the subordinates they refer to the ability and willingness of employees to work on without directions. The findings suggested that when subordinates maturity is high the best approach is the relationship-orientated styles, the task orientated styles was proven to work in the case when the maturity of subordinates is lacking (Sadler, 2003, p. 77)

Even so with the data analysed from multiple leadership studies, there was no conclusive evidence to name the most effective leadership style, what the contingency theories discovered is that that employees are more satisfied with a leader that is using an approach high in consideration and that the productivity levels are higher than normal (Lussier & Achua, 2004, p. 75).