The paper has 3 components:
Personal Leadership Style: You should select a theory or theories that best represent your own personal leadership style. You should describe these theories and explain how they have influenced your past and present leadership experiences.
Personal Definition of Leadership: From what you now know about leadership, you will share your own personal definition of leadership. Be sure to include any values, assumptions, and/or experiences that helped you to arrive at this definition.
Future Leadership Style: Given your leadership learning just during our time together in this course, you should have some idea about your leadership future. How do you envision your future leadership style? What might it look like? How might it differ (or not) from your current leadership style, and why
DETAILS
– Your paper MUST include and cite AT LEAST SIX (6) different theories introduced in the course materials or readings. These six can and should be woven throughout the 3 paper components. Please note that describing the delegating and coaching styles of the Situational Leadership theory does not constitute 2 theories. Rather, they are both components of the theory/concept of Situational Leadership.
– In identifying the theories, it is important to be as specific as you can in mapping and helping the reader understand WHY you chose a particular theory for application. Substantiating your arguments with citations and quotes from the book/course material to support your claims not only helps the uninformed reader understand the material and terms, it also helps to further support your choice of theory in those particular applications.
– The paper should include citations, both in-text and in a reference/work cited list formatted appropriately and consistently for the style guide of your choosing (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.).
– Your paper should be 6-7 full pages, not including any cover pages or reference lists required by your style guide of choice (e.g., APA, MLA, etc.).
Choose 6 theories out of these to include in your paper:
1. Trait Approach & 2. Behavioral Approach
Trait approaches focus on innate qualities or characteristics that can be useful for leaders. Behaviors focus on how someone acts in a leadership role or process with regard to the people involved and the task at hand.
3. Skills Approach & 4. Relationship Approach
While trait approach examined innate personality characteristics, the skills approach focuses on those abilities and competencies that can be learned and developed. Includes Leader-Member Exchange Theory (LMX), an approach to leadership that focuses on leader-follower relationships.
– skills approach:
Leadership is rooted in individual skills and abilities
Skills and abilities can be learned and developed
Leadership can be learned and developed
5. Contingency Approach
In general, contingency approaches assume that leadership can vary across situations and there is not one universally acceptable style of leading. Contingency approaches are concerned with matching the leader or leadership style to the situation, depending on the context in which the leader/follower is working in. It is important to note, contingency theories are useful as a tool for management, which as we have learned is essential to leadership. Contingency theories are focused on leader-follower dynamics and the dyadic relationship within a supervisory context and should not be applied to entire groups or collective leadership processes.
– Includes Path-Goal Theory: how leaders motivate subordinates to accomplish designated goals, including adjusting their behaviors to fit what the subordinate and situation needs. Leaders define goals, clarify the path, remove obstacles, provide support
leader behaviors:
directive
Leader behaviors include providing necessary instructions about tasks, including how it should be done and a timeline
Subordinates understand clear standards of performance
Rules are very important
2. supportive
Behavior consists of being friendly and approachable
3. participative
Behavior includes inviting subordinates to share in the decision making process
Their ideas, opinions, and suggestions are integrated
4. achievement-oriented
Challenges subordinates to perform work at the highest level possible
———————————————————————————————————-
6. Situational Approach
The situational approach suggests that leaders should change their style depending on the follower’s needs for various situations.
4 styles:
Directing: leader focuses on goal achievement and gives instructions about what and how goals are to be achieved
Coaching: leader focuses on communication and both achieving goals and meeting followers emotional needs – giving encouragement and asking for input
Supporting; focuses on goals using behaviors that bring out the followers skills to accomplish the task at hand
Delegating: leaders are not involved and followers take on the responsibility to get a task done in the way they see fit
7. Transformational & 8. Transactional
Many leadership theories and models focus on the exchange that occurs between leader and follower. These exchanges are often quid pro quo and are, in effect, transactions between leader and follower. This kind of leadership is known as Transactional Leadership. Comparatively, when we consider the relationship between leader and follower and the effects each has on the other, we must consider a different kind of leadership called Transformational Leadership.
– Transactional leadership can be seen as a type of leading in which there is strict control and guidelines to follow. The tasks being assigned and completed act as the “transaction” that the leader has put into place. This type of leadership is more managerial in a sense, rather than being influential. The leader is also considered to be more of a micro-manager.
– Transformational leadership on the other hand focuses on leading the group by inspiring action and creativity. This includes actively communicating with the group, and inspiring them to act because they want to, not because they have to. In this style, the managing aspect is more relaxed.
9. Servant
‘Serve first, then lead’ is the philosophy of servant leaders. Servant leadership is a leadership approach that prioritizes other people’s needs. Servant leaders focus on their followers’ growth as people and ensure they reach their highest potential. Servant leaders practice empathy and embody ethical leadership. Giving and receiving feedback is especially important for servant leaders.
10. Authentic Leadership
Authentic leadership is about the authenticity of the leaders and their leadership. Authentic leadership is an approach to leadership that emphasizes building the leader’s legitimacy through honest relationships with followers who value their input and are built on an ethical foundation. Generally, authentic leaders are positive people with truthful self-concepts who promote openness. By building trust and generating enthusiastic support from followers, authentic leaders are able to improve individual and team performance.
