comparing theories of management

Comparing Theories of Leadership and Management Theories of leadership and management first came about in the early 1900’s. These early theories were characterized by focus on individual traits and behaviors of successful leaders while later theories examined situational context and the role of followers or subordinates in the success of a leader. Here, I will examine and compare two theories of leadership and management - one from an earlier point in history and one that came about more recently in an attempt to showcase similarities and differences between the who and how each relates to my own personal style of management. The first theory I will examine and one of the earlier theories on leadership and management is the Trait Theory. This theory is derived from the “Great Man” theory which according to Bolden, Gosling, Marturano & Dennison (2003), suggests that leaders are born with exceptional, innate qualities and are destined to lead. The idea of the “Great Man” theory came from looking at great leaders from the past and determining that the reason they became great leaders was because they possessed something about them that was not common in the average person. The trait theory expanded on this idea of an unknown “it” factor in great leaders by identifying and listing those qualities or traits of an effective leader to determine a person’s likelihood of success or failure as a leader. The core traits identified with the Trait Theory include the following (“Trait Theory of Leadership,” 2013):
Achievement Drive – high levels of effort, ambition, energy and initiative
Leadership Motivation – desire to lead others to reach shared goals
Honesty and Integrity – high levels of openness, reliability and trustworthiness
Self-Confidence – belief in one’s self, ideas and abilities
Cognitive Ability – Capable of exercising good judgment, strong analytical skills and conceptually skilled.
Knowledge of Business – Knowledge of the industry and

Cited: Bolden, R., Gosling, J., Marturano, A. & Dennison, P. (June, 2003) A Review of Leadership Theory ad Competency Frameworks. Retrieved from http://www.strategies-for- managing-change.com/support-files/leadershiptheoryexeteruniversity.pdf Trait Theory of Leadership. (n.d.) Retrieved December 2, 2013 from http://managementstudyguide.com/trait-theory-of-leadership.htm Transformational Leadership Theory. (n.d). Retrieved December 2, 2013, from http://managementstudyguide.com/transformational-leadership.htm