Preview

Leadership

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1321 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Leadership
Comparison and Contrast Leadership Theories A. Comparison
Contrast
Effectiveness of Great Man and Trait Theories
Conclusion
* * * * * * * * * * * * * I. Introduction * In this paper I will be discussing the significance of The Great Man Theory and the Trait Theory of Leadership. The two leadership styles will also be compared and contrasted and the effectiveness of each discussed. These theories each have many effective qualities and also qualities that are not as effective. Throughout time extensive research has been completed to test these theories. (Daft, 2011) II. Definition of Leadership Theories a. Great Man Theory * Great man theory is the main theory of leadership concepts. This is the earliest study of leadership and consisted of the thought or idea that leaders where always male. The theory is the concept that leaders were born with the traits and natural abilities that are needed to be a good leader. Also typically there was only one “Great Man” that put everything together and influenced others by his natural abilities and traits. (Yamazaki & Stillman) There have been many discussions regarding this theory and many say that great men are products of their societies, and their actions would be impossible without the social conditions built before their lifetime. (Cherry) I consider the Great Man Theory to still be somewhat relevant in modern societies. There are many people who get a head start in a company by having relatives or friends involved within the company and their families have a good name. (Daft, 2011) b. Trait Theory * The trait theory is the belief that leaders have a certain set of traits or characteristics. There are many different characteristics that make up a good leader and are examined by this theory. Traits can be considered a set of characteristics that cause someone to behave a particular way. The


References: Cherry, K. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://psychology.about.com/od/leadership/a/great-man-theory-of-leadership.htm Covey, S. (1991). Principle Centered Leadership. New York: Free Press. Daft, R. L. (2011). The Leadership Experience. (5e ed., Vol. 5). Mason, OH: South-Western Pub. Drucker, P. F. (2004). The Effective Executive. New York, NY: Harper Paperbacks. * Hill, C. . Retrieved from http://www.nydailynews.com/news/money/effective-leader-article-1.372028 McCall. , & Lombardo (n.d.). Retrieved from http://changingminds.org/disciplines/leadership/theories/trait_theory.htm * Yamazaki, Y., & Stillman, P. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/discover/ *
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    W2D1: Understanding Leadership In Healthcare Org
    • 360 Words
    • 2 Pages

    W2D1: Understanding Leadership In Healthcare Org

    The purpose of this essay is to discuss what I have learned by reading this week’s assigned chapter in regards to understanding leadership as a theory. I will discuss the building blocks of “theory”, as well as take a look at the organization in which I work in to take a look at variables that may be used to evaluate the performance of the President of my company.…

    • 360 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    The Anatomy of Leadership, by Baimba Kamara. Jd. (Law)
    • 17190 Words
    • 69 Pages

    The Anatomy of Leadership, by Baimba Kamara. Jd. (Law)

    The following section focuses on the various personal characteristics generally thought to be possessed by those who have been considered to be good leaders. Now it doesn’t mean that a good Leader will possess all of these traits, in fact, far from it. A good leader will exhibit varying degrees of these traits, some to…

    • 17190 Words
    • 69 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Ldr 531 Week 1 Leadership Approach
    • 471 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Ldr 531 Week 1 Leadership Approach

    When looking at leadership from a trait approach, several solid characteristics exist. One of those characteristics is personality. Personality is important especially in the work place and can set the tone of the environment. For example, if a manager/leader has a positive attitude and approach to employees during a situation then the outcome will be positive. When employees are happy and working in positive atmosphere achievements and goals are accomplished. An additional strength of the trait approach is that the approach provides a deep understanding of what makes an individual successful as a leader. This will help future theorists because he or she will have a list of traits that predict leadership.…

    • 471 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Great Leaders in the History of New York
    • 1158 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Great Leaders in the History of New York

    Like the Great Man theory, Trait theory of leadership assume that people inherit certain qualities and traits that make them better suited to leadership. Trait theories often identify certain characteristics or personality types shared by leaders. Traits are considered to be naturally part of a person’s character from the time they are born. From this standpoint, leadership trait theory assumes that people are born as leaders or not as leaders. Since certain traits are associated with leadership, if…

    • 1158 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Trait-Based Perspectives Of Leadership
    • 777 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Trait-Based Perspectives Of Leadership

    The idea of leadership and the traits that contribute to it has experienced a fascinating transformation over time. During the evolution of leadership research, information was obtained, and questions continued, but most interesting of all is the cyclical nature of the trait-based perspective of leadership. There appeared to be recurrent questions and themes as research attempts to determine the formula for effective…

    • 777 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    leadership
    • 892 Words
    • 5 Pages

    leadership

    3 Be able to use appropriate skills and qualities to lead a team and participate in team activities…

    • 892 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Ronald Reagan Leadership
    • 808 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Ronald Reagan Leadership

    There are many definitions of a leader and how their leadership skills can be described. One of the theories developed to study leadership is trait approach. Also known as great man theories, it was developed to explain how traits influenced leadership. This theory suggested that certain people were born with special traits that made them great leaders. (Bass,1990; Jago,1982). For this applied leadership mini paper I chose Ronald Reagan as my leader. Through this paper I would like to enlighten how the Trait approach theory helps me to analyze him as a successful leader.…

    • 808 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Bus 610 Organization Behavior: Find Out What Makes A Good Leader
    • 1134 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Bus 610 Organization Behavior: Find Out What Makes A Good Leader

    Early theories stated that theories of leadership are instinct and not taught. One of the theories is called trait theory. Trait theory is similar to the Great Man theory. Trait theory describes the personality and behavior of a leader. According to the trait theory, there are other characteristics that leaders might have like extraversion, self confidence, and courage. Trait theory also stated that people are born with these traits and also have the potential to be good leaders (Cherry,2013).…

    • 1134 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Leadership Comparison Matrix
    • 1343 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Leadership Comparison Matrix

    It began with an examination of identifying qualities of great persons. Leadership skills at that time were esteemed to be a privilege of birth: leaders were born, not made (Kirkpatrick & Locke, 1996; Cawthon, 1996). One had to be of the right breed to lead; all others had to be led. No matter the amount of yearning or learning, one’s destiny could not change. The beginning of the paradigm shifted to include the impetus of situations on leadership. Recalling the critical role of traits in effective leadership is currently a re-paradigm shift (Bryman, 1992; Lord, DeVader, & Alliger, 1986). The trait approach of leadership is currently having a rebirth with researchers. In 1991, Kirkpatrick and Locke asserted that non-leaders converge on six traits: drive, the desire to lead, honesty and integrity, self-confidence, cognitive ability, and knowledge of the…

    • 1343 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Leadership
    • 5470 Words
    • 15 Pages

    Leadership

    Leadership style is the combination of traits, skills, and behaviors leaders use as they interact with people. In order for one to favor a leadership style, one must understand where the leadership styles originated. Throughout the years, the topic of leadership has been debated. However, research indicates that certain characteristics or traits are inherent in leaders According to research, the 1940’s proffered leaders as maintaining certain traits. These traits were based on physical and personality characteristics as well as intelligence and interpersonal skills. Marquis & Huston associated the Great Man Trait Theory with that of the Aristotelian philosophy, which indicated that leaders were born and not made and depending on the need a leader would surface.…

    • 5470 Words
    • 15 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Reflective Leadership Plan Paper
    • 1939 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Reflective Leadership Plan Paper

    The writings from Avolio, Yammarino, Wren, and Clawson covered a multitude of information on leadership styles, practices, and models. Clawson described six categories of leadership in great detail. First, the trait approach focuses on a leader’s traits to prove the theory that some people have an advantage over their counter parts in leadership. References to the work of Stogdill, Bass, Maccoby, Gardner, and Collins are used to covey the power of trait. Second, the behavior approach has been researched since the 1950’s. Mintzberg and Kotter provide powerful insight from CEO’s on the roles that leaders fill. Stewart…

    • 1939 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Nonprofit Organizations: A Non-Profit Analysis
    • 905 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Nonprofit Organizations: A Non-Profit Analysis

    Some of the most prominent features are performance, motivation, honesty, integrity, self-confidence, cognitive ability, business knowledge, and expertise. The theories also support the idea that effective leadership is influenced by certain combinations of these traits and other personal qualities. Zaccaro (2007) points to a close relationship between trait theory and conditional leadership. It is also believed that the choice of a theory’s model is not mutually exclusive, but rather trait theory supports conditional leadership. That is for a leader to be successful in a situation, the leader must possess a set of a specific characteristic. Additionally, the characteristics that the person possesses can determine if the individual has the capability to emerge as a leader in each…

    • 905 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Leadership And Time Management Self-Assessment Tool
    • 886 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Leadership And Time Management Self-Assessment Tool

    The "Great Man Theory" which was a sexist perspective for the most part formerly imagined that with a detailed goal to be a sufficient leader, you must be a male and conceived with those qualities. As time passed, various distinctive hypotheses in regards to the characteristics of leaders have surfaced: Trait Theory, Behavioral Theory, Contingency Theory, and Contemporary Theory. For my personality and my qualities the Contemporary theory completes me the best. This theory is decisive based on the level of development the person has. Knowing an individual’s needs, objectives, participation, and ability are all components that a leader ought to know in turn of becoming a successful leader (Grossman & Valiga, 2013). I personally think it is important to not only be mindful of my expectations for the group, but to also be knowledgeable of the individual’s views and ambitions as…

    • 886 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Similarities and Differences between the Trait and Behavior Leadership Theories by Walter Johnson
    • 543 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Similarities and Differences between the Trait and Behavior Leadership Theories by Walter Johnson

    Leadership theories debate over what makes a good leader. Over the years, many schools of thought have developed that give different explanations about where leaders come from, how they can be identified, and what causes an “executive” rather than a “servile” personality. Trait theory and behaviorism are two similar approaches to these questions. They both see leadership as an objective set of qualities or actions that must be mastered. They differ on who can develop these behaviors.…

    • 543 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Leadership
    • 6149 Words
    • 25 Pages

    Leadership

    * Explain how it is possible to estimate the partial effect of the exogenous variables, even if ceteris paribus assumption is false.…

    • 6149 Words
    • 25 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More

Related Topics