Traditional Theories and Approaches to Leadership

Educational Leadership and Perspectives EDU6009

Trust men and they will be true to you; treat them greatly and they will show themselves to be great.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Traditional Theories and Approaches

Basic Approaches to Leadership

Educational Leadership and Perspectives EDU6009

04/28/12 Prepared and Presented by Dr. D. Bernard-Johnson Management (MLM)

UTECH

M Ed. Ed. Leadership and

What Is Leadership?
Leadership The ability to influence a group toward the achievement of goals. Management Use of authority inherent in designated formal rank to obtain compliance from organizational members.

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Great Person Theories

Trait Approach: one of the first systematic attempts to study leadership
Great Man Theories (early 1900s)

Focused on identifying innate qualities and characteristics possessed by great social, political, & military leaders
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Trait Theories
Traits Theories of Leadership Theories that consider personality, social, physical, or intellectual traits to differentiate leaders from nonleaders. Leadership Traits:: Leadership Traits Extraversion Extraversion Conscientiousness Conscientiousness Openness Openness Emotional Emotional Intelligence Intelligence (qualified) (qualified)

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Historical Shifts in Trait Perspective

Early 1900s 1930-50s 1970s - Early 90s Today
Traits Interacting With Situational Demands on Leaders
Landmark Stogdill (1948)

Great Man Theories Research focused on individual characteristics that universally differentiated leaders from nonleaders Innate Qualities

Revival of Critical Role of Traits in Leader Effectiveness

Stogdill (1974)

5 Major Leadership Traits Intelligence Self-Confidence Determination Integrity Sociability

study - analyzed and synthesized 124 trait studies - Leadership reconceptualized as a relationship between people in a social situation Mann (1959) reviewed 1,400 findings of personality and leadership in small groups - Less emphasis on situations - Suggested personality traits could be used to discriminate leaders from nonleaders Situations

- Analyzed 163 new studies with 1948 study findings - Validated original study - 10 characteristics positively identified with leadership Lord, DeVader, & Alliger (1986) meta-analysis - Personality traits can be used to differentiate leaders/nonleaders Kirkpatrick & Locke (1991) - 6 traits make up the Right Stuff for leaders Personality / Behaviors

Leadership Traits
Studies of Leadership Traits and Characteristics

Major Leadership Traits

Traits to possess or cultivate if one seeks to be perceived by others as a leader:

Intelligence Intellectual ability

including verbal, perceptual, and reasoning capabilities

Self-Confidence Ability to be
certain about ones competencies and skills

Determination The desire to get

the job done (i.e., initiative, persistence,

Major Leadership Traits

Traits to possess or cultivate if one seeks to be perceived by others as a leader:

Integrity The quality of honesty

and trustworthiness Sociability Leaders inclination to seek out pleasant social relationships

How Does the Trait Approach Work?

Focus of Trait Approach Strengths Criticisms Application

Focus of Trait Approach

Leader Personality Assessments

Organizations use Focuses exclusively on personality assessments to find Right people leader What traits leaders exhibit Who has these traits
Assumption - will increase organizational effectiveness Specify characteristics/traits for specific positions
Personality assessment measures for fit Instruments: LTQ, Myers

Trait Approach
Traits (examples)
Extraversion Conscientiousness Openness

Assumption: Leaders are born Goal: Select leaders Problems

Traits do not generalize across situations Better at predicting leader emergence than leader effectiveness

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Strengths
Intuitively appealing
Perception that leaders are different in that they possess special traits People need to view leaders as gifted

Highlights leadership component in the leadership process

Deeper level understanding of how leader/personality related to leadership process

Credibility due to a century of research support

Provides benchmarks for

Criticisms
Fails to delimit a definitive list of leadership traits
Endless lists have emerged

List of most important leadership traits is highly subjective

Much subjective experience & observations serve as basis for identified leadership traits

Doesnt take into account situational effects

Leaders in one situation may not be leaders in another

Research fails to look at traits in relationship to leadership

Trait Theories
Limitations:: Limitations
No universal traits found that predict No universal traits found that predict leadership in all situations. leadership in all situations. Unclear evidence of the cause and effect Unclear evidence of the cause and effect of relationship of leadership and traits. of relationship of leadership and traits. Better predictor of the appearance of Better predictor of the appearance of leadership than distinguishing effective leadership than distinguishing effective and ineffective leaders. and ineffective leaders.
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Application
Provides direction as to which traits are good to have if one aspires to a leadership position Through various tests and questionnaires, individuals can determine whether they have the select leadership traits and can pinpoint their strengths and weaknesses Can be used by managers to assess where they stand within their organization and what is needed to strengthen their position
Leadership Traits
Intelligence

Self-Confidence Determination Integrity Sociability

Behavioral Theories
Behavioral Theories of Leadership Theories proposing that specific behaviors differentiate leaders from nonleaders. Behavioral theory: Behavioral theory: Leadership behaviors can be Leadership behaviors can be taught. taught. Vs. Vs. Trait theory: Trait theory: Leaders are born, not made. Leaders are born, not made.
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Behavioral Approach
Ohio State Studies/U. of Michigan
Initiating Structure/Production Orientation Consideration/Employee Orientation

Assumption: Leaders can be trained Goal: Develop leaders Problem: Effective behaviors do not generalize across situations
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Ohio State Leadership Studies

After WWII Measured specific leader behaviors Identified two dimensions
Consideration Initiating Structure

A leader could possess varying amounts of both dimensions

Ohio State Studies

Behavioral Approaches circa 1950 Ohio State studies generated 1800 items to create two questionnaires: LOQ (Leader opinion questionnaire) completed by supervisors LBDQ(Leader behavior descriptive questionnaire) completed by subordinates
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Ohio State Studies

Major Findings from Ohio State Consideration Structure mutual trust, respect, warmth, concern for others, allowing subordinates to participate in decisions. Initiating Structure Organizing, planning, defining and monitoring group activities, clarifying and facilitating
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Ohio State Studies

Initiating Structure The extent to which a leader is likely to define and structure his or her role and those of subordinates in the search for goal attainment. Consideration The extent to which a leader is likely to have job relationships characterized by mutual trust, respect for subordinates ideas, and regard for their feelings.
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Findings
Inconclusive Some research indicated high consideration and high structure was ideal Not enough research support for this premise Best leadership style seemed contingent on the context
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University of Michigan Studies

(940s-1960s)

Production Orientation Leader emphasizes technical aspects of work Utilitarian view of followers they are merely the tools for completing the work Employee Orientation emphasizes the personal aspects of work Views followers as unique, attends to their
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University of Michigan Studies Employee-Oriented Leader

Emphasizing interpersonal relations; taking a personal interest in the needs of employees and accepting individual differences among members. Production-Oriented Leader One who emphasizes technical or task aspects of the job.

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Findings
Inconclusive Some consistency in support of a high task/high-relationship style Most research indicates that style depends on situation

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The Managerial Grid

(Blake and Mouton)

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EXHIBI T 121

Leadership Dimensions
Production Univ. of Centered Michigan Task Oriented Initiating Employee Centered

Blake and Social Mouton Emotional Ohio State Consideration Structure

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