CONCEPTS AND

THEORIES OF
LEADERSHIP

1
 CONCEPTS AND
THEORIES OF
LEADERSHIP
2 BEM JAPHET AUDU, PhD
Department of History and War Studies,
Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna
CONCEPT OF
LEADERSHIP
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• Plato
• Socrates
• Stogdill (1974)
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CONCEPT OF
LEADERSHIP
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leadership is a process
whereby an individual
influences a group of
individuals to achieve a
common goal.
P.G Northouse
CONCEPT OF
LEADERSHIP
6 Gary Yukl.
leadership is the process
of influencing others to
understand and agree
about what needs to be
done and how to do it, and
the process of facilitating
individual and collective
efforts to accomplish
shared objectives.
CONCEPT OF
LEADERSHIP
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The U.S. military has also studied leadership in depth.

One of their definitions states that leadership “is a
process by which a person influences others to
accomplish a mission
PROCESSES IN COMMON
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a) A person influences others through social influence, not power,

to get something accomplished (bosses use power to get things
done);
b) Leadership requires others, who are not necessarily direct-
reports, to get something accomplished;
c) There is a need to accomplish something;
d) Leadership is inspiring others to pursue your vision within the
parameters you set, to the extent that it becomes a shared
effort, a shared vision, and a shared success; and
e) Leadership is a process of social influence, which maximizes
the efforts of others, towards the achievement of a goal.
Trait Leadership
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“leaders
were born
rather than
made.”
 UNIQUENESS

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Skills,
knowledge,
and attributes
make the
Leader
While leadership is learned, a leader’s skills and knowledge can be
influenced by his or hers attributes or traits, such as beliefs, values,
ethics, and character.
 The Primary Factors of
Leadership
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According to the U.S. Army, there are four primary factors of

leadership which require our attention and study.

• L e a d e r : A s a l e a d e r, you must have an honest understanding of

who you are, what you know, and what you can do. Also, note that it is
the followers, not the leader or someone else who determines if the
leader is successful. If they do not trust or lack confidence in their
leader, then they will be uninspired. To be successful you have to
convince your followers, not yourself or your superiors, that you are
worthy of being followed.
 
 a) F o l l o wer : Different people require different styles of
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leadership. For example, a new hire requires more supervision
than an experienced employee does. A person who lacks
motivation requires a different approach than one with a high
degree of motivation. You must know your people! The
fundamental starting point is having a good understanding of
human nature, such as needs, emotions, and motivation. You
must come to know your employees' be, know, and do
attributes. A very high degree of human intelligence is required
here.
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• Communication: You lead through two-way
communication. Much of it is nonverbal. For instance,
when you “set the example,” that communicates to
your people that you would not ask them to perform
anything that you would not be willing to do. What and
how you communicate either builds or harms the
relationship between you and your followers.
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• S i t u at i on : All situations are different. What you do
in one situation will not always work in another. You
must use your judgment to decide the best course of
action and the leadership style needed for each
situation. For example, you may need to confront an
employee for inappropriate behavior, but if the
confrontation is too late or too early, too harsh or too
weak, then the results may prove ineffective.
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16 Theories of Leadership

For decades, leadership theories have been the source of

numerous studies. In reality as well as in practice, many
have tried to define what allows authentic leaders to stand
apart from the mass. Hence, there are as many theories on
leadership as there are philosophers, researchers and
professors that have studied and ultimately published their
leadership theory.
 The Great man theory
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The Great Man theory evolved around the mid 19th century, precisely about the 1840s. As the
name suggests; only a man could have the characteristic (s) of a great leader.

The Great Man theory assumes that the traits of leadership are intrinsic. That simply means that
great leaders are born... they are not made. This theory sees great leaders as those who are
destined by birth to become a leader. Furthermore, the belief was that great leaders will rise
when confronted with the appropriate situation. The theory was popularized by Thomas Carlyle,
a writer and teacher. Just like him, the Great Man theory was inspired by the study of influential
heroes. In his book On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and the Heroic in History, he compared a wide
array of heroes.

In 1860, Herbert Spencer, an English philosopher disputed the great man theory by affirming
that these heroes are simply the product of their times and their actions the results of social
conditions.
18 Trait theory
The trait leadership theory was popularized during the 1930s and 1940s.
Proponents of the theory believe that people are either born or are made with
certain qualities that will make them excel in leadership roles. That is, certain
qualities such as intelligence, sense of responsibility, creativity and other
values puts anyone in the shoes of a good leader.
The trait theory of leadership focused on analyzing mental, physical and
social characteristic in order to gain more understanding of what is the
characteristic or the combination of characteristics that are common among
leaders. There were many shortfalls with the trait leadership theory. However,
from a psychology of personalities approach, Gordon Allport's studies are
among the first ones and have brought, for the study of leadership, the
behavioural approach.
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 Behavioral theory
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During the 1940s and 1950s, and in reaction to the trait leadership theory,
the behavioural theories offered a new perspective, one that focuses on the
behaviours of the leaders as opposed to their mental, physical or social
characteristics. Thus, with the evolutions in psychometrics, notably the factor
analysis, researchers were able to measure the cause and effects relationship
of specific human behaviours from leaders. From this point forward anyone
with the right conditioning could have access to the once before elite club of
naturally gifted leaders. In other words, leaders are made not born.
The behavioural theories first divided leaders in two categories. Those that
were concerned with the tasks and those concerned with the people.
Throughout the literature these are referred to as different names, but the
essence are identical. This development brought about theories like the
managerial grid model/leadership grid and role theory.
21 Contingency theory
The 1960s saw the emergence of a new leadership theory called the
Contingency Leadership theory. It argues that there is no single way of leading
and that every leadership style should be based on certain situations, which
signifies that there are certain people who perform at the maximum level in
certain places; but at minimal performance when taken out of their element.
To a certain extent contingency leadership theories are an extension of the
trait theory, in the sense that human traits are related to the situation in which
the leaders exercise their leadership. It is generally accepted within the
contingency theories that leader are more likely to express their leadership
when they feel that their followers will be responsive.
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Theories associated with contingency theory include:

a) Fiedler's contingency theory
b) Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Theory
c) Path-goal theory
d) Vroom-Yetton-Jago decision-making model of leadership
e) Cognitive Resource Theory
f) Strategic Contingencies Theory
23 Transactional leadership theory

Transactional theories, also known as exchange theories of leadership, were

developed in the 1970s. Transactional leadership theories are characterized by a
transaction made between the leader and the followers. In fact, the theory values
a positive and mutually beneficial relationship. For the transactional theories to
be effective and as a result have motivational value, the leader must find a means
to align to adequately reward (or punish) his follower, for performing leader-
assigned task. In other words, transactional leaders are most efficient when they
develop a mutual reinforcing environment, for which the individual and the
organizational goals are in sync.
 Transactional leadership theory
(continues)
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This is a theory that focuses on the exchanges that take place
between leaders and followers.  It is based in the notion that a
leader’s job is to create structures that make it abundantly clear
what is expected of his/her followers and also the consequences
(i.e. rewards and punishments) for meeting or not meeting these
expectations.  This theory is often likened to the concept and
practice of management and continues to be an extremely
common component of many leadership models and
organizational structures.
 Transactional leadership theory
(continues)
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The transactional theorists state that humans in general are seeking to
maximize pleasurable experiences and to diminish un-pleasurable
experiences. Thus, we are more likely to associate ourselves with
individuals that add to our strengths. Another theory associated with this
is the Leader-Member Exchange theory.

Military leaders, especially need to understand LMX Theory of

leadership. It suggests that leaders favour some subalterns more than
others. Subalterns are differentially treated. There are in-groups and out-
groups. Those in the in-group have more resources and attention while
those on the outside must work to gain favour.
26 Transformational leadership theory

Another very important leadership theory that was developed in the 1970s is the
Transformational Leadership theory. It states that leadership is a process by which a person
interacts with others and is able to create a solid relationship that results in a high
percentage of trust, that will later result in an increase of motivation, both intrinsic and
extrinsic, in both leaders and followers.

The essence of transformational theories is that leaders transform their followers through
their inspirational nature and charismatic personalities. Rules and regulations are flexible,
guided by group norms. These attributes provide a sense of belonging for the followers as
they can easily identify with the leader and its purpose.
 This theory states that leadership is the process by which a person engages
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with others and is able to create a connection that results in increased
motivation and morality in both followers and leaders.  It is often likened to
the theory of charismatic leadership that espouses that leaders with certain
qualities, such as confidence, extroversion, and clearly stated values, are best
able to motivate followers.  The key in transformational leadership is for the
leader to be attentive to the needs and motives of followers in an attempt to
help them reach their maximum potential.  In addition, transformational
leadership typically describes how leaders can initiate, develop, and
implement important changes in an organization.  This theory is often
discussed in contrast with transactional leadership.
 Skills Theory
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This theory states that learned knowledge and acquired
skills/abilities are significant factors in the practice of effective
leadership.  Skills theory by no means disavows the connection
between inherited traits and the capacity to be an effective leader –
it simply argues that learned skills, a developed style, and acquired
knowledge, are the real keys to leadership performance.  It is of
course the belief that skills theory is true that warrants all the effort
and resources devoted to leadership training and development.
29 Situational Theory

This theory suggests that different situations require different

styles of leadership.  That is, to be effective in leadership
requires the ability to adapt or adjust one’s style to the
circumstances of the situation.  The primary factors that
determine how to adapt are an assessment of the competence
and commitment of a leader’s followers.  The assessment of
these factors determines if a leader should use a more directive
or supportive style.
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Path-Goal Theory

This theory is about how leaders motivate followers to accomplish identified

objectives.  It postulates that effective leaders have the ability to improve the
motivation of followers by clarifying the paths and removing obstacles to high
performance and desired objectives.  The underlying beliefs of path-goal theory
(grounded in expectancy theory) are that people will be more focused and
motivated if they believe they are capable of high performance, believe their
effort will result in desired outcomes, and believe their work is worthwhile.
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Servant Leadership Theory

This conceptualization of leadership reflects a philosophy that

leaders should be servants first. It suggests that leaders must
place the needs of followers, customers, and the community
ahead of their own interests in order to be effective.  The idea of
servant leadership has a significant amount of popularity within
leadership circles – but it is difficult to describe it as a theory
inasmuch as a set of beliefs and values that leaders are
encouraged to embrace.
32 CONCLUSION

Every leader has the propensity to

exhibit more than just one style of
leadership or his or her actions may
cut across more than just one
leadership theory. This only goes to
show the dynamism of leadership
both in practice and theory.
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