| Theory |
Summary |
Examples | Applicability |
| Trait | Great leaders are born with a set of traits/innate qualities. Focus is on the leader not the situation. | Leaders differ from average individuals in intelligence, alertness, insight, responsibility, initiative, persistence, self-confidence, and sociability. | Individuals can apply their leadership traits at any type of job/position. Self-assessment can help potential leaders understand their strengths and areas for improvement in their leadership skills. |
| Skills | A leader-focused approach with emphasis on skills and abilities that can be developed. | A leader’s ability hinges on how they solve complex organizational problems. Leaders possess five capabilities: competencies, individual attributes, leadership outcomes, career experiences, and environmental influences. | An individual can develop these skills no matter the level at which they work in an organization. Descriptive in nature, the skills approach builds on the traits-only approach by integrating skills, abilities, and context. Aspiring leaders can assess strengths and weaknesses using skill inventories that will allow them to seek training to improve deficient skills. |
| Style | Emphasizes a leader’s behavior, what they do, and how they act—not who they are. | Leadership style focuses on task behavior and relationship behavior. When leaders focus on both of these behaviors, they provide a nurturing structure for their employees. | Self-assessment in the areas of task and relationship behavior can help evaluate leadership abilities. Many training programs use this model. |
| Situational | Leadership is supportive and directive. Leaders adjust these qualities based on the situation that needs to be addressed. | There is a continuum of behaviors between supportive and directive leadership.
Directing: high directive, low supportive
Coaching: high directive, high supportive
Supporting: high supportive, low directive
Delegating: low supportive, low directive | This continuum is used in different contexts/situations to support employees as their abilities warrant. |
| Path-Goal | Focuses on the relationship between the leader, group, and work setting. Concerned with motivation. | Path-Goal leadership has four elements: 1) Defining goals, 2) clarifying paths, 3) removing obstacles, and 4) providing support. | Provides general recommendations to assist employees by increasing motivation. |
| Leader-Member Exchange | Concerned with the interactions between leaders and followers. | Studies the differences between in-group and out-of-group interactions with leaders. High quality leader-member exchanges improve retention, promotions, positive evaluations, and attitudes. Leadership develops in three phases: stranger phase, acquaintance phase, mature partnership phase. | Guides individuals to assess their leadership capabilities based on the dynamics of their in-group and out-of-group interactions. |
| Transformational | Leadership changes and transforms individuals. Leaders treat followers as complete human beings, considering their emotions and needs. | Transformational leaders have a clear vision, are social architects, build trust, and emphasize sense of self and confidence by focusing on strengths. | Does not provide clear guidelines, but understands how leaders motivate others and transform themselves and their organizations. |
| Psychodynamic Approach | Leaders are more effective if they understand the personality characteristics & psychological makeup of their employees. | Relies on archetypes to describe the psychological background to developing insight into others’ histories, emotions, etc. Focuses on the leader's insights. | Both leaders and followers can use personality assessments to analyze their ideal working situation or simply to learn more about themselves. |