Literature Review: Effective Leadership

4745 Words19 Pages
------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents Introduction 2 Review of Theories and Concepts 3 A. Great Man Theories 3 B. Trait Theories 3 C. Behaviour Theories 3- 4 D. Contingency Theories 4 E. Situational Theories 4- 5 F. Participative Theories 5 G. Transactional Theories 5-6 H. Transformational Theories 6 Analytical Evaluation 7- 8 Conclusion 9 References 9, 10, 11 ------------------------------------------------- Introduction A definition must reveal the precise meaning of terms, words, phrases or concepts in a clear and distinct manner. What is the definition of leadership? Is leadership genetic or can it be learnt? Are leadership and management one in the same? And most important of all, how can one evaluate the performance of a leader? Leadership is one of the most multifaceted phenomena to which organization behavioural research has been applied. Vast amounts of intensive analysis and studies have been completed to define the topic, addressing leadership from a multiplicity of perspectives. Gary Yukl (2006) defines leadership as “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.” Stogdill (1950) defines leadership as “the process of influencing the activities of an organized group in its efforts toward goal setting and goal achievement.” These definitions imply several dominant elements pertaining to leadership; of which are as follows: 1. Leadership is a process, 2. Leadership involves influencing others, 3. Leadership occurs in a group context, 4. Leadership consists of goal attainment and 5. Goals should be shared by leaders and their followers.
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