Leadership in simple terms means the ability of an individual to bring about change or being a vehicle to the change. The change could be political, social, economical, behavioral or organizational change.
Talking of leaders and leadership styles, there cannot be a ‘One Size Fits All’ approach. Understanding leadership styles and its effective implementation can help the organization meet its goals.
So, let us take a look at some of the leadership styles.
The earlier theorists believed in the ‘Great Person Theory’, where in it was thought that leaders are born and not trained. This theory existed up till 1950s. The 1960s saw a shift in the leadership theories, which now was attributed to a predefined behavior and style. This new theory or the behavioral leadership theory believed that people can be trained to become leaders. This theory emphasized on learning certain traits such as being a visionary, who can teach others and believes in a democratic set up. He is the one who influences people to boost their performance. This leadership style comprise of transformational leadership, charismatic leadership and transactional leadership.
Transformational Leadership is one where the leader acts as a great motivating force to his followers, and helps them to achieve their goals. A transformational leader is full of zeal and zest and is ready to help his followers at all times.
As against this, a leader following transactional leadership style is more focused on the tasks and deadlines that his followers must meet. He is a go getter, is more focused on getting the work done, directing the task and meeting corporate objectives. He does not inspire his followers, though.
A charismatic leader is a role model of his followers, due to his insight, confidence, his ability to thing out of the box, and due his unconventional behavior. He is the hero, the ultimate man for his followers. He enjoys a great relationship with his subordinates, and influences them greatly to perform better.
Often an individual assumes the role of a leader in a particular situation. This theory was proposed by Fred Fielder. He advocates that a leader may be born in a particular situation, where he is able to influence members in the group. If the leader has congenial relations with the group, his chances of achieving success increase.
These leadership theories have undergone an evolution process with the globalization. Although many of us might think globalization to be a recent phenomenon, it is not. Human beings have always migrated towards greener pastures centuries ago, and are doing so even today. With the advancement in information technology and the infrastructural development, the process of globalization has accelerated in the last 2 decades or so.
Globalization has changed the leadership theories, as the business widened, spanning across several borders, cultures and societies. It also paved the way for better products, better services, and mergers, giving rise to giant conglomerates. With a view to get a global perspective, multinationals are hiring people of different nationalities.
Thus, developing a global perspective is now indispensable for successful leadership. A leader with a broader horizon can meet the ever changing global challenges and can also effectively guide his multi cultural team members. That’s the new leadership mantra!
