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Newer Leadership Theories #LeadershipTheories #ModernLeadershipTheories #LeadershipStyles

Over the years, the focus of leadership research has shifted from the leader to the impact on followers and the organization.

I will touch upon these theories briefly.

Transactional Leadership
This theory is characterized by the exchange between leaders and followers or members. People usually want to increase pleasurable experiences and minimize unpleasant ones. Leaders use rewards and punishment to get their members to carry out tasks.

A transactional leader views business as a mutually beneficial relationship, and the leader aims to get what he or she wants. The plus point is treating work as a transaction lets everyone know where they stand.
But as you can guess, this style of leadership can turn too mechanical or impersonal. Employees are valuable only as long as they fulfill the leader's expecations.

Leader-member Exchange
The leader must maintain his or her leadership position by working with associates, supporters and the “inner circle” of followers. Here the leader regards followers differently depending on the degree of support they offer him/her.

Transformational Leadership
This is one of the most popular theories of leadership, introduced in the ‘70s. The concept of transformational leadership was initially introduced by James MacGregor Burns, and later expanded by Bernard M. Bass.

Transformational Leadership is a style that inspires positive change in followers. Followers are inspired and enthused to achieve extraordinary outcomes. Here, the personality of the leader has to be truly inspiring and should command respect and admiration from followers. The leader is a role model others look up to.

Salient features:

  • ·         This leadership style works best in introducing and implementing change in the organization
  • ·         The model relies a lot on the personal charisma and integrity of the leader
  • ·    The leader develops the vision and sells the vision to followers, who are then positively enthused to internalize the vision
  • ·         This leader leads from the front

      This style inspires followers to transform themselves and discover their own leadership potential

One of the criticisms of this theory is that it relies too much on the personal charisma of the leader. Also such leaders perform to the hilt in introducing and implementing change, but when things need to remain as they are, such leaders find themselves out of place.

Action-centered Leadership model

John Adair proposed the Action-Centred Leadership model. As per this model, the leader must focus on three overlapping areas:
1. Task completion 
2. Team or group unity
3.  Meeting individual needs

Leadership Participation Inventory or Five Leadership Practices Model
James Kouze and Barry Posner developed on the leadership traits that are necessary to inspire followers.

The following traits were listed:

  • ·         Being a Role Model
  • ·         Providing Inspiration
  • ·         Facing Adversity
  • ·         Empowering others
  • ·         Generating enthusiasm

Emerging concepts of leadership include servant leadership, authentic leadership, ethical leadership, neo-charismatic leadership, shared or distributed leadership, and entrepreneurial leadership.

“A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a moulder of consensus.” - Martin Luther King Jr.

Times have changed since the first theory on leadership was formed. Today, economic turbulence, global uncertainties and changing corporate realities, have necessitated the emergence of new leadership paradigms. The leader today has to be a moulder of opinion, a creator of opportunities, a driver of change, a manager of diversity, and a conflict management expert. 

Not an easy task that.

As Napolean puts it, “A leader is a dealer in hope.”


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