Leadership Theories
Leadership Theories What is it that makes some people excel in leadership roles? Leadership theories seek to explain how certain people become leaders. Such theories often focus on the characteristics of leaders, but some attempt to identify the behaviors that people can adopt to improve their own leadership abilities. A number of different leadership theories have been introduced to explain exactly how and why certain people become great leaders, but most can be classified into eight major types: 1. “Great Man” Theories Have you ever heard someone described as “born to lead?” According to this point of view, great leaders are simply born with the necessary internal characteristics such as charisma, confidence, intelligence, and social skills that make them natural-born leaders. Great man theories assume that the capacity for leadership is inherent – that great leaders are born, not made. These theories often portray great leaders as heroic, mythic a...
