Leadership Theories

Leadership Theories 
The Functional or Group Approach Including Action-centered Leadership 
It was developed by John Adair.  He observed successful leaders in the military context and looked at the functions performed by the leaders. That is why it is also referred to as the functional leadership theory.

There are three sets of needs that an effective leader has to balance:
●Task needs
●Team needs
●Individual needs 

The responsibility of the leader is to achieve the task develop individuals and bund the team. He describes the leader's  responsibilities for each of the different areas.


The functional theory believes that the skills of leadership can be learnt developed and perfected.  It is not bogged down on the issue of the appointed leader versus the emergent leader.


Following are some of the functions of leaders in an organization :

●Setting, agreeing and communicating objectives.
●Providing suitable equipment, resources and environment to enable people to meet their objectives. 
●Monitoring,  evaluating and reviewing performance appraisal of groups and individuals. 
●Giving feedback. 
●Setting standards of attitude, behaviour and performance. 
●Solving problems; both operational and human ; administering rewards and punishments wherever necessary;  dealing with grievances and discipline 
●Organizing and harmonizing resources. 
●Ensuring inward flow of materials. 
●Ensuring that deadlines for outputs are met.
●Taking effective decisions. 
●Developing the capacities and performance of the group and its members. 
●Developing the efficiency and effectiveness of the group and its output. 
●Figurehead and representative roles inside and outside the department. 


Leadership As A Behavioral Category or Style 
Behavioural theories suggest that 
●Specific behaviour differentiates a leader from others.
●Effective leadership is the results of effective role behaviour. 

The advocates of these theories do not concentrate on the traits of leaders on the other hand they study the activities of leaders to identify their behavioural patterns. 


Three of the behavioral studies are very popular. These are:
●The Ohio State Group 
●The University of Michigan group 
●The Managerial grid concept 


1. Styles of leadership 
Likert 's Four Styles of Leadership are:
●System 1-Exploitative authoritative. 
●System 2-Benevolent authoritative. 
●System 3-Consultative and 
●System 4-Participative  (Democratic).


2. Continuum theory of leadership 
Tannenbaum and Schmidt defined 7 levels of delegated freedom which moves from manager-oriented to subordinate-oriented.  As team develops level moves from one to the next the area of freedom increases and the need for manager's intervention decreases.  Following levels are self -explanatory and easy to understand :


●Manager takes decision and announces it -only manger plays the decision - making ; no team involvement 

●Manager decides and then "Sells"his decision to the team -no change in decision;  but team may raise some concerns 

●Manager presents decision with background ideas for the decision and invite questions -team knows what options manager considered for his decision;  more team involvement 

●Manager suggests provisional decision and invites discussion regarding the decision -team can have a say on manager's decision; it can be changed based on discussion 

●Manager presents the problem or situation get suggestions then decides -team is free to come up with options; manager decides on those options 

●Manager explains the situation or problem, defines the parameters and asks team to decide on the solution -manager delegated whole thing to the team ; but still manager is accountable for the outcome 

●Manager allows team to develop options and decide on the action within the manager's received limit- complete from level ; team does all the work almost as what the manager does at level 1.


3. Curt Lewin ,R.Lippitt and R. K. White suggested a theory a theory of leadership which identified three basic styles of leadership 

●Autocratic 
●Democratic 
●Laissez - faire

The Situational Approach 


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