Foundations of Leadership Research Paper

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Leadership

As the world becomes more populous, busy, and interconnected, the need for good leadership will grow. Furthermore, this leadership will be needed in a number of different social and cultural contexts. (Gibson & McDaniel, 2010, 451-452). Fortunately, we are undergoing a renaissance in the study of leadership and our notions of leadership are becoming more diverse and, at the same time, more fundamental.

Leaders are produced by their environment, which includes their personality, their experiences, and their organizations. Leaders tend to grow out of organizations in which they embody the core values and ambitions shared by the organization.

The Traditional Models of Leadership

The traditional view of a leader is someone who is dominant, competitive, and authoritarian. (Medina, et. al., 2008, p.249). Although most leaders do exhibit these qualities, that does not mean that a leader must have such qualities. The reason these types of leaders are prevalent is because of the types of groups people form. The types of groups people form is determined by the types of interests and motives people have.

The Evolution of Leaders

In any society, the prevailing drive for most individuals is to achieve a feeling of self-worth. Because of our hyper-competitive society, individuals in pursuit of this feeling are encouraged to achieve it by distinguishing themselves from the crowd in their professional life, social life, family life, or even spiritual life. The ambition to distinguish oneself causes one to value a particular set of traits useful for achieving distinction in this society, such as aggressiveness, competitiveness, and assertiveness.

The groups that individuals form are typically based on their core ambitions and values. The leaders that these groups select are usually people who embody the group's common, core ambitions and values to a remarkable degree. That is why they are often seen as figureheads and symbols of the organization. Most organizations, especially business organizations, are driven by the desire for distinction and value competitiveness, assertiveness, and even aggressiveness both in the organization itself as well as in its employees. (Medina, et. al., 2008, p.254). If groups were formed for motives such as the community service, appreciation of nature, or spiritual perfection, you would probably see different sorts of leaders.

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The leaders of these groups might not be competitive or aggressive because the groups might not want or need those traits. (Hooper, et. al., 2010, 634). Instead, they would look for traits that remind them of their core ambitions and values, that remind them of why they formed the group.

The Transformational Leadership Model

Analysis of Each Leadership Style

Relationship Theories of Leadership and the Transformational Leadership Model

During the past century, a number of different theories about leadership and leadership styles have appeared. Relationship theories, also known as transformational theories, focus upon the connections formed between leaders and followers. Transformational leaders motivate and inspire people by helping group members see the importance and higher good of the task.

Relationship theories, or transformational theories, are the most valuable because they get to the most fundamental aspect of leadership. After all, an organization is merely a web of relationships. Thus, relationship theories of leadership have utility outside of traditional organizations and are applicable in most interpersonal settings. As has been demonstrated, leaders exist in all sorts of contexts, not just in work settings, including families and social circles. Other theories, such as transactional theories and bureaucratic theories are difficult to apply in informal contexts.

The Transformational Leadership model which grows out of relationship theories contain the most accurate vision of leadership dynamics. Transformational leadership posits that a leader leads by enhancing motivation, morale and performance of followers. (Cheung & Wong, 2011, p. 661). Transformational leadership is concerned with the transformation of the followers in pursuit of a common goal. Transformational leaders inspire their teams with a shared vision of the future. (Cheung & Wong, 2011, p. 662).

Servant Leadership

The Servant Leadership model is another progressive theory on leadership that contradicts the traditional notion of the dominant leader. In fact, the Servant leader appears to be just the opposite of the leader. Instead of being dominant, selfish, and competitive, the servant leader is submissive, generous, and cooperative.….....

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