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Module 7: Leadership

Shelonda Simpkins

Arizona State University

June 26, 2020

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Module 7: Leadership

What is leadership? How does one become a leader? Are some people just born with the

necessary traits to become a leader? Leadership has a variety of definitions to define it. Scholars

have tried to explain leadership for more than a century. Initially, in the early 20th century, the

description focused on the control and centralization of power. This continued to evolve into the

21st century, where leadership is described as a process. “Leadership is a process whereby an

individual influence a group of individuals to achieve a common goal” (Northouse, p.6, 2019)

Overview of Leadership

In digging deeper to understand leadership as a process, one would find that process is

not characteristics or traits found in a leader. Still, it is a “transactional even that occurs between

the leader and the followers” (p. 6). This event is interactive between the leader and the follower.

Another critical component of leadership is the influence, which involves how the leader

interacts with his followers. Leadership takes place in groups; leaders need followers. A leader

should not consider themselves to be better than followers, but a leader should consider the

relationship they have with followers essential. These groups can be large or small, but the group

must have an interest or attention to a common goal. There are a lot of similarities between

management and leadership. Both require you to work with people, accomplish goals, and

influence, but a manager solves problems with low emotional involvement, while leaders have

high emotional responsibility” (Northouse, p. 15, 2020)

Description of Twelve Leadership Models

Traits Approach and Skills Approach

It is believed that select people were born with certain traits that made them great leaders.

This leadership theory was referred to as the trait approach. Researchers have not been able to
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determine the specific characteristics of a leader. This theory was challenged in the mid-20th

century to suggest that there is no consistent set of traits throughout different situations. Since

then, the traits approach has transitioned to study the visionary and charismatic leadership. Traits

focus on the individual and their personality, while leadership skills focus on the individual's

abilities.

The skills approach focuses on skills that can be developed. "Skills are what leaders can

accomplish, whereas traits are who leaders are" (Northouse, p. 44, 2019). The article created by

Robert Katz reference three essential administrative skill and Mumford and colleagues' skills-

based model of organizational leadership. Katz's three personal skills approach refers to human,

technical, and conceptual skills. Human skills are the ability to work with people to accomplish

organizational goals with all levels of management. Technical skills are specific knowledge

within a particular type of work environment. Technical skills are found at lower and middle

management. The third skill is conceptual skills, which refer to "the ability to work with ideas

and concepts" (Northouse, p. 45, 2019). Conceptual skills are found at the top of the

management levels.

Behavioral Approach and Situational Approach

The behavioral approach to leadership refers to the task behaviors and

relationship behaviors combined to influence followers to reach a goal. With task behaviors, a

leader is focused on accomplishing the goal, whereas, in relationship behaviors, a leader helps

group members feel comfortable with the situation.

Situational theories suggest that leaders should adjust their styles between directive or

supportive to meet the followers' needs. "The premise of the theory is that different situations

demand different kinds of leadership" (Northouse, p. 93, 2019). The leader must determine the
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best fit in a situation by assessing the follower's commitment and competence to perform the

goal, which can vary over time.

Path Goal Theory and Leader-Member Exchange Theory (LMX)

Path-goal leadership requires leaders to help followers down a path to accomplish goals.

"The stated goal of this theory is to enhance follower performance and follower satisfaction by

focusing on follower motivation" (Northouse, p. 115, 2019). With path-goal theory, a leader

must use a leadership style that meets the followers' motivational need by choosing behaviors

that supplements what is missing from the work environment. The leader can do this by making

the work more personally satisfying, removing obstacles to the goal, and making the path to the

goal clear and easy through coaching and direction.

Leadership-Member Exchange (LMX) leadership focuses on the interaction between

leaders and followers. The theory "conceptualizes leadership as a process that is centered on the

interactions between leaders and followers" (Northouse, p. 137, 2019). This interaction makes

the dyadic relationship between the two, leaders and followers, the central focus of the leadership

process. Initially, the LMX theory addressed the differences between in-groups and out-groups,

but later studies researched "how LMX theory was related to organizational effectiveness"

(Northouse, p. 140, 2019). The researchers found that "high-quality leader-member exchanges

produced less employee turnover, more positive performance evaluations, higher frequency

promotions…"(Northouse, p. 140, 2019). The researchers also found more substantial

organizational commitment, better job attitudes, desirable assignments, greater participation, and

more support from the leaders.

Transformational Leadership and Authentic Leadership

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The transformational approach became a critical approach to leadership when a political

sociologist, James MacGregor Burns, attempted to connect leadership and followers' roles. In his

work, he discusses leaders that can relate to the motives of the follower better to obtain the goals

of the leaders and followers. Burns believed that leadership was inseparable from followers.

Transformational leadership refers to how leaders can behave to help followers be the best they

can be. "Transformational leadership is a process that changes and transforms people" and "it is

concerned with emotions, values, ethics, standards, and long-term goals" (Northouse, p.162,

2019). Leadership that motivates by giving support and providing a role model. This theory is

about helping a follower accomplish more than what is expected.

Authentic leadership is complex to define, as it is challenging to characterize and has

multiple definitions. Authentic leadership is the newest area of leadership research and still in the

formative phase of development. Its focus is on the authenticity of leaders and followers.

Researchers suggest that authentic leadership is a developmental process that forms over time

from a theoretical and practical perspective.

Servant Leadership and Adaptive Leadership

Servant leadership has a natural feeling of wanting to serve first and demonstrate healthy

moral behaviors. "Servant leaders place the good of followers over their self-interest and

emphasize follower development" (Northouse, p. 226, 2019). Robert K. Greenleaf identified ten

characteristics that are essential to the development of servant leadership, which are the

following: listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight,

stewardship, and commitment to the growth of people.

Adaptive leadership is a follower centered approach that "focuses primarily on how

leaders help others to do the work they need to do in order to adapt to the challenges they face"
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(Northouse, p. 258, 2019). These challenges are typically new adjustments to new circumstances.

Leaders help others change their ways, explore their values, and mobilize, organize, motivate,

orient, and focus others' attention.

Psychodynamic Approach

The psychodynamic approach focuses on the leadership and development of human

behavior. This approach looks at the processes and the dynamics of human behavior. It helps

leaders look at the deep-seated experiences and patterns that subconsciously influence adults and

their working lives.

Gender and Leadership

Women are underrepresented in leadership positions. Women and men are different, but

it does mean that women are less effective. Women are less likely to self-promote, and to initiate

negotiation. They are also seen as unfavorable than males because of stereotypes such as being

negative. The prejudices and stereotypes that threaten women in leadership roles are on a

decline, but they still exist. Women fight against labyrinth and glass ceilings to remove barriers

to promote women to upper leadership positions.

My Leadership Style

Transformational leadership is the leadership approach that best describes my style and matches

with my goals. Experiencing one of the worst times of my life was a year ago with the passing of

an older brother. He was a leader in the community and had touched over a thousand kids' lives.

That experience reminded me that I have worked in education for twenty years because of my

passion for helping young adults transition into adulthood. My experience is with high school

students, at-risk adults, and young college students. My family and I decided to open a non-profit
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organization to support youth in this transition. I enjoy the process that changes and transforms

young adults. 

Activity

A personal experience deals with a non-profit that I created with my family. I can apply servant

leadership, transformational leadership, adaptive leadership, and situational approach to this

project. It requires me to wear many hats and transition through different situations as I do so.

For example, I can go from a meeting discussing fundraising options to projecting programs to

speaking with a family about transitional possibilities available for their student, my customer. I

would say that I am a servant leader first. I will go where my team needs me to be. This changes

the outcome of situations because where we would be deficient, we have support. This allows

our clients to experience a smooth customer experience.   

Learning about the different leadership approaches has helped to explain that leadership

is a process. The more one knows about different leadership style the more adequate and

adaptable the leader can be towards followers.  

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References

Northouse, P. G. (2019). Leadership: theory and practice. Eighth Edition. Los Angeles: SAGE

Publications.