Leadership Styles, Theories, Approaches and Models-

Great Man Theory

The Great Man Theory suggests studying the lives of famous leaders like Churchill, Gandhi,
and Lincoln to understand leadership qualities and processes. According to Hitt, this theory is
more entertaining than useful. While it gives us insights into the personalities and actions of
these leaders, it does not provide a practical or general model for effective leadership in the
future.
Trait Theory
Trait Theory grew out of the Great Man Theory. While the Great Man Theory assumed
leaders are born with unique gifts, Trait Theory tried to identify common traits shared by
effective leaders. Traits are personality characteristics that influence a person’s behaviour and
success, such as intelligence, confidence, communication skills, energy, decisiveness,
empathy, and social skills.
Research found many traits linked to leadership, but results were inconsistent. Not all
effective leaders shared the same traits, and many traits were hard to define, measure, or
prove as essential. Leadership also depends on situations, which Trait Theory ignores.
Overall, Trait Theory gives useful descriptions but fails to explain how traits directly cause
effective leadership. It leaves many questions unanswered, and the long list of traits often
seems vague or unrealistic.
Behavioural Approach
The Behavioural Approach to leadership emerged when the Great Man and Trait Theories
failed to fully explain effective leadership. Instead of focusing on inborn qualities, this
approach studies how leaders behave—their attitudes, beliefs, values, and relationships with
followers.
Beliefs are ideas about how the world works, while values are judgments of what is good or
bad. Together, they shape a leader’s attitudes and behaviour.
This approach looks at leadership in terms of motivation, supervision, and authority. A
leader’s consistent way of interacting with subordinates is called a leadership style.
Major contributions to this approach include McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y, Likert’s
Systems 1–4, and Blake’s Managerial Grid. These helped identify and classify different
leadership styles.
Theory X and Theory Y (by Douglas McGregor)
McGregor proposed two contrasting views of workers, which influence how managers lead
them:
Theory X (Negative view of workers)
● Assumes people dislike work and try to avoid it.
● Employees lack ambition, avoid responsibility, and prefer being directed.
 ● They must be controlled, supervised closely, and sometimes threatened with
punishment to perform.
● Best suited for authoritarian/autocratic leadership style.
Theory Y (Positive view of workers)
● Assumes people find work natural and enjoy it when committed.
● Employees are self-motivated, creative, and capable of accepting responsibility.
● They can contribute to organisational goals if given freedom and opportunities.
● Best suited for participative/democratic leadership style.
In short:
● Theory X = People are lazy, need control.
● Theory Y = People are motivated, need encouragement.
Laissez-faire Leadership
Laissez-faire (meaning “let them act”) is also called Free Rein or Theory L leadership. In
this style, the leader takes little or no part in the group’s work. Planning and organising are
mostly done by top management, while the leader exercises minimal control and influence.
Group members work independently, set their own goals, and make decisions with little
contact with the leader.
● Advantages: Provides freedom, independence, and scope for personal growth—
useful when subordinates are highly skilled and motivated (e.g., scientists).
● Disadvantages: Often leads to confusion, lack of unity, poor coordination, and low
achievement.
Autocratic Leadership
Autocratic (authoritarian) leadership is leader-centred, where the leader makes decisions,
gives orders, and expects obedience without question. Power and authority are concentrated
in the leader, and communication flows one way—from the leader to subordinates.
Motivation is based on rewards and fear of punishment (carrot and stick approach).
Types:
● Exploitative Autocracy – Subordinates work under fear, threats, and low trust.
● Benevolent Autocracy – Leader acts paternalistic, giving clear directions; works well
for employees who prefer structure and security.
● Dictatorial Leadership – Extreme form; uses fear and intimidation, causing
dissatisfaction.
Advantages:
● Quick decisions, efficiency, clarity in roles, useful in crises or emergencies.
Disadvantages:
● Creates gap between the leader and the subordinates.
● Causes resistance, low morale, poor communication, costly errors, and low
productivity.
● Success mainly depends on the leader’s ability.
Democratic Leadership
Democratic (or participative) leadership is people-centred and based on shared decision-
making. The leader involves subordinates in planning and decisions but may keep the final
authority. It assumes Theory Y – the belief that people are motivated, capable, and the most
important resource.
Features:
● Decentralisation of authority
● Open discussions, sharing of ideas, consensus-based decisions
● Leader acts as a facilitator/coordinator, not a dictator
● Focuses more on people than production
Advantages:
● Encourages teamwork and unity
● Uses talents, skills, and knowledge of all members
● Builds belongingness, dignity, and motivation
● Produces better decisions through collective input
● Develops subordinates and increases morale
Disadvantages:
● Slower decisions, delays in implementation
● Diluted accountability and loss of leader’s control
● Risk of compromises, conflicts, or irresponsible behaviour
● Not suitable for crises, emergencies, or when leader-subordinate competence gap is
large
It is best suited for: Complex decisions, innovative policies, professional groups,
cooperative societies, and situations where commitment and motivation are vital.
Democratic leadership = shared decisions, people-oriented, motivating but slower.
Contingency Theory of Leadership
Contingency theory (Fiedler) says that there is no single best style of leadership. The
effectiveness of a leader depends on how well their style matches the situation.
 ● Leader factors: Leaders differ in their needs—some focus on tasks (low LPC
leaders), others on relationships (high LPC leaders). A questionnaire called the Least
Preferred Co-worker (LPC) is used to identify this.
● Organisational factors: Three key aspects decide if a situation is favourable or not:
1. Leader–member relations (respect and support from group)
2. Task structure (clarity and routine of work)
3. Position power (leader’s authority to reward/punish)
Findings from this type of leadership style are:
● Task-oriented leaders (low LPC) are more effective in very favourable or very
unfavourable situations.
● Relationship-oriented leaders (high LPC) are more effective in moderately
favourable situations.
Implication: Managers should either assign leaders to situations that suit their style or
change the situation to fit the leader.
✔ Leadership effectiveness = Leader’s style + Situation match.
Managerial Grid Theory (Given by Blake & Mouton)
This theory explains leadership styles based on two factors:
● Concern for People (vertical axis)
● Concern for Production (horizontal axis)
Each ranges from 1 (low) to 9 (high), creating a 9x9 grid. Leadership style depends on the
combination of both concerns.
Main Styles:
1. 1,1 – Impoverished Management: Low concern for people and production;
ineffective leadership.
2. 9,1 – Authority/Obedience: High concern for production, low for people; focuses on
control and efficiency.
3. 1,9 – Country Club Management: High concern for people, low for production;
friendly but unproductive.
4. 5,5 – Middle-of-the-Road: Moderate concern for both; compromises but achieves
only average results.
5. 9,9 – Team Management: High concern for both people and production; teamwork,
trust, and respect lead to best results.
The most effective leadership style is 9,9 (Team Management), where leaders align
organisational goals with employee needs.
Situational Theory of Leadership (by Hersey & Blanchard)
This theory says there is no one best way to lead. The right style depends on the situation and
how mature or ready the followers are. A good leader should be flexible and change their
style as needed. If not, leadership may pass to someone else who fits the situation better..
Key Factors:
1. Task Behaviour – the extent to which the leader directs and organises work.
2. Relationship Behaviour – the extent to which the leader maintains trust, support, and
communication.
3. Follower Maturity – ability and willingness of followers to take responsibility, set
goals, and use their skills.
Maturity is task-specific, based on:
● Desire for achievement
● Willingness to take responsibility
● Relevant education, skills, or experience
Tools: Hersey & Blanchard created the LEAD instrument to measure leadership style and
adaptability. The LEAD instrument (Leader Effectiveness and Adaptability Description) is a
tool developed by Hersey & Blanchard to understand a leader’s preferred leadership style and
how well they can adapt their style to different situations. The LEAD instrument helps
leaders know how they lead and how adaptable they are in different situations.
It Provides a practical and flexible framework. But, doesn’t capture the full complexity of
leadership; traits and other factors also matter. It’s hard to design training that covers all
possible situations.
Path-Goal Theory of Leadership (Robert House & M.G. Evans)
This theory focuses on the motivation and needs of subordinates, unlike Contingency
Theory which focused on leaders. It is based on Vroom’s Expectancy Theory—people work
hard if they believe effort will lead to good performance (path), which will bring valued
rewards (goal).
Essence: A leader’s job is to help employees see the link between effort → performance
→ rewards and provide support to achieve goals.
Leader’s role:
1. Identify rewards linked to performance.
2. Use rewards that employees value (high valence).
3. Build confidence that effort will bring rewards.
4. Match tasks with employee skills and provide support.
5. Increase satisfaction by assigning meaningful tasks, involving employees in goal-
setting, removing barriers, and showing concern.
Leadership Styles in Path-Goal Theory:
● Directive: Gives clear instructions; useful when tasks are unclear.
● Supportive: Shows concern; useful for stressful, boring, or repetitive tasks.
● Participative: Involves employees in decisions; useful for unstructured tasks.
● Achievement-Oriented: Sets challenging goals; builds confidence for complex tasks.
Conclusion: Leaders must adapt their style to the task, environment, and subordinate
characteristics. Unlike other theories, all four styles can be useful depending on the
situation.
⮚ Path-Goal Theory = Leaders motivate by clarifying the path to rewards, supporting
employees, and adapting style to the situation.
Life Cycle Theory of Leadership
The Life Cycle Theory of Leadership is a contingency approach that states different
leadership styles are suitable for different situations. Unlike Fiedler’s model, this theory
emphasizes the leader’s flexibility and ability to correctly assess a situation and then apply
the right style of leadership.
The theory identifies two main factors in a leader’s style: task orientation and relationship
orientation. These can combine in four ways:
1. High task–low relationship: The leader closely supervises the work and places little
importance on building supportive relationships.
2. High task–high relationship: The leader supervises work closely but also reinforces
and encourages employees through frequent support.
3. Low task–high relationship: The leader builds close interpersonal relations and
delegates considerable authority over tasks.
4. Low task–low relationship: The leader delegates tasks and maintains minimal
interaction.
According to this theory, the leadership style should change depending on the maturity level
of the group or individual performing the task. Maturity here means the ability and
willingness to take responsibility.
● When maturity is low, the leader should use a high task–low relationship style.
● As maturity grows, the leader should gradually move to other styles.
● At high maturity levels, a low task–low relationship style is most effective, as the
group or individual can handle tasks with little supervision and minimal support.
The model concludes that leaders should aim to develop followers’ maturity so they
can eventually work with greater independence.