Be Happy – Be Leader Of Your Team

Leadership means acquiring the position or office of a leader, Capacity or ability to lead or giving guidance; direction to a group. It is a process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task. It is your capacity to listen and observe, to use the expertise as a starting point to encourage dialogue between all levels of decision-making, to establish processes and transparency in decision-making, to articulate your own values and visions clearly but not impose them, it is your leadership which is about setting and not just reacting to agendas, identifying problems, and initiating change that makes for substantial improvement rather than managing change. It is not necessary to acquire some designation or office officially to become a leader of a group. It works out with your performance being judged by those who wish you to become their leader.

In cultivating this quality, there are eight different theories that you use.

Leadership Inheritance Theory

Under this theory assumes that a person’s capacity for leadership is inherent. You cannot be trained to be a great leader because great leaders are not born. In order to be a great leader you have to be born a great leader, the term man is only used in describing this theory because it used to be assumed that only men could be great leaders. When describing this theory you hear about great leaders that have had to rise to the occasion, stand up when leadership is needed rather than be appointed to it. It is now obsolete idea when we talk of democratic system, based on performance in the society, to elect our leader.

Trait Theories

While this theory is somewhat similar to the Leadership Inheritance Theory because it assumes that people are born natural leaders, people inherit certain traits and qualities that make them better leaders than others are. The difference with trait theories is that they identify particular personality and behavioral traits that are shared by leaders, which are traits that are key traits of leaders. It tries to describe the characteristics associated with effective leadership.

Contingency Theories

This type of theory focuses on particular variables that are related to the environment a person is in to determine which particular style of leadership is best suited for the situation. This theory relies on the fact that not all leadership styles will work out the best for all situations. Whether or not it is successful in certain situations relies on various factors, such as leadership style, qualities of the followers, and aspects of the situation.

Situational Theories

This theory of leadership suggests that the best course of action for any situation is going to depend on situational variables. Like the contingency theories, this theory relies on the fact that not all types of leadership styles are going to work in every situation. Using the situational theories, different styles of leadership might be more appropriate for specific types of decision-making situations. Our history is more than the result of intervention of great men. The times produce the person and not the other way around. This theory assumes that different situations call for different characteristics; according to this group of theories, no single optimal psycho-graphic profile of a leader exists. According to the theory, "what an individual actually does when acting as a leader is in large part dependent upon characteristics of the situation in which he functions."

Behavioral Theories

These theories are based on the belief that great leaders are made rather than born. The reason for this is that this theory is rooted in behaviorism and focuses on the actions of the leaders rather than on their mental qualities or their internal frame of mind. The basis of this theory is that people can learn how to be a leader by observing other leaders, but they can also be taught how to be a leader.

Participative Theories

This theory implies that the best leadership style is one that takes the input of others into account. This style of leadership encourages group members to participate and contribute in what is going on, this helps the various group members to feel more committed to the decision-making process, but it also makes the group members feel more relevant. Even though the input of others is wanted in this theory that doesn’t mean that they are always allowed, the leaders of the group have a say as to if there is some dissent.

Management Theories

This theory is also called transactional theories and it focuses on the role of supervision, organization, and group performance. This theory bases leadership on a system of reward and punishment, and are most often found in businesses. For example, when employees are successful, they are rewarded, but when they fail, they are reprimanded or punished.

Relationship Theories

This theory is also referred to as transformational theories and focuses on the connections that are formed between leaders and followers. How this theory works is that the leaders motivate the followers by helping the followers see the importance and higher good of the task at hand. These leaders are focused on the performance of the group members because they want each member to fulfill his or her potential.

Be Happy – Be a leader of your team.