Business Leadership
Explain how elements of each approach examined this week could be integrated into a broader, more
inclusive theory of leadership. How would your new approach seek to explain what comprises a good
leader? Provide examples that would help to support your theory
The following conditions must meet in the essay:
1) I want a typical and a quality answer which should have about 830 words.
2) The answer must raise appropriate critical questions.
3) The answer must include examples from experience or the web with references from
relevant examples from real companies.
Leadership is a subject that is known to offer different approaches and contributions to
the business world (Northouse, 2009). In leadership, the most important part is its theoretical
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underpinnings which are practically applied and used in the academic research work in most
institutions all over the world. The factor that makes theories to be more esteemed in leadership
matters is the evolution that takes place from time to time following their historical roots. The
need to ensure robustness and the need to offer substantial base of ideas that enhances their
learning of theories in leadership.
There are different elements of approach that can be integrated into a broader and more
inclusive theory of leadership, hence, making it more effective than before. According Northouse
(2011) the trait approach is one of the earliest leadership theories that is well known to have
contributed positively in the leadership matters. Trait approach is comprised of many leadership
characteristic which include intelligence, self confidence in a leader, the ability of a leader to
have a high level of integrity and the determination of a leader to attain a certain set goal of
leadership. Northouse (2009) also talks of a good leader having to be a social person who can
interact with people and share their opinion one on one. Researchers explains that the leaders
who have these characteristic are known to be more exceptional as compared to other leaders to
mean that their way of leadership is better since, it comprises of extroversion and openness. The
leadership trait approach is built on personality and emotional intelligence which provides a
framework of looking at elements of personal and social competence which becomes a good
characteristic of leadership. The trait leadership approach comprises of visionary and charismatic
ideas which guides a leader; hence, enhancing the type of leadership that is being portrayed in
such a set up. In the process of identifying the people who can qualify to be good leaders most of
the given organizations are able to assess the personality of the given persons together with the
use of Myers Briggs Type Indicator. These are tools which are known to assess the trait
characteristic of a leader. On the side of assessing the strengths and the weaknesses of a leader,
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personality test is what is advocated for in most of the times. Trait approach emphasizes on the
fact that most of the leaders we see today are born despite them being able to tap into someone
else idea of having answers and leading the way forward.
The other type of approach that can as well be used to make leadership theory more
inclusive and broader is the skills approach which emphasizes on the leaders’ skills and abilities
(Northouse, 2012). Contrary to the trait approach where skill are thought to be innate and fixed,
the skills approach is thought to be learned and developed. The different types of personal skills
which are known to influence the effectiveness of good leadership include human and conceptual
skills together with the technical skills which are competencies in a specialized area involving
the hands-on activity. The capacity to get along with others is what is termed as the human skills
and is very crucial for a leader to learn how to get along with people to avoid conflicts. A leader
should be able to work with the ideas of the people whom he leads and the abstract concepts
which are put across by people, hence, by doing this he will have well incorporated the
conceptual skills which entails the management matters in his leadership as required. Skills
theoretical approach has been able to come up with the capability model well known in the
linkage of the skills to effectiveness and leaders knowledge and inclusive of competencies,
environmental influences, career experiences, individual attributes and the leadership outcomes.
According to Northouse (2009), a leader should portray the ability to handle problem in an
organization and also have a good ability to solve problems in comparison of good understanding
of the people’s social systems. Leadership also entails accumulation of information and mental
structures with the aim of making meaning out of complex systems and be able to act well as
required in a fair manner to all people. In order to work well with the skills approach a leader
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should also have crystallized cognitive ability, personality, and cognitive capacity which
advocates for good motivation.
Another leader centric theory is the style approach, which provides a good broad
framework of how people act or how leaders should behave in their daily leadership role. The
approach mainly focuses on relationship behavior of the leader and the task behavior that they
portray in their job in bid to influence others and to make progress towards a particular goal. In
leadership care and respect of all humanity ought to be portrayed as this helps to show how
considerate a leader is through the demonstrations of good orientations to people and clear
production orientation. When production orientation is employed in leadership it will enhance in
making the organization work done while, employee orientation will better the human relation
who get united and work tireless toward achieving their goal. Style approach provides ideas
which describe the leadership behavior and how it impacts on their task and the people involved
hence, one can clearly analyze if the failures seen are as a result of the poor leadership or if the
achievements are as a result of the good leadership (Northouse, 2015).
The approach that can be integrated into a broader and a more inclusive theory of
leadership is the situational approach, which states that different situations are known to produce
different demands on leaders who by all means must adapt to them to better their leadership
skills. The degree to which others need support and direction or what they even require
influences how a certain leader will be able to respond to any given situation or a problem that
has cropped up in his leadership. Situational approach focuses on the development of the
subordinate and the leadership style which involves the supportive behaviors and the directives
which are employed by a leader to influence others to carry out their required task to achieve a
certain goal. According to Northouse (2014) a leader should be very sensitive when giving out
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instructions of what is supposed to be done and how that should be done as this direct influence
the goal of his leadership; hence, should be done positively. In regard to having supportive
behavior as a leader this will help people feel comfortable to speak out their needs to the leader
who will show some concert to support them accordingly. A leader should be concerned with
they who are very committed and competent in completing their task on time and be ready to
motivate them to keep up with same spirit of hard work.
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Bibliography
Northouse, P.G. 2009. Leadership: Theory and Practice, 5 th Edition. SAGE Publications
Northouse, P.G. 2011. Introduction to Leadership: Concepts and Practice. SAGE Publications
Northouse, P.G. 2012. Leadership: Theory and Practice, 6th Edition. SAGE Publications
Northouse, P.G. 2014. Introduction to Leadership: Concepts and Practice, 3 rd Edition. SAGE
Publications
Northouse, P.G. 2015. Leadership: Theory and Practice, 7 th Edition. SAGE Publications
