Answer each question in 100 words: What are the similarities and differences bet
ID: 415013 • Letter: A
Question
Answer each question in 100 words:
What are the similarities and differences between the trait and behavior approaches to leadership?
What are the major assumptions of the contingency approach to leadership?
After assessing your own style, interview several people with whom you worked to determine whether their perceptions match your score based on the LPC?
Provide examples of how the Path-Goal Theory of leadership can be used to improve leadership effectiveness?
Compare and contrast the contingency models of leadership. How do they each contribute to our understanding of leadership?
Explanation / Answer
1. Trait theory of leadership specifies that leaders are born with certain traits that distinguishes them from the rest. Organizations supporting this theory looks for such leadership potential in their employee and train and promote them to managerial roles.
Contrary to this, behavior theory of leadership denies the presence of any inborn leadership traits. As per this approach anyone can become a leader with proper training and suitable work environment.
The trait approach and behavior approach to leadership both shares a similarity as both approaches agrees that there are certain actions that a leader needs to take in a particular situation. There are several differences between both the theories as trait theory believes that leadership traits are inherited and it cannot be trained; whereas behavior theory believes that anyone can be trained to become a leader given adequate exposure and environment.
2. Contingency approach to leadership states that the management techniques used by a leader needs to be consistent with the given circumstances. This theory emphasizes on the fact that there is not a single best way of leading. Different leadership styles should be used by the leader in different situations. It can also lead to the conclusion that a leader can be very effective in a particular situation; however he can be unsuccessful in other. Hence, the major assumptions of contingency approach to leadership style is-
3. Fiedler has developed a Least Preferred Co-worker scoring model to identify the leadership style of an individual. As per this model, an individual is asked to think of a person they have worked with and are least likely to work with them again. After it, he/she is asked to score the person on a range of scale containing both negative and positive factors. If the individual scores other person as positive, then he is a high LPC leader and vice versa. After assessment of Person X from my previous organization it was found that most of the persons have rated him negative. Thus, they are considered to be low LPC leader.
4. Path-Goal Theory of leadership states that a leader should focus on helping the employees achieve their goals. It would enable the leader to foster a positive work environment and make the workers happy and motivated towards the work that would further help them in achieving organizational objectives. Path-goal theory can be used to improve leadership effectiveness in several ways. It enables the leaders to challenge their subordinates with high level tasks and encourage them to achieve the same. It also motivates the leader to support its workers by developing an interpersonal relationship with them. A leader following this leadership style will help the employees on focusing their goals by providing them a clear outline of what needs to be done and how to achieve it. Hence, this leadership style would enable a leader in becoming more effective and efficient.