Leadership Theory [Everything You Need to Know]

Published on January 8, 2010. Updated on September 23rd, 2024.

Airport bookstores are crowded with books on leadership, and each one seems to promote a “leadership lack.” They’ll each begin with phrases like, “The most pressing issue in organizations is that leaders lack integrity…or empathy…or strategy…or even humor.” These books continue by laying out the authors’ simple framework for developing the perfect leader. On and on, the dialogue goes to the point where readers become confused because the 21 Unassailable Edicts of Leadership are different than the 7 Routines of Really Efficient Leaders. 

It would be a poor move to add to this confusion. With this in mind, I will admit that I do not believe my “leadership lack” to be the most pressing issue in organizations, just the easiest to fix.

Leaders lack an understanding of leadership theory.

These airport leader books provide decent advice that is easily digestible. And because it is easily digestible, leaders continue to gorge themselves on it until there is very little room left for real, solid theory. Most see theory as complex and hard to digest. When leaders think about leadership or organizational theory, they think back to the 400+ page textbook they had to buy in business school. “Seems like quite an undertaking,” leaders think, and cheerfully hand their money to the cashier and board the plane with the latest, pocket-sized “leadership” book.

Leaders lack an understanding of leadership theory because it isn’t presented in pocket-sized form.

Why Leadership Theories?

Leadership theories provide the foundation of how leadership works. This set of theories focuses on different approaches to leading and influencing others. These look into the behavior, quality, and styles of successful leaders so others can adopt the same and become effective leaders and successfully manage their teams.

Since leadership guides others toward a goal, leaders inspire and motivate others to perform. Different leadership theories help identify the key traits of a great leader.

Some key leadership theories include:

Trait Theory

Trait theory focuses on certain traits that make effective leaders. It includes some other theories, such as behavioral theory, which studies the behaviors and actions of leaders and identifies the traits that people can learn to become great leaders. 

Contingency Theory, on the other hand, suggests there’s no right or best way to lead. It all depends on the person, the situation, and how well the leader can adapt to them.

Transformational Leadership Theory

Transformational leadership focuses on inspirational, motivating, and visionary leaders who form personal bonds or connections with followers. Part of the theory focuses on transactional leadership, which emphasizes a transparent structure and a reward and punishment system to manage followers.

Situational Leadership

The theory redefines leadership by proposing how leaders need to adjust their style depending on how competent or managed their team is.

Why Are Leadership Theories Important?

Leadership theories help identify and develop leadership skills. They improve the workplace’s culture and bring about unification and growth. 

These theories give perspective about leadership and how leaders can develop important skills to manage and lead organizations. They also explain the why and how of becoming leaders and the behaviors needed by leaders to adapt to different situations.

While traditional theory argues that leaders are born, these leadership theories now propose that leaders’ behaviors can be learned so anyone can become a leader once they crack the code.

Wrap Up

Attaining a true understanding of leadership theory isn’t difficult if it’s presented right. In the coming weeks, I’ll survey the major leadership theories. My intent is to present them in the same easily digestible, pocket-sized form as the airport bestsellers. Keep following, and I hope you enjoy a pocket guide to leadership.

More Articles in This Series:

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About the author

David Burkus is an organizational psychologist, keynote speaker, and bestselling author of five books on leadership and teamwork.

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