Leadership And Business
...4-7
Conclusion 7
Appendices 8-15
References 16
Introduction
Leadership is a term that has multiple meanings amongst several different perspectives, but what is implicit in defining leadership is that it is a perpetual concern for anyone who needs to motivate, guide, and inspire. It can be described as:
".. a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to meet a common goal." (Northouse, 2004).
Often, leadership is considered as the single most important factor in determining organizational success due to the importance of guiding followers towards a common objective within an institutional context. Despite the development of several theories and models, and the use of their respective measurement instruments to measure leadership behaviour, the acceptance of one single theory that totally underpins the implementation and performance of effective leadership has not emerged. It is therefore my task to consider two leadership theories and individually evaluate the extent to which they constitute contributing factors to effective leadership within an organizational environment. In order to do so I have selected theories within two different eras of leadership studies, and furthermore have conducted an informal interview with an employee at the RBS Group whom I consider to have a role of leadership.
Outline of theories
During the 1960's and 1970's leadership theories were developed under the 'contingency' perspective which consider how situational factors alter the effectiveness of particular leader behaviours and styles of leadership. Within this era the most recognized theory is "Fiedler's contingency theory". This theory contrasts situational influence and leader traits and effectiveness through a scale known as the Least Preferred Co-Worker Scale (See Appendix). The outcomes of the LPC...
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