Within the last century, various people have proposed theories to explain how and why certain people function well as leaders.

There are seven major types of theories of leadership.

1. Great Man Theory:

The theory assumes that leaders are born, not made. It argues that leaders are born with just the right skill set for leading.

2. Trait Theory:

Quite similar to Great Man theory, Trait theory predicts effective leadership based on shared traits with previous leaders.

By this conclusion, all great leaders share physical attributes, such as appearance, weight, height; socioeconomic characteristics e.g. gender, age, marital status; traits like extroversion, decisiveness, intelligence, etc.

Hence, by possessing certain qualities, leaders are distinct from non-leaders.

3. Contingency Theory:

This theory explains that no one leadership style applies to all situations.

The contingency theory expects the best form of leadership from analyzing the context (circumstances, state of affairs) and working as applicable.

4. Situational Theory:

Here, a leader exhibits a specific leadership style based on the maturity level of the followers.

Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard grouped maturity as follows;

M1 – Team members do not possess the motivation or tactical skills to complete necessary jobs.

M2 – Team members are willing and ambitious to achieve something, but they lack the necessary ability.

M3 – Team members possess the skills and capacity to accomplish tasks, but they’re not willing to take accountability.

M4 – Team members possess all the right talents and are motivated to complete projects.

5. Behavioral Theory:

Based on this theory, great leaders are made, not born.

As the direct opposite of the Great Man theory, the behavioral theory suggests that people can learn to become leaders by acquiring necessary skills.

6. Management Theory:

Also known as ‘Transactional Theory,’ bases effective leadership on a system of rewards and punishment.

Often adopted in businesses, this is in effect when an employee who meets a target gets promoted or in sports where winning a game would attract recognition and bonuses over other team players.

7. Transformational Theory:

Leaders in this category, by the strength of their personality, can lead using intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration, inspirational motivation, and idealized influence.

Researchers have found that this style of leadership produces committed followers who feel cared for and trained to take up leadership roles as well.

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Leadership 101