Critical article about LEADERSHIP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Critical article about LEADERSHIP - Essay Example The first part of the debate is whether leaders are born innately or if leaders are developed. Some theories point out that some people might be born with the innate ability to command and influence others. This describes what has become known as the Trait theory. With a biological basis, it states that people possess certain traits. Some of these traits in which we are born with make us more suitable leaders than others (Day p262-265). Thus, those with the correct combination of traits will become leaders in society. Also, the Great Man theory states that great leaders will be born when there is a need for them. Others point out that as we develop as humans, our natural leadership abilities require training and fostering. This is the Behavioral theory and it talks specifically how leadership is a learned process rather than an acquired trait. Since leadership can be taught, this allows the person to develop traits that he/she deems will be important in the course of leadership devel opment (Griffin & Moorhead p311-312). It is a combination of both. Rather than have just one theory explain the entire aspect, it is acceptable to take in the fact that either one could be used to describe how leadership skills are created. One of the important concepts to address regarding leadership theory is to evaluate the skills that are essential for leadership. The first and utmost important skill is in communication. Communication skills are necessary for the leader to communicate his/her ideas to his/her subordinates. This is essential if the leader and the followers are going to function together in a cohesive manner. The second important skill of leadership is the power of delegation. As a leader, it is sometimes impossible to cover goals and challenges by yourself. Teamwork and delegation are needed to solve this. Delegation involves a leader giving up some of his/her power or influence in order to ensure that multiple tasks get done. The final essential skill of leaders hip is cultural competency. In the globalized economy, leaders are constantly facing encounters with people of different races, cultures, ideals, etc. As a leader, it might be necessary to work with someone who does not share the same values as you. As a result, you need to learn to have acceptance as well as understanding which are the foundation and underlying themes of cultural competency. The first main theory is that of transactional leadership. Transactional leadership is often seen in the educational and economical context. It relies on the exchange of both punishments and reinforcements in order to attain goals (Chamorro-Premuzic, Tomas p155). In psychology, punishments are meant to decrease a behavior. Positive punishment is when you increase a negative stimulus in order to decrease a certain type of behavior. Negative punishment is when you decrease a stimulus in order to cause a decrease of a certain type of behavior. For example, if an employee is late the manager can ch oose to decrease his salary in an attempt to decrease his tardiness. Reinforcements are meant to increase a behavior which a person has deemed valuable. Positive reinforcement is increasing a stimulus in order to cause an increase in desired behavior. In the educational setting, a professor will give a student who deserves a good grade an â€Å"A† and hopefully this will encourage the increased academic effort put forth by the student.