How to become a good leader Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

How to become a good leader - Essay Example A lot of researches have been done to understand the definition and essence of leadership, to identify the differences between the managers and the leaders. Management of organizational behavior defines leaders as the "Men and women who saw the need for action, believed in what they were doing, inspired others and, in spite of incredible odds, changed the world." (Hersey, Blanchard & Johnson, 1). Many theories and meanings of leaders and leadership have been developed throughout the world. All these theories have not been providing with same results however they do agree on certain grounds. All the theories agree that a leader has a clear set of goals and is capable of setting examples. He is a person with strong beliefs and vision for the future. A leader bravely voices his opinions and takes actions on his beliefs and passions. Leadership is a quality or ability that a person possesses to influence and guide others. There are various theories that define and explain leadership. The major ones are the Trait theory, Behavioral theory, Contingency theory and the Transformational theory. The Traits theory identifies certain traits or behavior in a person. This theory believes that human are born with the traits of becoming a leader. The theory suggests that if a person posses the specified traits he is a leader. The Behavioral theory suggests that leaders have a specific behavior towards their followers and that makes them distinct from others. This theory specifies the style and the behavior of the leaders. The contingency theory acts as the critic of the above theories and specifies that the styles and the traits of the individuals can be different in different dynamic situations. This theory suggests that the leaders are defined by their activities and abilities. The characteristics or the behaviors cannot be defined or specified. The transformational theory stresses on the effective interaction of the leaders with their