Leadership Trait Theories

Training is an grave aspect of the change leader. Smith and Sharma proposed that in order for an organization to have full benefit from performance and longevity transformers need to develop suitable traits, responsibility, and leadership in every employee. This contradicts the belief of the trait theorists that leaders are born with leadership traits. People possess the ability to learn, which leaders of trait theory do not acknowledge. Baca, Meese and Ortmeier asserted that the trait theories do not account for learning ability, which would suggest that leadership skills may be developed in those not born with them. Kunich and Lester strengthened the point on training in leadership skills when they claimed that they could make a strong case that leadership traits are not innate or passively created in leaders. According to Kunich and Lester, leaders get assistance to develop and help themselves to grow through training, education and experiences. Johnson agreed with Kunich and Lester by sharing the views of William George, former chairman and CEO of Medtronic. According to George leaders are not born, they develop overtime through rigorous work and ability to learn from extraneous circumstances.

A weakness of the contingency theory according to Baca, Meese and Ortmeier, is its failure to make provision for leaders to teach or learn skills in how to adapt when situations change. Bogue suggested that if we must perceive leadership as artwork as he is disposed to do, then there is the need to adapt style to place, time and personality. One understands from this that a leader must be skillful in varying situations

Autonomy is a key factor in transformational leadership theory. The leader seeks to increase the conscientiousness of the followers and according to Boerner, Eisenbeiss and Griesser as follower meticulousness grow, the transformational leader tends to empower the follower. Kane-Urrabazo stated that empowerment is a method of enabling others to do things and that it is a motivator. Transactional leaders' reluctance to reward followers for out of role performance indicates that there is no empowerment for followers. Baca, Meese and Ortmeier claimed that the transactional leader is not likely to motivate followers to perform extra role behaviour. There is the suggestion that the followers are not empowered to be innovative. For the contingency leader it might be in the best interest of the organization to empower the followers. Yun, Cox and Sims stated that leaders have different reasons why they might empower their followers. The leaders might not have enough time, knowledge of task and problem solving techniques. Empowerment here seems to be a contingency plan for the leader

Leadership role in the real world is a combination of benefits and challenges. Kunich and Lester stated that it is hard to be a leader to deal with the innumerable difficult challenges, which come with the position. Leaders are expected to be inspirational and able to mobilize people, who according to Kunich and Lester are languid, to excel. Clawson claimed that leadership is about managing energy in self and then in the followers.

Organizations have to deal with problems of internal and external nature. The external environment is a changing one and leaders need to be aware and proactive. Clawson discussed the need for leaders to expand and strengthen their visions and insights into the global, community, market, competitions , consumer and other issues around the organization. Clawson stated that if there is no understanding of the underlying forces, focus will be misdirected and shocks, obstacles, and possible failure will be the result. The implication is that the environment is competitive and the strategies need to be competitive, cannot be based on traditions but on change and versatility.

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