Leadership Tactics in Practice

Leadership Tactics in Practice
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Leadership Tactics in Practice
1 Introduction
Leadership involves various skills, including communication, decision-making, problem-solving, and inspiring and empowering others. Leadership is crucial in business, politics, education, and many other fields. There are various approaches to leadership, each with its strengths and weaknesses. Some of the most common techniques include trait theory, behavioral theory, contingency theory, and transformational leadership. Trait theory emphasizes an individual's personal qualities and characteristics as the main determinants of effective leadership. The behavioral approach identifies different leadership styles, including authoritarian, democratic, and laissez-faire, and argues that the most effective technique depends on the situation and the followers (Eva et al., 2019). These approaches focus on the leader's ability to communicate a clear and compelling vision, provide individualized support and coaching to their followers, and create a culture of trust and collaboration.
2 Discussion and Analysis
1 Brief Analysis of Leadership Approaches
Trait theory suggests that specific personal characteristics and traits are associated with effective leadership. For example, intelligence, confidence, integrity, and social skills are essential leadership qualities. The trait theory of leadership assumes that people are born with certain innate qualities that make them good leaders and that these traits are stable across different situations and contexts (Eva et al., 2019). Behavioral theorists argue that leaders can learn effective leadership behaviors through training and development and that different leadership styles can be effective in other cases. For example, the democratic leadership style is effective when working with a highly skilled team. In contrast, the autocratic style may be better suited for a fast-paced and high-pressure environment. Contingency theory suggests that the most effective leadership style depends on the situation and context in which the leader operates. Contingency theorists argue that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to leadership and that leaders must be flexible and adaptable to different situations.
Situational leadership is closely related to contingency theory and suggests that leaders need to adjust their leadership style to the needs and capabilities of their followers. This approach identifies four leadership styles, from directing to delegating, depending on the follower's level of readiness and competence. As shown in figure 1 below, the path-goal theory emphasizes the leader's role in clarifying the path to achieving goals and providing their followers with the necessary support and resources. Path-goal theorists argue that influential leaders can give clear and achievable goals, remove obstacles to achieving them, and provide their followers with the necessary guidance and support (Crede et al., 2019). Leader-member exchange theory focuses on building solid and positive relationships between leaders and their followers. Leader-member exchange theorists argue that influential leaders can develop high-quality relationships with their followers based on trust, respect, and mutual support.
Figure SEQ Figure \* ARABIC 1: Brief of Path-Goal Theory
(Northouse, 2022)
Transformational leadership generally emphasizes leaders' ability to inspire and motivate followers to achieve a shared vision or goal (Eva et al., 2019). Transformational leaders can communicate a clear and compelling vision, provide individualized support and coaching to their followers, and create a culture of trust and collaboration. Servant leadership emphasizes the leader's role in serving the needs of their followers and the wider community. Servant leaders are those who can put the needs of others before their own and are committed to creating a positive impact on their followers and society.
2 Two Natural and Go-to Leadership Approaches
Based on my analysis of the various approaches to leadership, I am most aligned with the transformational and authentic leadership approaches. Transformational leadership resonates with me because it inspires and motivates followers to achieve a shared vision or goal. Considering the views of employees and the entanglement with their employers, transformational leadership can play an optimist role (Crede et al., 2019). The purpose of a business is to maximize profit, and profit-making is possible only when there is a close relationship between the employees and the employers. By communicating a clear and compelling vision, providing individualized support and coaching, and creating a culture of trust and collaboration, employees can help in earning the maximum profits.
Authentic leadership is also an approach that I am naturally drawn to. Authentic leaders lead from a place of integrity, transparency, and honesty. Employers must be objective, impartial, and factual in successfully running a business. The prime goal of every company is to align its resources to extract the best outcomes. I believe that by being authentic and transparent in employee interactions, employers can build trust and credibility with users and create a more positive and practical experience. The transformational and authenti...