Leadership models Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Leadership models - Essay Example Leadership Models or theories have been a central part of organizational management for many years. These help to make or break the workforce, and hence, the business. In this paper, four leadership models will be discussed thoroughly first. They will then be compared for any similarities and differences. Finally, their concentration on contemporary leadership issues and challenges will be analyzed, along with their implications for organizations today.The term 'leadership style' defines the "leadership model'. Style of leadership has been explained as how a person takes his team forward to achieve goals. This is the simplest definition of a layman. Good leadership is what makes effective management (Murugun, pg. 329). A model which defines this is, then, a 'Leadership Model'.Leadership has many functions that bring the team closer to their goals to carry out .The significance of leadership is reflected in the following functions: providing inspiration to employees, securing cooperat ion in the team, creating confidence among individuals, providing a conducive environment for employees, implementing changes, maintaining discipline among the members, representing them, and setting goals. (Murugun, pg.328)There are many factors that affect how a manager exerts leadership. The most important and the first one that comes to mind is his personality. The Leadership model largely depends on the nature of a manager. Moreover, the experiences of a manager also define his leadership style. He may lead in a certain way because his practices and situations in the past expect him to go forward in that manner. In addition to that, it is also based on the beliefs and values of the leader. He will also manage and lead his team according to the organization's environment, culture and needs. To get to the point, there are a number of leadership models, defined by a number of individuals. For example, Likert's leadership theories describe four kinds of leadership styles: Exploitative authoritative, Benevolent authoritative, Consultative and Participative styles (Likert 1967). Or , for example, Goleman's, Boyatzis' and McKee's (2004) six emotional leadership models: The Visionary Leader, the Coaching Leader, the Affiliative Leader, the Democratic Leader, the Pace-setting Leader and the Commanding Leader. But in this paper, we will only go over the four most common ones. The Charismatic Model adopts the Charismatic Style of Leadership, which is a style taken up by a leader who has a personality so charming and "charismatic" that he uses this to take the team forward. According to Max Weber, the term 'charisma' is used in the sense of an 'extraordinary quality' possessed by persons or objects, and is thought to give these persons a unique, magical power (Bendix 1977, pg.299). This leader is like an organizational hero who the subordinates look up to and follow strongly. They focus on making their team very different than the others. The charismatic model will only work with the kind of charismatic leader described above. The model sounds almost too good to be true, or practical. Which is the case, it is good but also not practical. The benefits of this model are apparent. Only by using pleasant phrases and appealing words and gestures, the leader can make the team get closer to his and their goals. Furthermore, he can make them believe and this belief is what fuels motivation. It could increase productivity of the workers and create a decorous, respectable environment. However, this doesn't always lead to successful results or achievement of goals, depending on the kind of team and the morale of its members. An "organizational hero" is more appreciated when the spirits of the individuals are low than when they are extremely self-confident. Moreover, according to Weber, a charismatic leader might not always be positive, for example, Adolf Hitler. In such situations this style is perceived as unethical by some because control is exercised on