What is leadership? Leadership concepts are modern and traditional

Nowadays everyone tries to become a successful and respected person. To do this, you need to meet certain requirements from others. How do individuals manage to establish unconditional leadership? The concepts of leadership are very diverse and deserve a separate discussion. They will be discussed in this article.

The concept of leadership

Leadership refers to the ability to exert a certain influence on each person individually, as well as on a group of diverse individuals, directing common efforts of people to achieve a single goal. From the socio-psychological point of view, this process is quite natural, based on the influence of one authoritative individual on the behavior of the other members of the group. Under the influence at the same time understand such actions of a person that make changes in feelings, attitudes, actions of another person. There are several ways to exercise leadership. Leadership concepts assume that influence can be manifested through ideas, persuasion, suggestion, written and spoken word, coercion, personal authority, emotional contamination, own example and so on.

Who is the leader

Existence in a certain group implies someone's leadership. Leadership concepts are based on a wide variety of theories. What qualities are necessary for a person to lead a group? A leader is a person capable of uniting people and directing them to achieve some goal. Moreover, the concepts of "leader" and "goal" are inseparable from each other. However, to set a certain task and to plan it alone does not mean to become a leader. The inherent quality of each leader is the presence of followers. The main role of every leader lies in the ability to make people go after themselves, organize the necessary interaction of subordinates in a single system that would help solve specific problems within the established goal. In other words, the leader is an element that regulates the behavior of other people. A true leader can only become a person who is the bearer of features that are welcomed and expected in this particular group. Therefore, "transplanting" the leader from one association to another, as well as his appointment from above - the reception is inappropriate and ineffective.

Types of leadership

Leadership concepts suggest that people in the community unite for three main reasons. As a rule, they are guided by the desire to get emotional support, find out the necessary information or establish business relationships. Thus, leadership in the organization consists of three components: emotional, information and business. A person who is able at the right time to call people to order and remind them of a common goal is the "hands of the group." Such a person can be called a business leader. He works very well with him, he knows how to organize business and establish the necessary business contacts and relationships. A person who has great erudition and is able to convey the necessary information to the rest is the "brain of the group". He can be called an information leader. Personality, which you can turn for sympathy and "cry in the vest" - is the "heart of the group." Such a person is an emotional leader. In addition to the three species listed above, the fourth most preferred variant is also found. It is a universal leader. Such a person unites all three components, but this type of leadership is extremely rare.

Variety of concepts

In studying the problem of the primacy of some people over others, there are three main directions: traditional, situational and new. Historically, the earliest are the traditional concepts of leadership. According to them, the crowd can be organized only by an exceptional person, endowed with unique qualities. Known adherents of this theory are Edwin Giselli, Warren Bennis and Walf Stogdill.

The basic concepts of leadership in the modern world appeared on the basis of traditional ones. One of them is situational theory. It was proposed by Frank Fiedler, who believed that a person can discover the ability to lead only when the relevant circumstances arise. Common to the situational and traditional approach in studying the problem is that the result of managerial activity in them directly depends on the personal qualities of the leader.

Later, new concepts of leadership were created. These include theories of the attributive (analyst), charismatic and transformative (reformer) leadership. All of them are witty and have a right to exist, but do not reflect the phenomenon completely. This issue is still unresolved to this day. The main concepts of leadership will be outlined below.

Traditional theories

As already mentioned above, they were based on external signs and personal qualities of leaders, but over time they were refuted. Here are some of them:

- The concept of physical qualities was recognized as unsound one of the first. After all, the leader is not always distinguished by high growth, heavy weight and irrepressible physical strength. On the contrary, its external data can be the most mediocre.

- The concept of intelligence is based on verbal and evaluative qualities of the individual. It is assumed that the presence of these qualities ensures managerial success. However, not every educated, well-bred and courteous person can lead people.

Behavioral approach

Traditional concepts of leadership are not limited to the two above-mentioned theories. The concept of the leader's features also applies to them. It is based on the fact that each leader must have a certain set of psychological qualities. He must have self-confidence, a flexible and sharp mind, strong will, competence, organizational skills, knowledge of human nature. The American sociologist E. Bogadus listed the qualities that a leader should possess: energy, mind, leader, ability to foresee, sense of humor, tact, solid character. In the "Guide to Leadership," the American R. Stogdill notes that the structure of the personality qualities leading the group must be correlated with the activities, tasks and traits of its subordinates. However, the study of real groups showed that they can be managed by a person who does not have the above qualities. And the person, theoretically capable of leadership, sometimes takes a very modest place in the organization.

Situational approach

Concepts of situational leadership arose on the basis of a traditional approach to the study of the problem. They assume that the leader of the group can only be the person who is able to direct people to resolve a particular situation. It must have the appropriate abilities, properties, qualities, knowledge, experience. To solve various problems, different personalities may be needed, so the primacy in the community can pass from one person to another. The business leader can change information, and emotional - business and so on. E. Hartley has revealed several regularities, characteristic for situational leadership:

1. If a person leads a group in one situation, then he automatically raises the chances of becoming a leader in another.
2. If the personality has shown its leadership qualities and earned authority from others, it means that it can become a leader and consolidate its leading positions.
3. The perception of the group is based on stereotypes. If a person has become a leader in one situation, then she will perceive him as such in the other.
4. In order to become a leader, one must have an inner desire for this.

Political theory

Over time, there are new theories of the emergence of leadership. One of them was put forward by the founders of Marxism. They suggested that this phenomenon can be explained in terms of class confrontation. In their understanding, the political leader is a skilful, consistent and conscious exponent of the interests of a certain class, which plays an auxiliary role in relation to its group in a certain sense. Marxist theoreticians tried to prove that people make history, but their motives are based on the economic component of society's life. Thus, the concepts of political leadership assume the predominant role of the individual in close connection with the activities of social groups. In different historical epochs, the leader can be presented with different requirements.

Theory of Freud

Modern concepts of leadership have a different, sometimes very complex psychological basis. For example, Sigmund Freud put forward his unique theory of "personality-psychological qualities." The psychoanalyst argues that some people seek leadership because they try to compensate for the inferiority complex that arose in adolescence or childhood . At the same time, such persons can demonstrate their prevailing position over others in unethical ways, which are a consequence of neuroses, manic paranoia and other deviations of the psyche.

Mysterious Charisma

One of the most interesting theories is the concept of charismatic leadership. It is based on the fact that some individuals are endowed with the talent to control other people. From the Greek word "charisma" is translated as mercy, a divine gift. So, exceptional qualities, insight from above, the ability to subordinate people automatically elevate such an outstanding person over the others. The concept of charismatic leadership assumes that the leader in the group is the most vivid embodiment of the values of the community, which he places above personal interests. The relationship with such a leader is based on boundless admiration and trust in him. The group's activity, united by a charismatic leader, directly depends on the personality of the leader. Without it, the organization becomes practically incompetent.

Attributive leadership

This concept assumes that the leader must be able to analyze the behavior of subordinates and predict their reaction to a particular situation. In the course of his activities, the head constantly looks for an answer to the question about the reasons for the behavior of employees. In its search, it is based on three components:

1. Personality.
2. The work itself.
3. Circumstances and organizational environment.

Thus, the leader seeks to identify the reasons for the poor performance of employees and to react correctly to the situation that has arisen. In this model of leadership there is a constant interaction between the chief and a simple worker. The effectiveness of the measures taken by the leader to improve work is determined by the reaction of the subordinate to them.

Transforming approach

The leader-reformer seeks to motivate followers by increasing their consciousness. It improves the educational level of subordinates, creates an atmosphere of trust in the team, helps people learn to combine personal interests with the public. This model of leadership involves the involvement of subordinates in the management of the group. They do not blindly obey the boss, but seek to adequately assess his behavior. The concept of transformative leadership is based on a creative approach: the leader successively earns respect and trust of followers, remaining first among equals.

Scientists respond differently to the question of what leadership is. Leadership concepts reveal this phenomenon from the most different points of view. To study the main directions in this matter will be interesting and useful for everyone.