When you learn to read and write, first thing you do is to learn the ABC. In this review we’ll see a summary of the most influential and notable approaches and theories about leadership that scientists and researchers have developed. I think these are the ABC for Leadership.

Leadership Definition

First what’s first. Let’s start by the Leadership Definition. Leadership is a human subject and as such is a complex matter. There is not a single definition for leadership because it’s studied in different ways that require different points of view, so you need to see the subject from distinct approaches. (for a list of definitions check: Leadership Definitions). That being said, let’s take a look to each of the approaches and theories, and find out what they offer us.

Traits Approach

It’s recognized to be the first systematic attemp to study leadership from a scientific point of view. In simple terms, the trait approach tried to identify the qualities and characteristics of great political, religious and army leaders. The goal was to find a set of traits that defined the great leaders. The studies that tried to find such traits are also referred as the Great Man theories. A key fact of these studies is that they concentrated all the efforts watching the “leader”, without taking into account, the context or the followers. (Want to learn more?, check The Traits Approach)

Skills Approach

Just like the trait approach the skills approach focused its attention on the leader. But in this case, it was the leader’s skills (developed and innborn) that were the matter of the study. The first set of skills that defined the success of a leader were: technical, human and conceptual skills.

A model by Robert Katz (1955) suggested that a leader should have a certain level of mastery over these sets of skills in order to succeed. How good in the human, technical or conceptual areas you should be, was determined by the level or position you were in the organization. If you were in the lower levels, you needed more technical and human skills, but if you were in the upper level inside the organization, human and conceptual skills were mostly needed. (Want to learn more?, check The Skills Approach)

Style Approach

In this approach the focus is on the leader’s behavior. It is centered on what leaders do and how they act. The leader’s behavior was characterized as task oriented or relationship oriented. To recognize the way these behaviors are combined to influence subordinates is the central purpose of the Style Approach.

The Managerial Grid is the most well-know behavioral model of leadership. It was developed in 1964 by Blake & Mouton, and several revisions thereafter. The grid has proved to be a good representation of the leader’s behaviors in real life situations. (Want to learn more?, check The Style Approach)

In the next part of the series you’ll see another three approaches / theories. By the way, remember Be Alert, Be A Leader.