Overview and analysis of Leadership theories

Overview and analysis of Leadership theories Men make history and not the other way around. In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better Harry S. Truman. Leadership has been defined in several ways. In its simplest form, leadership has been described by Susan Ward as the art of motivating a group of people to act towards achieving a common goal. Leadership, however, is a very complex subject, and encompasses such wide ranging disciplines like human psychology, man management, management of resources, communication skills, technical knowledge etc. A leader, therefore, is a person who has these skills and knows how to use them to motivate, guide and inspire the team to achieve his vision. For centuries, leadership has traditionally been associated with the military. In recent times, however, the importance of business leadership has become more and more evident. As a consequence of this paradigm shift, the old theories of leadership have given way to new ones, more aligned towards the business environment. Overview of Leadership Theories The concept of leadership has witnessed a gradual change from individual leadership to organisational leadership. A study of the evolution of leadership theories through the ages clearly highlights this point. The earliest studies on leadership were based largely on existing leaders, giving rise to the theory that leaders were born, not made. The dominance of the male gender, particularly in military leadership, gave rise to the Great Man theory, which suggested that born leaders would arise when the situation called for them. It is quite evident that in the modern sociological environment, this theory can be considered to be irrelevant. An offshoot of the Great Man theory was the Trait theory, which suggested that some people had certain inborn traits that qualified them to be good leaders. This theory suffers from similar drawbacks as the Great Man theory. Moreover, both these theories are applicable to individual, rather than organisational leadership. A quantum jump from the earlier theories came with the concept of the Behavioural theory of leadership. With this, the focus shifted to learning, rather than inheriting the art of leadership. The Participative Leadership theory evolved on the premise that better decisions could be made if the process involved several people instead of one person alone. On the other hand, according to the Situational Leadership theory, the leadership style would depend on situational factors. In the study of leadership in the context of modern business, the two most popular theories that have emerged are the Transactional theory and the Transformational theory. The transactional leaders work through a process of clear structures, and a system of rewards and punishments forms an integral part of the process. The Transformational theory is based on the leaders vision and his ability to get his subordinates to follow that vision by personally inspiring them and transforming them by enlarging their vision, motivating and providing intellectual development. Literature Review Studies on leadership have been carried out since time immemorial. In circa 500 BC, Sun Tzu described the five traits of a successful leader (Gagliardi, 1999). It is believed that his thoughts on leadership closely approximate the Situational Leadership theory of modern times. In 16th century AD, Niccolo Machiavelli put forth theories on how a prince should acquire and maintain his state. Other strategists of their times such as Lao Tzu and Confucius of China and Chanakya of India also taught leadership principles some of which are still relevant today. Since the turn of the twentieth century, when the action shifted from the battlefield to the boardroom, new leadership theories have been presented, existing ones have been revised, reviewed and reframed, and new leadership gurus have become household names. The Trait Theory. The Trait theory has been in existence since the early 20th Century. Various studies carried out by different researchers (Stogdill, 1948, 1974; Mann, 1959; Lord, DeVader and Allinger, 1986; Locke and Kirkpatrick, 1991) are in agreement that specific traits exist that distinguish leaders from non-leaders, but differences exist in the traits identified by them. However, it is evident that mere possession of these traits does not make a leader as a combination of personality and situation would determine the leadership qualities at any point of time. Moreover, the identifications of traits is a subjective issue, and their validity would remain debatable. The Behavioural or Style Approach. In the early 1950s, the focus of leadership theories shifted from traits to behaviours as many scholars felt that leader behaviour was more important than mental, physical or emotional traits. Two studies carried out by Ohio State University and the University of Michigan in the late 1940s and 1950s set out to validate this theory. Using a questionnaire on a sample population, the Ohio study concluded that there were two distinct aspects of leadership: initiating structure or task oriented behaviour; and consideration, or showing concern for subordinates. The Michigan study concluded that leadership behaviour could be either employee oriented, or production oriented. Both these studies indicate that there are certain universally applicable leadership behaviours, but there is no proper empirical evidence to support these. Moreover, these studies have not taken the effects of variable situations into consideration. Situational Leadership Theory. Based on Reddins 3-D Management Style theory and developed by Blanchard and Hersey (1969), this is one of the most widely used theories that has found widespread use in training and employee development and works on the premise that the situation will dictate the type of leadership. Depending upon the situation, the leadership style could either be directive or supportive. The leader will have to modify his style along with the variance in employee morale and skills. The figure below represents the correlation between the leadership style and the situation: The Situational leadership model places the onus of employee development on the leader. Because of its simplicity and ease of implementation, this is in wide use for training of leaders. It needs to be borne in mind that as the development of subordinates progresses, the leader himself also needs to develop and to adapt to the changing situation. Transformational Leadership. The term transformational leadership was first used by Downton (1973) but the concept was brought into prominence by James MacGregor Burns (1978). According to this theory, transformational leaders provide inspiration and motivate their subordinates to work towards a common objective. Burns divided leaders into two categories: the Transactional leaders who work on a system of rewards and punishments for the work done; and the Transformational leaders who make a connection with the followers to work towards the common goal. This theory was further developed by Bernard Bass (1985), who put forth the view that transformational leaders make their followers aware of the importance of the task and of their own needs for personal growth, while at the same time motivating them to place the organisational interests before their own. Further research has been carried out by Bass Avolio, 1990; Kunhert, 1994; and Avolio, 1999. Studies have demonstrated that transactional leaders had generally performed up to the expected standards, while transformational leaders have exceeded expectations (http://www.abolrous.com/hazem/leadershiptheories.pdf). Transformational leadership has been widely accepted by many organisations, but although they make an important contribution to the literature, but they should not be heralded as a revolutionary approach that makes all the earlier theories obsolete. (Yukl, 1999). Contemporary studies of various leaders and organisations indicate that for the successful implementation of organisational goals, there is a requirement of a mix of transformational leadership (at the top management level) and transactional leadership (at the implementation level). Notable amongst the research on this theory are the ones carried out by Bennis Nanus (1985) and Trichy DeVanna (1986, 1990), using similar methodologies of interviewing a large number of CEOs. Bennis Nanus came to the conclusion that the traits of transformational leaders can be described by four Is: Idealized Influence (leader becomes a role model) Inspirational Motivation (team spirit, motivate, and provide meaning and challenge). Intellectual Stimulation (creativity innovation) Individual Consideration (mentoring) Trichy DeVanna found that leaders bring about change by way of a three step process: Recognise the fact that there is a need for change Create a vision and design a plan based on this vision Institutionalize the change . http://sbinfocanada.about.com/od/leadership/g/leadership.htm Ward, Susan: Leadership http://changingminds.org/disciplines/leadership/theories/leadership_theories.htm Leadership Theories Bass, B. M. (1990). From transactional to transformational leadership: Learning to share the vision. Organizational Dynamics, (Winter): 19-31. Gagliardi, G., (2001) Sun Tzus art of war plus its amazing secrets: The keys to strategy. Clearbridge publishing. Seattle, WA. http://www.1000ventures.com/business_guide/crosscuttings/leadership_situational.html Situational Leadership Leadership Theory and Practice, Peter G. Northouse, Third Edition Management of Organizational Behavior, Paul Hersey, Seventh Edition http://www.abolrous.com/hazem/leadershiptheories.pdf Leadership Summary European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 1999, 8 (1), 33-48: An Evaluative Essay on Current Conceptions of Effective Leadership, Gary Yukl http://business.nmsu.edu/~dboje/teaching/338/transformational_leadership.htm Transformational Leadership: David M. Boje (2000) http://psychology.about.com/od/leadership/a/transformational.htm Transformational  Leadership: Kendra Cherry

Accutane associated Depression

Acne vulgaris or acne as it is commonly known, is a common skin disease mostly found in adolescent teenagers above the age of 14 and at times it may extend through to adulthood.According to the Dermatological disease database, acne develops as a result of secretions of the skin sebaceous glands and blockage of skin follicles which leads to eruption of pimples, blackheads and scars on the skin1.   It is not caused by eating certain foods such as chocolate, French fries or pizza as commonly believed.It has been reported by the British Dermatology Journal that, although not much data on acne's epidemiology is available, it has been discovered that about 40 to 85% of teenagers are or have already been affected by this disorder, making it the most common skin disease.For instance in America, every one out of three teenagers is or has had this disorder and the disease prevalence is not dependent on the race, sex, skin color or ethnicity.This disease occurs earlier in females than in male s a fact which can be attributed to the earlier onset of puberty and maturity in females than in males2.   On the contrary, the severity of this disease is more in males than in females especially when it occurs during the late teenage years due to androgen hormonal influences.In adulthood, acne is more prevalent in females than in males.   Some studies have further indicated that the prevalence of acne can be seasonal especially in women where it occurs just before the onset of their menstrual periods.More over, acne has been found to be more severe during the cold seasons than in the warmer weather conditions although these findings are not yet proven.   Some epidemiological data released by the Dermatological department of Munich University suggests that there is a close relationship between smoking and acne prevalence although still, this has not been confirmed3.Background Information.The history of acne disease dates back to ancient days and its origin is believed to be s omewhere in ancient Greece where people infected by this disease were treated using hot water baths mixed with sulfur4.   This method of acne treatment was used all through the 19th century till early 20th century when Benzoyl peroxide treatment was discovered.In 1950s, the use of antibiotics to treat the disease was invented especially tetracyclines although such antibiotics are no longer effective due to resistance of the disease causing germs.   More powerful antibiotics such as Retin-A were later discovered in 1960s and the disease control became much easier.   Such antibiotics are still in use especially in the U. S5.In 1980, the famous Accutane anti-acne drug was invented and this drug although controversial, it is very effective and is still in use today.   The year 1990 saw the emergence of Laser therapy which not only treats the disease but it clears the scars as well.   This treatment is quite expensive although it is very fast and effective.In 2000, the blue/red therapy was invented and this combined with the laser therapy invented earlier, led to more improved methods of acne treatment6.   This evolution shows how acne treatment has evolved with time, making the disease more manageable and easily treatable4.Acne prevalence has been on the decline in the past few years mainly due to increased knowledge on the disease, improved methods of prevention and treatment and better management of the disorder7.

Divorce: Marriage and Progressive Beautiful Life

Divorce is common nowadays, nobody seems to take care or know its problems and its issues after divorcing. It is bad for couple to divorce if they have children, in fact that will be a bad result for them to take care of them with their hard life after the divorce. The divorce is the most serious social problem that affect almost the entire life of the children and the couple, it also makes troubles like: sadness, despair, children, and unforgettable moments. The issue is continuing and never stop easily which generates a huge sadness and despair for both sides the couple and the relatives. People usually divorce because they think that they can't be together to continue their life for some behavior reasons. Therefore, couples feel painful and harder to live than before, and the child doesn’t have any idea about the sudden issue that enters the fear in their hearts. Moreover, some parents hesitate to split up when they have children, and won't split up instantly which gives them leisure to choose the right choice. Parents who don’t have children don’t hesitate and decide to split up immediately, and choose the wrong choice to eliminate their life. As a result, they regret for the useless chosen way to split up, and the remorse will mostly last forever in hearts. In conclusion, the divorce has a lot of troubles according the misery, which damage the children and the beautiful life. People have to mind it as a serious problem that they should handle it, whether they are going to divorce or not. To lead them to a progressive beautiful life that make everyone happy and weal, a lot of divorce situations has been eliminated in a positive result that keep their life with no problems before they start splitting up. Consequently parents and children will never think of divorce, and they will have a beneficial life which keep them in a safe aspect.

Zaitsev Rule Definition

Zaitsev Rule Definition: organic chemistry product alkenes reactions alkene alkene substituent carbon atoms Return to the Chemistry Glossary Index