Effective leadership goes beyond just a title and charisma. When you look beyond the surface level of leadership, there’s a deep psychology behind it just waiting to be explored. We’ll be covering different leadership theories, what makes a good leader, and the types of leaders.
If you’re already in a leadership role or studying to work in one, it’s important to understand the science behind it. For example, if you’re studying an online DNP program—a Doctor of Nursing Practice, you’d need to understand the psychology behind leadership to effectively manage your team.
The interest in the social psychology of leadership has grown over the past hundred years. Businesses and organizations want to understand what makes a strong leader, and what makes an individual excel in such positions.
What is Leadership?
Before delving into the social psychology of leadership, it’s critical to understand what leadership is. Leadership itself is a social construct. It’s a term we use to make sense of how we form social groups and their dynamics.
In social groups, the term ‘leader’ is given to the person taking charge or leading the group. The others play the role of the ‘follower’. This definition of leadership can be found in groups and organizations around the world, from how the government functions to your local sports club.
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Social Psychology
If you’re interested in understanding the different leadership theories, it’s first important to understand the branch of psychology they’re under. Social psychology is described as the field of psychology focusing on social influence, social interaction, and social behavior by the American Psychological Association.
The studies of a social psychologist can include the influence of interpersonal and group relationships on human behavior. For example, how someone’s opinion of us might impact our actions.
This field of psychology has been significant in better understanding human behavior, with practical uses for improving interactions and relationships. Social psychology has also helped us understand what makes a good leader, leading to various theories on leadership.
What is Leadership Theory?
We’d need more than two hands to count the dozen theories on leadership in psychology, however, there are a few that are more well-known than others. Understanding these theories can help you determine what type of leader you are and want to be in the future.
Great man theory
One of the first and most commonly known theories is the ‘Great Man Theory’, also referred to as the trait theory. The theory is primarily attributed to the Scottish essayist, historian, and philosopher, Thomas Carlyle.
The trait theory states that good leaders are born, and leadership is an innate ability someone possesses, and it can’t be taught or gained. This suggests that all leaders are predetermined, which has also led to the theory gaining a strong amount of criticism.
People have cited several leaders as examples of the great man theory. These include Alexander the Great, Martin Luther King Jr., Abraham Lincoln, and Queen Elizabeth I.
It’s highly debated, but supporters of the theory believe they were born leaders due to one or various of the following ‘inherited’ gifts:
- High level of ambition
- Acknowledging one’s duty
- Motivational ability
- Thinking with action
- Emotional equilibrium
- Competence
- Strong charisma
Behavioral Theory
If you’re looking to strengthen your leadership skills, learning about behavioral theory is a great opportunity. Behavioral theory focuses on how effective leaders throughout history have behaved and assumes their actions can be ‘copied’ by other leaders.
This theory suggests that leaders aren’t always born successful, and can be created based on learnable behavior. The theory has the belief that leaders aren’t made because of inherited qualities or traits, but the actions they take.
For example, if you’re working in retail, you can use other store managers as an example to model your leadership behavior after. Try to adopt the same actions they do and apply them to your own employees.
Contingency Theory
Contingency theory, sometimes called ‘situational theory’, was coined in the 1960s by Austrian psychologist Professor Fred Fiedler. His theory is fascinating, suggesting that a leader’s personality or innate qualities have little effect on their leadership skills.
Instead, he believes that the effectiveness of a leader will depend on their leadership style and the surrounding situation. Fiedler believes that the ‘right leader’ will depend on the situation, and there is no ‘right leader’ for every situation.
Applying contingency theory in a real-world situation would be ensuring, for example, a manager for a company has the right skill set for the team they’re handling. If a manager has strong leadership qualities but is in an industry they’re unfamiliar with, they’ll struggle as a leader regardless of their personality or innate qualities.
Management Theory
Management theories of leadership, also known as transactional theories, focus on a type of leadership that relies on a system of reward and punishment. It’s most commonly seen in businesses.
For example, if an employee is doing well, the leadership might reward them with a bonus, commission, or pay raise. If they’re not meeting goals, they could be reprimanded. It’s a leadership style that is more about the organization itself than the individual in the leadership role.
Relationship Theory
A leader following relationship theory is concerned about their interactions and interpersonal relationships with followers in their group. This means they take on more of a mentorship role compared to a leader following contingency or transactional theory.
For example, a relationship theory-focused leader would talk to their employees, discuss their needs, and try to meet them. Their main goal would be to focus on fostering a positive work environment and meeting the needs of every individual in their group.
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What kind of leader are you?
The first step to determining which type of leadership style suits you is researching the different theories. Beyond our deep dive, we also recommend looking into power theory and participative leadership.
It can also be helpful to look at leaders in the industry you’re working in who inspire you and style yourself after them.