In the article, The Evolution of Leadership Theory (Emerald Insight/Hunt Library), (Links to an external site.) Seters & Field (1990) analyzed the evolution of leadership theories to provide, “a broad framework against which to measure existing leadership theories and predict future directions in leadership theorizing” (p. 29). In the article, Leadership Theories and Styles: A Literature Review (ResearchGate/HuntLibrary), (Links to an external site.) Ahmed, Nawaz & Khan (2016) outline the leadership theories of the 20th Century and theorize that theories evolve from each other, claiming leadership is a “flexible developmental process” (p. 1).
Read both of the articles to ascertain some of the traits associated with various leadership theories and answer the following questions:
- What are some reasons why leadership theory has evolved?
- Which theory of leadership is most applicable to today’s organizations?
Identify a leader that you admire and answer:
- What makes this individual a great leader?
- What type of leadership theories do they adhere to?
- What evidence supports your claims?
Finally, address future implications by answering the following question:
- What predictions can you make about future leadership theory?
- Will it evolve from existing theories, if so which ones?
