Analysis of The Traditional Leadership Theories: A Review of Contemporary Leadership Approaches and Management Effectiveness

Abstract

Leadership theories and philosophical thoughts have evolved rapidly over time due to its significance and influence in shaping and re-shaping global institutions which serves as a catalyst to economic development. The complexity of leadership necessitates that leaders must have the mastery leadership aligned with the context in which their organizations operate to achieve over-arching goals with agility and efficiency. Recent studies proposed a dynamic view about leadership and noted that a leader assumes and relinquishes position of authority based on the situation which is a significant departure from traditional perceptions. This paper analyses the contemporary leadership theories and approaches that attempt to define an effective leadership different from the traditional perspectives. However, the researcher proposed that effective leadership is a function of the leader’s knowledge and capacity to understand the situational parameters and fostering the right scale of leadership mix to solve problems. This therefore is an attempt to advance knowledge on the contemporary leadership mix and theories that could provide actionable insights for effective leadership practices in an organization.

Keywords: Leadership, Leadership Theories, Effective Leadership, Traditional Leadership.

DOI: 10.7176/IKM/13-5-02

Publication date:August 31^st 2023