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Comparison and Contrast of Trait-Based, Situational, and Transformational Leadership Theories

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COMPARISON AND CONTRAST OF TRAIT-BASED, SITUATIONAL, AND TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP THEORIES

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Comparison and Contrast of Trait-Based, Situational, and Transformational Leadership Theories

Ciprian Patrulescu

Electronic copy available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2132126

COMPARISON AND CONTRAST OF TRAIT-BASED, SITUATIONAL, AND TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP THEORIES

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Abstract This research paper compares and contrasts several leadership theories, the evolution of the theories, and future research implications. The leadership theories discussed in the paper include the trait-based, situational, and transformational leadership theories. Trait-based theories represented the earliest attempts to quantitatively study leaders and leadership effectiveness by focusing on the innate skills and traits of the person. Situational theories expanded to explore the influence of different situations on leadership. Lastly, transformational leadership theories further expanded on the role of the leader in motivating followers through inspiration.

Electronic copy available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2132126

COMPARISON AND CONTRAST OF TRAIT-BASED, SITUATIONAL, AND TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP THEORIES

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Comparison and Contrast of Trait-based, Situational, and Transformational Leadership Theories There are almost as many definitions of leadership as there are persons who have tried to define leadership (Stogdill, 1974). The definition of leadership by Weathersby (1999, p.5) captures the essence of what it is to be a leader: “Leadership focuses on the creation of a common vision. It means motivating people to contribute to the vision and encouraging them to align their self-interest with that of the organization. It means persuading, not commanding”. Zaccaro (2007) asserts that leadership focuses on people and involves exerting personal influence over the

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