Report on leadership theores

1.0 Introduction
A distinction of leadership from management suggested by Gold, Thorpe and Mumford, (2010:26) indicates that Managers plan, set targets, allocate resources and steps to achieving goals while at the same time organising human resources with the aim to delegate responsibilities. The role is control motivated and focuses on completion of tasks. Whereas, Leaders are accountable for envisioning based on direction, communication, support, empowerment to instil strength and unity in the workforce. Leaders encompass motivation and inspiration in subordinates though involvement in the process, recognising and rewarding success while nurturing informal relationships and networks. Early leadership theories focused on the leaders and which qualities distinguished leaders and followers, the notion of Great man theory which Bass suggests (in Northouse: 15) is the notion of heroic leaders that are born not made, like Mohandas Gandhi. Leadership theories evolved from great man though trait theories, behaviourist theories, situational leadership, contingency theory and on to transactional and transformational leadership. The progression of theories highlights a shift in generic characteristics and behaviors of leaders to recognition of the importance of responding to different situations and contexts and the leaders’ role in relation to followers. (Gosling, Marturano, and Dennison. 2003:6)
Great man theory developed in the mid-19th century was the bases of leadership theory from which Trait Approach arose as a way of identifying the key characteristics of successful leaders. The theory, developed between 1930s-1940s, assumes that people are born with trait which will allow them to excel in leadership positions, by identifying the necessary traits recruiters could hire competent leaders. Critics commented that personality trait