ABSTRACT
385Inside Tips
UNDERSTANDING LEADERSHIP THEORIES
This chapter presents some of the many theories of leadership in work organizations in more or less chronological order, beginning with the earliest (and simplest) theories and progressing to the more current (and usually more complex) models. Although each of these theories takes a somewhat different perspective in examining work group leadership, you will find common threads. Later theories tend to build on earlier theories and so contain some of the same elements, but they are enhanced or looked at in different ways. You might also notice that different theoretical approaches sometimes lead to very different interventions to develop leadership.
The theories of leadership introduced in this chapter are directly related to topics discussed previously and provide a background for upcoming chapters. Specifically, the topic of leadership follows the discussion of group processes in Chapter 12, as the relationship between leaders and other members of the work group is itself an important group process. Leadership and the leadership role are also linked to organizational communication (Chapter 11), particularly the downward flow of communication in organizations. Finally, this chapter will link with the discussion of influence, power, and politics in Chapter 14, for it is clear that the most influential and powerful members of work groups are usually the leaders.
