ABSTRACT
The fields of both early management and leadership sought a universal prescription of ideal practices. Classical management purported to find this by proposing the centrality of analytic skills. Leadership theory searched in vain for a universal list of ideal traits. In recent decades trait leadership theory has been revitalized by competency-based approaches. The stratified systems approach was fully articulated by Jaques, who theorized seven strata of development based on time-span assignments and the level of complexity of work. In terms of leadership styles, transactional approaches all include a supportive style to complement the directive style. Grid theory largely fits into a universal, rather than a contingency, approach to leadership. Path-goal theory asserts that "leaders, to be effective, engage in behaviors that complement subordinates' environments and abilities in a manner that compensates for deficiencies and is instrumental to subordinate satisfaction and individual and work unit performance".
