Answering a question on management leadership

1. Management
SPECIAL TOPICS

2. “Leaders are born, not made”. Discuss this
statement using your knowledge on leadership
theories. (10 marks)
1

3. Answer
• Leader are actually made and not born and three theories support
this:
1. Trait theory of leadership
2. Behavioral theory of leadership
3. Situational theory of leadership

4. Trait Theory of Leadership

5. • This theory in summary asserts that leaders are
characterized by certain traits, which are habits acquired
over time, and they are almost always virtues. Therefore
leadership is a function of mastering these virtues:
prudence(I.Q and E.Q), temperance, sociability, being just
and finally determination.
• We are not born having these qualities rather we acquire
them by continual, over time practicing of these good
habits. Therefore leaders are made.
• These traits are only seen in already successful leaders.
• Think of traits as constants in a class.
Trait Theory of Leadership

6. Behavioral Theory of Leadership

7. • This theory supposes that leadership qualities consist in the
dynamic an momentary actions and reactions of a leader as
opposed long ingrained, hammered in traits.
• Behavior is the focus. But behavior is performed in the present
and we are not born with behaviors. Our behaviors only manifest
as we live and they are not set before we are born.
• So leaders become leaders because of their behavior therefore
they are made not born.
• We must note that behavior become habits, which in turn
harden into traits or character. Therefore this theory lead us to
the first.
• Think of behaviors as functions in a class.
Behavioral Theory of Leadership

8. Situational Theory of Leadership

9. • This theory takes into account the whole context of leadership
not just traits(attributes) and behaviors but also
situations(contingencies).
• It supposes that even though a person may have attributes, he
becomes a leader when the attributes are shown in
actions(behavior).
• But for a leader to behave, there have to be situations from
within or without which would cause the person to act
out(behavior) his or her traits.
• This theory, better than the previous two, shows that leaders are
made not born; made and molded by the situations and
environment around them.
Situational Theory of Leadership

10. Done