CRITICALLY ANALYSES AND COMPARES TWO ACADEMIC

Critically analyses and compares two academic journal articles

Critically analyses and compares two academic journal articles

Leadership is a process rather than an event. As situations change, roles and behaviors of leaders and followers may also change. In defining leadership, students learn that respected leaders act ethically and model responsible behavior. Students work to understand that active leadership may involve personal and public risks and opportunities. While leadership demands no specific age, gender, ethnicity, religion, or political affiliation, students learn that these elements may influence an individual's leadership style. (Zaccaro 2007 Pp. 13)

Some people become leaders because they have or develop certain talents and dispositions, or because of their wealth, military might, or position. Others lead because they possess great minds and ideas or they tell compelling stories. And then there are people who stumble into leadership because of the times or circumstances in which they find themselves. No matter how people get to be leaders, no one is a leader without willing followers. Managers and generals can act like playground bullies and use their power and rank force to force their will on people, but this is coercion, not leadership. Leadership is not a person or a position. It is a complex moral relationship between people, based on trust, obligation, commitment, emotion, and a shared vision of the good.

There are different leadership theories and models. Without getting into a discussion about what leadership is, (a topic that can and should be discussed at length) it is sufficient to state that for the purpose of this paper leadership will be considered to be the art of influencing others in the manner desired by the leader. Under such a broad definition it is possible to assume that effective leadership may be dependent on the leader, the follower, the situation, or any combination of these factors. The relationship commences with a testing phase in which the leader and the follower evaluate each others' potential resources, and mutual role expectations are determined. Relationships that never progress beyond this level are those of 'out-group' members. During the second stage the mutual exchange arrangement is developed, and mutual trust, loyalty and respect are established. At the third stage, the 'mature' stage, mutual commitment to the mission replaces exchanges based on self-interests. (Zaccaro 2007 Pp. 6-13.)

This paper has been organized according to which leadership aspects are addressed in each model or theory. The paper begins with a description of leadership trait theory, a theory that concerns itself solely with leader characteristics. Cognitive resources theory and the leadership skills model are then explored, and the relationship between the leader and the environment is examined. Following this, five theories that emphasize the dyadic relationship between leader and follower are reviewed. They are: transactional leadership, psychodynamic approach to leadership, participative leadership, leader-member exchange theory and social exchange theory. This is followed by a description of six contingency models. (Colbert 2008 Pp. 83)

The contingency models explore the relationship between leaders, followers and the ...