AMITY UNIVERSITY LUCKNOW, UTTAR PRADESH

AMITY LAW SCHOOL

RESEARCH PAPER
TOPIC- TRAIT AND BEHAVIOURAL THEORY OF LEADERSHIP

NAME – YASHVARDHAN SINGH SUBMITTED TO- MR. AYUSH SARAN

COURSE – BA LLB
SEMESTER- 5TH
SECTION- A
SUBJECT – COMMUNICATION CLIENT INTERVIEWING COUNSELLING AND
ADVOCACY SKILLS
ENROLLMENT NUMBER- A8111122064
YEAR- 3RD
 ABSTRACT
It is fascinating and crucial to talk about leadership forever. It has to do with how crucial
leaders are to a group or organization. Whether or not the future state of the group or
organization is dependent on the leader's function at this moment.
It is required of a leader to possess expert technical and managerial abilities.
The technical abilities are within their domains, whereas managerial abilities necessitate their
function in guiding others. These abilities are demonstrated by the ways in which he chose,
instructed, inspired, developed, and eventually terminated employment-related interactions.
The two most difficult things that face us are leadership and adapting to change leaders of
today.
The most successful leadership philosophies for persuasion must be employed by leaders
views of subordinates towards it. It is imperative for leaders to employ leadership styles that
have the most impact on their subordinates' perceptions of the objectives and methods for
achieving them. Traits theory, behaviour theory, and contingency theory are the three theories
of leadership.
Three theories differ in their fundamental presumptions. Only the theory of characteristics is
the subject of this article behaviour theory as well as theory.
According to trait theory, leaders possess a number of innate qualities like bravery, wit,
strength, initiative and accountability.
As opposed to trait theory and conduct idea holds that training and education can help shape
leaders, where planning, organizing, directing, and controlling are more common leadership
tasks than the nature of the leader.

One of the earliest theories of leadership, trait theory of leadership focuses on identifying
particular personality traits and qualities that set effective leaders apart from non-leaders.
This theory, which dates back to studies conducted in the early 20th century, asserts that great
leaders have distinctive personal traits. These qualities include sociability, integrity,
intelligence, self-assurance, and determination. Empirical research has long sought to identify
universal characteristics associated with effective leadership, indicating that those possessing
a specific set of these characteristics have a higher chance of becoming effective leaders.

This rigorous interpretation has, however, loosened over time to recognize that, although
traits play a significant role, situational elements and behavioural factors also impact
leadership. With the integration of psychological insights, contemporary research emphasizes
the importance of emotional intelligence and adaptability for effective leadership in dynamic
contexts.

Trait theory has been criticized for failing to explain how specific attributes transfer into
effective leadership in all situations, despite its historical significance. It is believed that the
idea oversimplifies leadership and ignores the significance of conduct, situational factors, and
skill sets. However, trait theory is still relevant since it established the foundation for
leadership research and continues to guide leadership development strategies that emphasize
improving particular personal attributes.
 With the development of leadership research, critiques of characteristic theory surfaced. Its
failure to take situational elements into account is one of its main drawbacks. Although the
theory suggests that leaders with the correct qualities will flourish in any setting, the
effectiveness of a leader's approach frequently depends on the situation in which it is used.
Moreover, trait theory ignores the notion that many leadership abilities may be developed
over time and undervalues the importance of behaviour, learning, and development in
leadership. Furthermore, some contend that concentrating only on features oversimplifies
leadership, turning it from a complex interplay of individual, societal, and environmental
influences into a checklist of attributes. It is currently understood by researchers that although
characteristics such as emotional intelligence, empathy, and flexibility may make someone a
better leader, they also need to be combined with situational awareness, interpersonal skills,
and the capacity to react adaptably to a variety of difficulties.

Trait theory provides useful insights into the character traits that might improve leadership
potential, despite certain limits. It still influences methods for choosing and developing
leaders, especially when it comes to determining which people have a high potential for
leadership based on their psychological and personality traits. Nonetheless, in addition to
individual attributes, modern leadership development programs are emphasizing the
importance of continual development, flexibility, and learning.

To sum up, trait theory offers a helpful, if not comprehensive, framework for comprehending
leadership. It does not provide a thorough explanation of what constitutes a good leader, even
while it emphasizes the significance of personal traits in leadership. A more complex
understanding of leadership is made possible by the combination of trait theory and other
methodologies, which acknowledge the contribution of both innate traits and extrinsic
variables to effective leadership.

INTRODUCTION
To each person, leadership can mean something different. The majority of definitions of
leadership presuppose that social influence plays a role in leadership, which in this instance,
The influence that is purposefully used by one person against another to organize events and
connections inside the company. According to Yukl (2007), leadership is the act of
influencing others.

People to comprehend and concur with what must be done and the method by which the task
is completed efficiently, as well as to support both group and individual efforts to accomplish
common objectives. Three theories have been proposed in a variety of literatures to explain
leadership: (1) the theory of traits, also known as features of birth or traits theory; (2)
behaviour theory, also known as acts in leading or behaviour theory; and (3) contingency
theory. In this essay, the theory of characteristics and
behaviour theory. This paper's goal is to learn about numerous theories regarding what the
traits of successful leaders and what activities are seen as effective
efficient, meaning they are able to accomplish the objectives of the team they oversee.
Leadership is regarded as being extremely important for two reasons: (1) first, because a shift
in leadership frequently affects how a division, agency, or organization functions and
performs; Secondly, the study's findings indicate that
Effective leadership is one of the internal elements that affects an organization's performance.

recording the behaviours, competencies, and leadership process in each organizational line
leader in question. Both studies and the platitude "change leadership, change policy" are true.
outcomes that have been demonstrated in a variety of businesses, including with regard
technical issues like altering the wall colour, the chair arrangement, or the office layout. For
this reason, leadership is a fascinating and intricate phenomenon that never gets old.

Three perspectives are used to study leadership in a variety of literature: (1) the trait
approach, also known as the innate characteristics born, or traits method; (2) the style
approach, also known as the acts in leading, or style approach; and (3) the contingency
approach. In later developments, the emphasis Three main categories of leadership theories
exist: contingent theories, behaviour theories, and characteristics theory groups. Nonetheless,
the majority of study attempts to identify the traits of the leader,
the leader's actions or other factors that affect how well they accomplish their goals
the objectives of his association or group. It is still uncommon to discuss how to become an
efficient head. This research will identify several theories and talk about what makes a good
leader. on what qualities make leaders deemed effective—that is, capable of achieving the
objectives of the team they oversee of the study focuses more on how to become a successful
leader, such as raising awareness regarding the spiritual power to develop into virtuous and
competent leaders.

As previously mentioned, leadership is a fascinating and significant subject that should be

explored frequently. It's because leaders play a crucial role in an organization or among a
group of people. The future success or failure of the group or organization is largely
determined by the role of the leader. The leader's position is extremely important because it is
his responsibility to decide the path that the group or organization will be chosen, and he will
also guide each individual inside the organization to
urge its members to go in the chosen direction. Different ideas and hypotheses
have been established, and this subject has also been the subject of empirical investigation.

METHODOLOGY

I used the survey method to collect some data from people and to also know about the
problem statement regarding trait theory. I used this method to get a wider scope of my
problem statement and it did helped me in my working. I created google survey form with
questions relating to my topic.

Problem statement

According to the trait theory of leadership, effective leaders are distinguished from non-
leaders by a set of innate traits or attributes. This theory is criticized, meanwhile, for not
taking into account cultural variances, contextual circumstances, or the dynamic character of
leadership.
 Data collection from survey

I asked people about Which leadership traits do you believe are most important for leadership
success? People mostly choose sociability and integrity as the traits.

Further I asked How important are situational factors in determining leadership success
compared to traits?

People answered that traits and situational factors both are equally important.

What do you think about the use of trait-based assessments in leadership development
programs?

People answered that it is somewhat useful.

Do you believe traits identified as essential for leadership differ across cultures?

The answer was not a sure one people voted for both for the options equally.

Any other comments or insights on trait theory and leadership?

This question collected some data like books an articles and websites.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Many writings say that leadership theory tries to determine the qualities of effective leaders.
However, according to Robbins and Judge, even if someone shows certain characteristics that
are suitable and people say that he will become a leader, but that does not mean that this
leader will succeed in achieving the goals of the group. So traits theory can be used as a basis
for selecting characteristics of people who are considered appropriate to occupy a formal
position in a group or organization that needs a leader, not to predict whether the leader will
succeed or not. Many things determine or influence the success of a leader, for example, the
characteristics of his subordinates, the organizational environment, and others.

The underlying presumptions of the theory of characteristics, which hold that a person's
character and personality are largely stable and often difficult to modify, are also crucial to
understand. For instance, it is unrealistic to expect an introverted person to become an
extrovert. So a leader is not made, but born, according to characteristic theory. This goes
against behaviour theory, which makes the supposition that a leader's conduct can be
developed, for instance via training. The author claims that different interpretations of the
qualities mentioned above can help those who aspire to be leaders or groups of people who
will select their leaders determine whether they are people will choose their leader.

The author makes the premise that the theory of characteristics assumptions are not entirely
true in practice, which means that a person's personality may change as a result of influences
from both their environment and themselves (self-awareness). As a result, one can acquire the
traits of successful leaders and then modify their own attributes. While it is impossible to
 completely alter one's innate characteristics, one can lessen their negative features and
enhance their positive attributes to become a more capable leader.

Two considerations make leadership so important: first, the performance of a unit, agency, or
organization is frequently affected when a new leader takes over; second, research indicates
that one of the internal elements that affects organizational success is leadership,
encompassing the process of leadership at each organizational level, and the competencies
and the relevant leaders' deeds (Yukl, 1989). The concepts and data, as well as the outcomes
of the It is impossible to dispute research. Everyone is aware of its existence, thus the lingo
"changes." Leadership, modify policies" shows up, even for more technical issues like
rearranging the office swapping out the chairs or the wall color. Thus, the phenomena of
leadership is multifaceted that is always fascinating to research. Three perspectives are used
to study leadership in a variety of literature: (1) the trait approach, also known as the innate
characteristics born, or traits method; (2) the style approach, also known as the acts in
leading, or style approach; and (3) the contingency approach. In later developments, the
emphasis of the study focuses more on how to become a successful leader, such as raising
awareness regarding the spiritual power to develop into virtuous and professional leaders.

The most recent leadership literature begins with a thorough discussion of spiritual
leadership. Leadership that is based more on spiritual intelligence is known as spiritual
leadership.

Conscience and spirituality are intimately intertwined. Conscience-driven leaders not only
coordinate the planning, organizing, and executing and regulating just in a logical manner in
order to accomplish objectives, but will also result in organizations must exercise greater
wisdom and work to reduce the turbulence that could lead to social unrest.

The task-oriented style places more emphasis on finishing assignments under strict
supervision so that the assignment is completed to their satisfaction. As long as it is required
that subordinates work hard, produce, and arrive on time, good interactions with them are
disregarded. Conversely, The leader makes a concerted effort to protect his staff. The
following is a full explanation of the two styles of leader behavior toward subordinates: (1)
high-high denotes a high relationship and task orientation for the leader; (2) high-low task-
level low relationship with subordinates, the leader exhibits a high task orientation; (3) low
task-high relations, the boss is more focused on the rapport with the followers and somewhat
disregards the assignment. The hypothesis known as considerations pertains to a leader's
inclination to possess intimate ties with those beneath them. Instances of symptoms present in
this instance include defending subordinates, allowing subordinates to express their opinions,
and being open to consultation with them;

(4) Weak task-oriented leaders, low task-low relationships, and subordinate relationships are
Good relationships with subordinates are typically prioritized by subordinate-oriented
leadership styles, and Encourage their staff instead than observing intently. This design is
extremely emotional-sensitive of his colleagues. Therefore, in theory, this leadership style
uses using the hands rather than the brain a feeling derived from the heart are weak.
The main takeaway from the aforementioned tale is that organizations are undergoing larger-
scale adjustments as a result of both anticipating and reacting to more significant changes as
well as the demands of technology advancement.
to happen, hence it needs to be handled correctly. Large leaps (large changes) are involved in
organization.
jump) from the organization's current state to a new one, from the pre-change to the post-
change phase paradigm and the development of an attitude toward change management.

Effective leaders Function in Change

At this point, organizational changes across all industries face a growing number of
problems, particularly with regard to their ability to implement the necessary adjustments.
Everything in an organizational setting is subject to change. The internal environment, the
external environment, and the connecting environment (interface) between the internal and
external environments are the three main parts of the organizational environment.
An external environment that includes things like politics, the economy, culture, technology,
demography, and social change.

It is a system for managing the company's resources, which include marketing, finance, and
production; (2) establishing a new high-performance culture. A new set of cultural guidelines
was created after it was determined that the company's advancement was being impeded by
the current culture. Applying the culture will undoubtedly involve all personnel of the
organization; (3) emphasizing operational excellence. This occurred during a period of
several operational issues; (4) completing mergers, joint ventures, or alliances. A merger
always signals a clash of cultures. All of this led to significant changes in: (5) the installation
of crucial new technology; (6) the execution of business plans and strategic planning. Plans
alone are insufficient—they also need to be carried out.
 CONCLUSION
The question of leadership always seems to be dancing on occasion. A crucial part of many
organizational operations is leadership. In order to accomplish organizational goals,
subordinates' efforts must be directed by a leader. It found that four topics are frequently
covered in a range of leadership literature: (1) shifts in societal values; (2) shifts in the
direction of shareholder policy; (3) the difficulties associated with organizational change; and
(4) knowledge of the elements that lead to employee stress. There are numerous leadership
theories and methods.

Both leadership philosophies have been popular in recent decades and are thought to improve
a number of factors that can boost organizational success. This study focuses on
characteristics theory and behavioural theory as the foundation for the purported success of
leadership. More empirical research is needed for this topic so that leadership theory can
advance.

It is possible to conduct additional empirical study on the things that prevent leadership
succession. Two things stand in the way of leadership succession, according to Atmaja
(2018): the potential successor's characteristics and family dynamics. The lack of desire on
the part of the potential successor to carry on the family business is the main deterrent, but
there are other possible causes as well, such as (1) physical impairment, (2) parental death, or
(3) parental divorce (Atmaja, 2018). The younger generation, or prospective heirs, desire to
carry on, but their parents do not think highly of them, which is a barrier to family ties.
Additionally, parents who run businesses may inflict injustices on their sons and daughters in
an effort to incite jealousy.

Widyasmoro (2008) asserts that it can be challenging for many family enterprises to survive
beyond the third generation. It would be fascinating to investigate this phenomenon more.
The majority of family-run enterprises engage in protracted power struggles within the
organization. A family business has a lot of issues, and a lot of things affect how successful a
family business leader is.
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