1. Trait Theory • What characteristics or traits make a person a leader?

• Great Man Theory:

Individuals are born either with or without the necessary traits for leadership • Trait theories
of leadership sought personality, social, physical or intellectual traits that differentiate leaders
from non leaders • Trait view has little analytical or predictive value • Technical, conceptual
and human skills (Katz 1974)
2. 6. Trait Theories Leadership Traits: • Ambition and energy • The desire to lead • Honesty and
integrity • Self-confidence • Intelligence • Job-relevant knowledge © 2003 Prentice Hall Inc.
All rights reserved. 11–6
3. 7. Trait Theory The trait theory is based on the great man theory, but it is more systematic in
its analysis of leaders. Like the great man theory, this theory assumes that the leader’s
personal traits are the key to leadership success. Personality Traits Abilities Personal Traits
Motivators  Supervising Ability  Need for Occupational  Self-Assurance  Intelligence
Achievement  Decisiveness  Initiative  Self-actualization  Masculinity/Famininity 
Maturity  Power Over Others  Working Class Affinity  High Financial Reward  Job
Security
4. 8. Traits of Leaders • Intelligence • Physical Features • Inner Motivation • Maturity • Vision &
Foresight • Acceptance of Responsibility • Open-Minded and adaptability • Self-confidence •
Human Relations Attitude • Fairness and Objectivity
5. 9. Trait Theories Limitations: • No universal traits that predict leadership in all situations. •
Traits predict behavior better in “weak” than “strong” situations. • Unclear evidence of the
cause and effect of relationship of leadership and traits. • Better predictor of the appearance
of leadership than distinguishing effective and ineffective leaders.
6. 10. Behavioural Theory In contrast with trait theory, behavioural theory attempts to describe
leadership in terms of what leaders do, while trait theory seeks to explain leadership on the
basis of what leaders are. Leadership according to this approach is the result of effective role
behaviour. Leadership is shown by a person’s acts more than by his traits. This is an
appropriate new research strategy adopted by Michigan Researchers in the sense that the
emphasis on the traits is replaced by the emphasis on leader behaviour (which could be
measured).
7. 11. Behavioural Theory Theories proposing that specific behaviors differentiate leaders from
non leaders. • Pattern of actions used by different individuals determines leadership potential
• Examples – Autocratic, democratic and laissez-faire – Michigan Studies: Employee
centered versus task centered
8. 12. Behavioural Theory – Theories that attempt to isolate behaviors that differentiate
effective leaders from ineffective leaders – Behavioral studies focus on identifying critical
behavioral determinants of leadership that, in turn, could be used to train people to become
leaders
9. 13. Behavioual Leadership Studies • The Ohio State Studies sought to identify independent
dimensions of leader behavior – Initiating structure – Consideration • The University of
Michigan Studies sought to identify the behavioral characteristics of leaders related to
performance effectiveness – Employee oriented – Production oriented

Many people believe that leaders are born, not made. They believe that somehow they have some
innate qualities that make them a good leader. You may even agree with this perspective, as it's not
incorrect. In many ways, these traits have to be a part of the leader because many believe they are
critical to becoming a good, or even great, leader. These traits cover areas such as communication,
decision making, integrity or even empathy.
Therefore, as you can see, if you have these traits in you and you develop them as you mature, you
can potentially mature into a good leader (based on the trait theory of leadership). If they are already
in you and they have matured, then you can use them as you lead your team.
Many of these traits are facets of an individual that we look for when we define a leader. It is open to
interpretation, but many of us want a leader that is a good communicator or one that makes good
decisions. Hence, the trait theory of leadership believes there are specific traits that a leader must
have to be a leader.
Having these traits does not mean you are or will be an effective leader - just that the trait theory of
leadership believes you have to have these traits in order to even be a leader.

Behavioral Theory
It is easy to be confused when we talk about behavioral theory of leadership, as some people may
think it is how a leader behaves. To some extent, that's true, but there are specific areas or
categories of behavior that are focused on when discussing the behavioral theory of leadership.
Those areas are:

Leaders Set the Vision, Managers

Follow It
When it comes to setting and executing a company’s mission and
vision, managers and leaders have different roles. 
Leaders are visioners. Most of them have a clear vision of where they
want their organizations to be in the future. However, they themselves
are not the only ones responsible for making that vision come true. 
Here, managers play a crucial role. While leaders may be responsible,
through efficient leadership communication, to transfer the company’s
mission, vision and goals to the entire organization, managers are
responsible for keeping employees aligned with the core company
values and goals. However, 71% of employees believe that their
leaders do not spend enough time communicating goals and plans. 
Even though managers are the ones who can influence people to
work towards the same objectives, many employees agree that their
company doesn’t do a good job communicating the company’s goals.
Moreover, employees want and expect to be informed about how their
organization is doing and where it is heading.  
“I think of management as working with other people to make sure the goals
an organization has articulated are executed,” 
says HBS Dean Nitin Nohria in an interview for the online
course Management Essentials. 
“It’s the process of working with others to ensure the effective execution of a
chosen set of goals. Leadership is about developing what the goals should be.
It’s more about driving change.”
Moreover, by speaking openly about the company’s goals,
opportunities, and challenges, leaders are the ones who can build
trust in the workplace. They can foster a productive work environment
where employees feel empowered to share their own ideas, needs
and concerns. The more transparent leaders are, the healthier the
work environment becomes.
💡 Learn more about the characteristics of a great leader. 
Leaders Think Ideas, Managers Think
Execution
While a managerial culture emphasizes rationality and control, leaders
are more about looking for opportunities for improvement on the
organizational level. They do so by coming up with new ideas and
driving the shift to a forward-thinking mindset. In other words,
managers always look for answers to “how and when,” while leaders
look for answers to “what and why.”
Therefore, the managers’ main responsibility is to fulfill their tasks
based on the leader’s vision. Their main job is to ensure that people
on different functions with different responsibilities operate efficiently,
productively, and feel like they can share their voice.
They should always watch the bottom line by controlling employees
and providing necessary information, processes, workflows and tools
so that employees are enabled for success. 
Managers relate to people according to the role they play in a
decision-making process, while leaders, who are concerned with
ideas, relate in more high-level but empathetic ways. The main
difference is simply between a manager’s attention to how things get
done and a leader’s attention to what should be done to achieve greater
results. 
As leaders always look for new ideas, they can also play a crucial role
in driving change within organizations. Moreover, a leader inspires
positive, incremental change by empowering employees to work toward
common objectives. A leader’s most powerful tool for doing so is
efficient communication.
Change communication messages coming from leaders should get
people prepared to do things differently and give the reason why,
while managers should continuously reinforce these messages. Yet,
many managers are not even aware of why a change is happening. 
Leaders Inspire People; Managers Drive
Their Success
While leaders have a great power to inspire people, managers are
responsible for driving their continuous success and positive work
experience throughout employee's entire career journey.
As managers account for over 70% of employees’ engagement in the
workplace, they are also held accountable for how successful and
productive their teams are. 
However, when people are not inspired by what leadership has to say,
there is little managers can do to help their people succeed.
By developing a personal leadership style through self-reflection,
authentic communication and continuous feedback, leaders can
empower their workforce, get their followers’ attention and inspire
them to pursue important organizational initiatives.  
Studies show that employees feel less stressed and under pressure
when they have the opportunity to engage with the leaders regularly.
Moreover, leadership has a great power to impact employee
engagement.
Employees work more effectively within workplaces that support
honest, open and transparent communication. Yet, many
organizations still neglect the importance of two-way
communication between leaders and employees. Instead, the
information flows one way, and employees don’t have the opportunity
to join company-wide conversations. 
Leaders Look in the Future, Managers
Work In the Present
One of the main differences between leaders and managers is that
leaders are more future-focused, while managers are more focused on
the present. 
Therefore, the manager’s most important goal is to achieve
organizational goals by implementing processes and procedures
around budgeting, organizational structuring, and staffing. On the
other hand, leaders tend to think ahead and capitalize on future
opportunities.

However, the leadership’s vision of the future means nothing if it can’t

be transparently and clearly communicated to both managers and
employees. 
As one of the biggest drivers of employee engagement and experience
in the workplace is the feeling of purpose and the alignment of
employees’ personal and professional values, every leader should
strive towards creating that sense of purpose among employees. 
Leaders Shape the Culture, Managers
Endorse It
When comparing leaders vs managers, it's important to look at the
organization's corporate culture.
Culture is a system of values, beliefs, and behaviors that shape and
determine how an organization operates and how the work gets done.
When organizational culture is aligned to the overall business
strategy, employees and other stakeholders act and behave in ways
that support and enable the achievement of business goals. 
When it comes to the organization's culture, the difference between
leadership and management is that leaders define and shape the
culture. At the same time, the managers lead their employees to live
up to that culture. 

It is the leader’s duty to uphold the core company values and beliefs of

the organization’s culture through their actions, authentic
communication and their decisions. Passionate and inspiring leaders
have a great power to communicate the organizational culture
company-wide and influence employees’ behaviors. 
Their skills and leadership styles have a big impact on how employees
take and live that culture, while the manager’s role is to continuously
support and endorse the culture within their teams. 

Therefore, driving employees to live by the company’s culture and

core values is impossible without the collaboration between leadership
and management. 
The Areas Where Management and
Leadership Overlap
Even though the roles of leadership and management in the
organization may vary, there are many areas where their duties and
responsibilities overlap. The three main areas include:

 Communication: both leadership and management communication

is crucial for an organization's success. As mentioned earlier,
employees expect to be informed and educated about where their
company stands and heading. While leadership communication
should inspire people, continuous and clear management
communication empowers people to do their best and build
stronger relationships among teams. 
  Problem-solving and decision-making: effective decision-making
and problem-solving is both the manager’s and the leader’s
responsibility. While leaders may be responsible for decision
making on a company-level, managers are held accountable for
decision making on the team or departmental level. 
 Change and crisis management: similar to decision making, leaders
and managers should work collaboratively during times of change
or crisis. The current world situation has taught us about the
importance of agile workplace transformation and the need to
quickly adapt to change. While leaders may have a better
understanding of the change that needs to be implemented,
managers have better knowledge around how to enable their
employees to accept the change and align with it. 
Top 10 Leadership and Management
Skills
This video shows a great overview of the most important management
and leadership skills. 

 
According to the video, leadership is all about leading people towards
a common goal, while management is all about the process of dealing
with or controlling things and people. 

The top 10 management skills include:

1. Interpersonal skills
2. Communication
3. Motivation
4. Organization
5. Delegation
6. Forward planning
7. Strategic thinking
8. Problem-solving
9. Commercial awareness
10. Mentoring
The top 10 leadership skills include:
1. Communication
2. Motivation
3. Delegation
4. Positivity
5. Trustworthiness
6. Creativity
7. Feedback
8. Responsibility
9. Commitment
10. Flexibility
7 Inspiring Quotes About Leadership vs.
Management
Looking for inspiring quotes about leadership and management, here
are some of the most popular ones:
1. Effective leadership is putting first things first. Effective management is
discipline, carrying it out. —Stephen Covey
2. Lead and inspire people. Don’t try to manage and manipulate people.
Inventories can be managed but people must be led. —Ross Perot
3. Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership
determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall. —
Stephen Covey
4. Management is about arranging and telling. Leadership is about
nurturing and enhancing. —Tom Peters
5. You manage things; you lead people. —Rear Admiral Grace Murray
Hopper
6. Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things. —
Peter F. Drucker, author and educator
7. The manager accepts the status quo; the leader challenges it. —Warren
Bennis, American scholar, organizational consultant, and author
Empower Your Managers and Leaders
with the Right Technology
With the rise of remote work, dispersed workforce and social
distancing restrictions, both leaders and managers are faced with new
challenges in the workplace.

Today, most organizations’ primary goal is to keep their dispersed

employees connected, inspired and engaged even when they are
physically separated. Additionally, they need to reach all their
employees in a timely manner with relevant information, on any
device, no matter where employees are located. 
Luckily, modern employee apps and technology offer solutions for these
challenges. Employee Engagement platform Haiilo, enables managers
and leaders to:
 Drive two-way workplace communications
 Create and share all the essential information in one place
 Bring their respective teams to one digital home
 Segment internal audiences in order to deliver information based
on employees needs, preferences, job functions, locations and
many more
 Enable mobile-first workplace communication
 Reach all employees in a timely manner, even those without a
designated working space
 Enable employees to share their voice
 Encourage employees to become brand ambassadors
 Measure the impact of workplace communication on the overall
business success
If you are looking for such powerful workplace technology, schedule a
Haiilo demo to see how other organizations are using it to shape
exceptional employee experience in the workplace. 

What is Trait theory?

Trait theory is also known as the virtue theory of leadership. The foundation of this theory is
the characteristics of different leaders – both successful and unsuccessful ones. The trait
theory emphasizes that leaders have inborn traits; these are “born leaders”, who cannot
help but take control and guide situations. Basically, a leader is born with specific virtues
according to trait theory.

Trait theory is based on the characteristics of leaders and helps to determine and forecast
the effectiveness of their leadership. The theory identifies core virtues that decide whether a
leader will be successful or not. The core traits identified in this theory include emotional
maturity, cognitive ability, self-confidence, business knowledge, honesty and integrity,
leadership motivation, and drive for achievement. However, these are not solely responsible
for determining leadership effectiveness. There can be other factors that will recognize
leadership potentials.
Strengths of Trait Theory

 It is a naturally pleasing theory.

 It has been validated with lots of research.
 Moreover, it serves as an index against which the leadership characteristics of an
individual are assessed.
 Besides, it gives detailed knowledge and understanding of the leader element in the
leadership process.

Limitations of Trait Theory

 Existence of subjective judgment in determining who is a ‘good’ or ‘successful’ leader

 The list of possible traits tends to be very long.
 The most important trait for an effective leader is not identified.
 Also, the model attempts to relate physiological traits such as height and weight to
effective leadership. Most of these factors relate to situational factors that can vary
tasks-wise. For instance, minimum weight and height required in the military
leadership position do not suit for a manager in a business organization.
 Above all, this theory is very complex.
Implications of Trait Theory

The trait theory provides constructive information about leadership. It is possible to apply
this to people at all levels in all types of business organizations. Managers can use
information from this theory to evaluate their position in the organization and to assess how
they can make their position stronger in the organization. They can also get an in-depth
understanding of their identity and the way they will affect others in the organization.
Overall, this theory makes a manager aware of his or her strengths and weaknesses while
teaching him or her to develop leadership qualities.

What is Behavioral Theory?

Behavioral theory explains that it is possible to train and develop a leader. It rejects that
leaders are born or that certain people have their inborn potential to become leaders.
According to this theory, anyone can be a leader, but there must be a good atmosphere and
training for leadership qualities to develop. Also, it mainly focuses on specific behavior and
actions of leaders, instead of their characteristics.

Moreover, as per this theory, best leaders are those that have the flexibility to change their
behavioral style and choose the right style suitable for different situations.

Strengths of Behavioral theory

 Promotes the value of leadership styles with an emphasis on concern for people an
collaboration.
 Helps to evaluate and understand how their behavioral styles affect the relationship
within the team.
 Also, helps managers to find the right balance between different styles of leadership
and helps them  to decide how to behave as a leader.

What is the Relationship Between Trait and Behavioral

Theories of Leadership?
Both models often emphasize that there are recognizable actions that any leader must be
capable of performing in any given condition. Behaviourism is a “trait” theory, in the sense, it
too holds that leaders must show certain common personality markers or habits of mind.
However, it claims that it is possible to prompt these from anyone at any time and that no
one person has more potential than another.

What is the Difference Between Trait and Behavioral

Theories of Leadership?
According to behavioral theory, becoming a leader is just a matter of proper training, while
trait theory emphasizes that a leader must have certain inherent, inborn qualities. So, this is
the key difference between trait and behavioral theories of leadership.

Basically, trait theories believe that a leader is “born.” They often describe leaders in terms
of their personal characteristics, such as charismatic and driven. Behaviorists, on the other
hand, believe leadership can be taught, or fostered, by providing the necessary training and
skills to an individual. Therefore, this explains the difference between trait and behavioral
theories of leadership.