The aspect of leadership is perhaps one of the most influential elements in organizational behavior. This is because the leaders are expected to direct the company in such a way as to maximize corporate objectives while minimizing costs. In perhaps more than any other area of organizational behavior the leadership aspect is a combination of learning theories, power, personality, performance appraisal and motivation. This is because leadership is the process whereby an individual must gain the voluntary participation of subordinates with the goal of attaining corporate objectives. Thus, a leader’s personality and sense of power will influence this process. Further, motivation is a key aspect of leadership because goal will not be attained if subordinates are not properly motivated to achieve them and performance appraisal is a key element in this process. Without adequate feedback that is quantifiable, leaders will not be able to assess employee performance reliably or measure progress in attaining corporate objectives.
Leadership theory is mostly divided between trait and behavioral theories. Trait theories are more traditional and focus on the personal traits of leaders from those of followers. Behavioral therapists take a different approach. Behavioralists try to determine the types of leadership behaviors that have produced a higher level of work performance. Too often, leaders fail because they only consider one aspect of the organizational equation when it comes to goal attainment-economic and production factors. However, different leadership styles affect people greatly, and both the Ohio State and Managerial Grid models argue that the greatest productivity will be achieved from leadership models that combine an equal concern for people and productivity factors. This is because leadership has as its chief goal motivating people to be productive and involves both factors, “Leadership can be defined as a proces...