The three leadership theories I have chosen to discuss are: The Trait Theory, Great Man Theory and Behavioral Theory.

The Trait Theory:

The assumptions when referring to The Trait theory are that, people are born with inherited traits, some of these traits held by these individuals are suited to leadership and that people who make good leaders have the right combination of traits. Such skills include: Intelligence, People Skills, Decisiveness, Creativity, Competency and Trustworthiness. These skills are often linked with successful leadership covering a variety of situations and tasks.According to Thomas Carlyle, the man who proposed the Trait Theory, “history is shaped by extraordinary leaders. This ability to lead is something that people are simply born with, and not something that could be developed” (VeryWellMind). Carlyle’s ideas inspired early research on leadership, which almost entirely focused on inheritable traits.

The Great Man Theory:

Assumptions when referring to The Great Man Theory are that leaders are born and not man and that great leaders will arise when there is a great need. In other words you’re either a natural born leader or you’re not. When the term “Great Man” came around, at this time in the leadership timeline the though that was primarily men had the natural born leadership skill and women simply did not. Some examples of men who have been described as “Great Men”, according to the theory, are Abraham Lincoln, Gandhi, Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great. In these examples it seems as though the right man emerges at the exact right time and takes control of a situation and leaders people in to safety and/or success. As Thomas Carlyle once said, “The history of the world is but the biography of great men”(VeryWellMind).

Behavioral Theory:

Assumptions when referring to the Behavioral Theory are that leaders can be made, rather than are born and that successful leadership is based in definable, and learnable behavior. This theory actually looks at what leaders do and do not seek naturally born capabilities or traits. As one can imagine this is a huge transition from the Trait Theory which opens the doors to leadership development. Despite one’s initial reaction, a behavioral theory is fairly easy to develop, once assessing a leader’s success and his actions.