Leadership & Innovation in public services Essay

Leadership & Innovation in public services - Essay Example In fact, becoming a leader of a state is not only confined with managing the affairs within the state territory, but requires cooperation and collaboration with the leaders of other nations in order to maintain peace and security. Very few leaders can be classified as selfless and made sacrifices for the people. Few individuals assume the role of the leader with no other motivation but to serve the people. True leaders recognize that the power of a leader comes from the people who can take it back. Leadership Theories The general classifications of leadership theories are the Great Man Theories, Trait Theories, Behaviorist Theories, Situational Leadership, Contingency Theory, Transactional Theory, Transformational Theory (Bolden, Gosling, & Marturano, 2003), and Servant Leadership (The Robert K. Greenleaf, 2005). Each group of theories has been developed by individuals that contribute to the enhancement of a particular theory. According to Bolden et al. (2003), the schools of thought developed under the earlier models focus more on the personal characters and behaviors of the leader. Later schools take into consideration the participation of the followers in the development of the leader (Bolden et al., 2003). The Great Man theories proposed that leaders possess some exceptional innate qualities that destined them to lead. While the Trait Theories provide a list of traits and qualities that a leader should have, the Behaviorist Theories focus on the set of behaviors of a leader. Situational Leadership provides that leadership is seen according to the situation where the leader exists and includes the tasks and goals to be accomplished, as well as the willingness of the person to attain them. Contingency Theory provides the predictive variables that would make the leadership style appropriate on certain circumstances. Transactional Theory expounds on the relationship of the leader and the governed, the benefits they derive from each other, and the reward and ben efits given by the leader in exchange for the loyalty of followers. Transformational Theory focuses on the role of the leader in envisioning the transformation of the organization (Bolden et al., 2003). Servant leadership espouses that a leader is a servant to the people, with no other motivation except to serve the people (The Robert K. Greenleaf, 2005). Participative leadership refers to the involvement of other persons in decision-making and implementation of the same (Culture and Leadership, 2006). Participative leadership, also referred to democratic leadership (Spillane, 2005; Ogbonna & Harris, 2000), is a more successful kind of leadership (Ogbonna & Harris, 2000). Distributed leadership, a recent model, is the antithesis of the â€Å"heroics of leadership† wherein the leader is seen as the sole actor in leading the organization (Spillane, 2005, p. 143). Issues in Public Leadership Many studies were conducted on private organizations but they are likewise applicable in the public sector. Leadership in the public sector is critical in the current generation amidst the complex problems and issues confronting the governments on all fronts. Leadership issues entail survival of the followers, poverty or death. Leading a group also requires the application of strategic approaches to facilitate