Leadership Theories
This leadership style emphasizes rewards and punishments to motivate performance.
What is transactional leadership?
This analytic framework assesses Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.
What is a SWOT analysis?
The stage in team development where members resolve conflict and agree on norms is called this.
What is the norming stage?
This method of active listening involves paraphrasing, asking clarifying questions, and reflecting emotions.
What is reflective listening (or active listening)?
The board or group responsible for setting high-level direction and oversight of an organization practices this.
What is corporate governance?
A leader inspires followers with vision and charisma, encouraging higher performance and personal growth.
What is transformational leadership?
The process of selecting long-term goals and allocating resources to achieve them is called this.
What is strategic planning?
Leaders intentionally creating shared values, rituals, and symbols are shaping this
What is organizational culture?
Leaders using data and logical arguments to persuade are employing this form of influence.
What is rational persuasion?
This structured approach—often with urgency, coalition, vision, and communication steps—helps leaders implement change.
What is Kotter’s 8-step change model (or change management)?
This theory argues leaders adapt their behavior to follower readiness (ability and willingness).
What is situational leadership?
This decision-making style seeks input from many stakeholders to build commitment before choosing.
What is participative decision-making?
This practice involves giving frequent, specific feedback and recognizing effort to reinforce desired behavior.
What is performance coaching or reinforcement?
This concise technique packages a complex idea so stakeholders can quickly grasp the value—often used in pitches.
What is an elevator pitch?
Policies that ensure responsible use of data, privacy, and compliance reflect this area of leadership responsibility.
What is data governance or privacy governance?
This theory suggests leadership effectiveness depends on matching a leader’s style to situational favorableness.
What is contingency theory (Fiedler’s contingency model)?
When leaders use intuition, pattern recognition, and experience rather than formal analysis, it’s often called this.
What is intuitive decision-making?
This technique gathers anonymous team input to surface issues safely and improve processes.
What is an anonymous survey or anonymous feedback mechanism?
Transparent, regular updates during change efforts reduce rumors and build trust; leaders call these this.
What are change communications or town halls?
This term describes balancing stakeholder interests—employees, customers, shareholders, community—when making decisions.
What is stakeholder management or stakeholder theory?
This theory looks at leader traits like intelligence, self-confidence, and determination as predictors of leadership
What is the trait theory of leadership?
This planning tool maps how activities create value for customers and achieve competitive advantage.
What is a value chain analysis?
A leader who removes obstacles for the team and focuses on enabling team success is called this.
What is a servant or facilitative leader (or servant leadership)?
A structured model for giving difficult feedback that combines facts, impact, and next steps is commonly known as this.
What is the SBI model (Situation-Behavior-Impact) or feedback model?
Leaders who proactively identify and mitigate threats to reputation, finances, or operations are practicing this.
What is risk management?