IndexApproaches to LeadershipTrait ApproachBehavioral ApproachCompetency ApproachConclusionReferences Observing the various approaches to leadership in my current workplace qualifies as one of the best things to come out of this leadership course so far. Starting from the trait approach, this essay covers my observation of leaders' demonstration of such leadership theories, including competencies and behavioral approaches. By analyzing my observation notes with those theories, I further reflected my opinions and listed my recommendations for each leader in the report. This observational essay concludes on the importance of being aware of leadership approaches in our lives and suggesting some actions to take as leaders in training. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Approaches to Leadership Trait Approach This assignment couldn't come at a more interesting time. The longest government shutdown in history impacted my office as we had to cancel all of our public events. Additionally, our spring programming has been put on hold due to a lack of approved funding. As the shutdown dragged on for weeks, employees were tired and in low morale. Here came the first leader I observed for this report. During the unusual circumstances of those weeks, he had to lead an increasingly confused group of people through uncharted territory. One of the first things this leader did every Monday morning during the weeks of lockdown was to call a general meeting to check in with people, including to provide the latest update from The Hill. During those meetings, I noticed that she was calm but full of self-confidence. His outgoing personality shone through as he walked around the room to interact with each individual. He wasn't afraid to crack a joke or two to ease the tension. He easily grabbed everyone's attention as he shared the latest updates. And he always ended meetings with words of encouragement for the staff. Northhouse (2018) defines the traits approach as the innate qualities shared by leaders. While I didn't report directly to this leader, I couldn't help but notice her strong leadership traits from the first time I met her. She was quite charismatic. As one of the few leaders not on leave, she had to constantly make decisions to inform staff about the status of pending events. More delicately, he had to maintain relationships with our partners as our office canceled or postponed another program due to the shutdown. From my observation, I saw remarkable determination and drive in his decision making. The last couple of weeks have helped me further notice his other leadership traits like sociability and integrity. During a meeting, one staff expressed concern as rumors suggested that employees could lose pay for a week. He approached the problem with honesty and compassion. Even though he didn't have an immediate answer for us, he made sure people felt heard and safe. As much as we admire her as a leader, some colleagues feel that her strong personality sometimes surpasses her abilities. She made leadership look more like a gift instead of skills that people could acquire, which created distance and unhealthy comparison between her and the rest of the leaders. I hope this leader gives more opportunities for other colleagues to speak up and take over from time to timea lot. Behavioral Approach The behavioral approach shifts the focus from traits to action. He argues that the key to leadership comes from a well-balanced relationship between leaders' task behavior and their relational behavior. The two main studies on this topic, one from Ohio State University and the other from the University of Michigan, did not agree on the exact correlation between leadership effectiveness and the role of people orientation versus task orientation. However, Blake Mouton's managerial grid placed the two studios in the middle. The same leader I mentioned above effortlessly balanced the two behaviors as she adjusted to her new role in the office. During his first few weeks in the office, he spent equal time getting to know his staff while helping all of us streamline some of our scheduling procedures. He didn't hesitate to standardize our reporting system when he noticed redundancies and gaps in our old reports. Some team members have not welcomed the changes with open arms. While others showed some resistance or provocative comments. However, he listened to people's concerns while answering those questions patiently. I had my doubts when I first heard about the things he was trying to accomplish as someone new to the job. I thought he was just another leader who “comes with new ideas but doesn't realize the reality on the ground”. After several weeks, he won me over with his sincerity about change and his exceptional active listening skills. As Simon Sinek (2014) mentioned in his inspiring TED Talk, being the new leader made me and others feel safe during a time of confusion and change. While he didn't hesitate to encourage and praise people when he felt staff needed it, his actions spoke louder than his words. Her best people skills and excellent task orientation place her at the top of the management grid as a team leader in the organization. Lately, I've noticed him trying to spend more time in his office than investing in people. I understand that as multiple project deadlines and the transition season of the new year approach, he felt the need to act in a more task-oriented manner than before. However, I hope he can spend more time on employee development. Because only when staff feel connected and motivated, they feel motivated to act as leaders. Competency Approach Unlike trait-based and behavioral approaches, the competency approach shifts the focus from leaders' innate characteristics to their skills and knowledge (Northhouse, 2018). This approach argues that leadership skills are acquired rather than born with a set of traits. With this theory in mind, I focused my observation on one of the longest-serving leaders at work. This leader reached his current position by gaining decades of experience and developing in-depth knowledge of our programs. Many of our contacts have known him for years; they trust him during our negotiations. As a team leader, he demonstrated proficient skills that revolved around problem-solving issues. When I first joined the team, he was instrumental in helping me get off to a great start in this new position. Possesses excellent social judgment skills based on over two decades of office work experience. He knows all the ins and outs of the office's complicated social network, and people often turn to him for his information on the latest in employment policy and the like. From mine