Behavioral approach to leadership

After several decades of leadership research that attempted to identify the specific and unique traits characteristic of those in supervisory positions, academic research shifted to pursue the patterns of behavior exhibited by those who were influential in and around positions of formal leadership. The evolution of leadership research, beyond traits, was due in part to the fact that trait approaches to leadership were shown to have limited explanatory utility. In addition, a behavioral approach to leadership afforded practitioners the opportunity to develop training and development programs that could enhance leadership skills of all managers, not just those who were born with a particular set of favorable traits. In the last half century, the leadership literature—in both the academic and popular press—has been filled with varied models, theories, and anecdotes that characterize the behavior of effective leaders.