Back in 1978, James MacGregor Burns published a leadership book describing several different types of leaders and leadership styles. Two of the most important styles that Burns identified within his leadership theory were the transformational leadership and transactional leadership styles.

Last time we published an article on leadership, we spoke about the six different leadership styles that successful managers can apply to different settings.  One key to the success of a manager is their ability to switch, or flex, styles as conditions change.  This is commonly referred to as "situational leadership."

The transactional leadership style was first described by Max Weber in 1947, and again by Bernard M. Bass in 1981.  Transactional leaders are on the opposite leadership theory spectrum relative to transformational leaders.  The former depends on a system of rewards and punishments, while the latter takes advantage of internal motivations.

Leadership characteristics are an interesting topic because some people wonder if they possess these characteristics without completely understanding what they might be.  In other words, we have people trying to figure out if they are leaders, but they don't really understand what defines a leader.  Let's take a close look at some of the characteristics of a leader so you can figure out how you measure up.

One of those intangible characteristics that people often search for in their careers is leadership qualities.  People ask of themselves: Do I have what it takes to be a leader in this organization?  On the flip side, you might think that you have what it takes to be a leader, but you are left wondering:  Does my boss see the leadership qualities that I possess?

We've all heard of the stories about how someone stepped up and became a leader.  You may have even heard someone make the comment "Well that kid was born a leader."  Unfortunately, it is not all that simple.  Leadership traits are not necessarily hereditary - the particular debate goes back to your beliefs about nature versus nurture.

We've all questioned the strength of our leadership skills at one time in our career.  If you've ever had the chance to supervise or manage a group of individuals, then you've probably wondered if that group felt you were a leader.  You may have even tried to guess if peers around you feel you're a leader.  Perhaps you have even hoped that your boss sees the leadership skills that you possess.

There are many tests that you can take that will help you assess your leadership skills or style.  You can spend hours filling out questionnaires that will help you determine your leadership style, your strengths, and weaknesses.  Our leadership skills assessment is much simpler than those detailed assessments, but we promise the results to be nearly as insightful.

Essentially, leadership skills are the behaviors that you would exhibit when placed in various situations.  That's the foundation for various leadership theories such as situational leadership.  Assessing your leadership style can help you not only in identifying your strengths and weaknesses as a leader, but also in developing your leadership skills.

If you're intelligent enough, it's easy to learn the technical skills you'll need to be successful at work.  But if you're looking to climb that corporate ladder, you're going to need superior soft skills too.  Unfortunately, all too often we see people promoted to leadership positions that lack the soft skills required to be successful.

If you've found this article, then chances are you're hungry for leadership information.  Well, you're not alone, because the study of leadership, and what it takes to be a leader, is an intriguing topic to many people.

After working for nearly 30 years, I have to admit that I've had quite a bit of Leadership Training.  I'm optimistic, and hope that my company has invested in my career because they saw leadership qualities in me.  The point here is that after 30 years, I've had plenty of exposure to both good and bad leadership training, and I'm willing to share my insights with others.

Leadership and Management are two words which are sometimes used interchangeably.  That's unfortunate because there are many leaders that are not managers, and many managers that are certainly not leaders.  We've continued to focus on the leadership aspects of career development, so in this article we're going to take a closer look at the differences between leadership and management.

Working on our leadership development skills is extremely important to our professional careers and personal growth, as the complexities of life continue to present us with new challenges.  Over our professional lives, we will be presented with the opportunity to learn new and exciting ways to more fully develop our leadership capabilities.  In this publication, we will talk about some of the ways to get the most out of those experiences.

We've talked about a number of leadership models in this publication.  Most of these models date back to some of the earlier thoughts on the subject.  Creative leadership is one of the more recent additions to this area, and in some ways has redefined the way we should look at leaders.

Our view of leadership goes well beyond the ability to come up with noteworthy quotes; but the study of leadership quotes can be insightful.  Reading these quotes can cause us to step back from the harried world in which we live and think about situations, rather than just react to them.

Despite the fact some cultures continue to suppress the rights of women, there are many success stories from around the world.  Given all of the challenges that women face, both politically and in the business world, it took a truly remarkable effort on behalf of the famous women leaders we're going to discuss.

In this publication, we're going to recognize the increasing numbers, and importance, of women in leadership roles.  Our list contains women in powerful positions - leaders and former leaders of Fortune 500 companies.

We're going to continue talking about women leaders, with this publication serving as a follow up to our Women in Leadership roles article.  But here we're going to talk about women that are political leaders.  In fact, these women are such powerful leaders that they are seen as the frontrunners to have the honor of being the first woman President.

While the civil rights movement traces its beginnings back to the early 1800's, there were countless leaders in the civil rights movement throughout history.  However, when we talk about the modern day movement in civil rights, we are really referring to those civil rights leaders that began to emerge in the mid to late 1930s.

With the memory of Hurricane Katrina in the minds of Americans, we'd like to discuss the leadership aspects of this disaster; or more accurately the perceived lack of leadership.  We've decided to call this article Demonstrating Genuine Leadership because we're moving away from leadership theory, and pulling an example from a real world opportunity to lead.

Effective leadership is a difficult behavior to understand.  We recognize it when others are doing it, but how can we become effective leaders ourselves?  We are able to see the affect this leader has on their followers, as well as the results they are able to obtain when faced with significant challenges.  But how do they do it?

Everyday, millions of Americans rely on the teachers and educators across the country to provide their children with the fundamental skills and knowledge that will last a lifetime.  These same Americans want their children to have every advantage, including obtaining the best possible education.  Unfortunately, the public educational system doesn't always provide that option to parents.

Over the past century, there has been a lot of work, and thought, given to the development of various leadership theories.  From that work, we have transformational leadership, situational leadership theories, and behavioral theories.  But very little has been written from a theory standpoint about ethical leadership.

From high school stadiums to professional arenas, sports today are played in a very competitive environment.  Coaches and players feel the pressure to succeed, and the measure of success is found in the win / loss column.  That's why - as a coach and a player - leadership in sports is getting so much attention.

The word motivation is often defined as "getting someone moving."  Motivation theory breaks down these forces into internal or intrinsic motivation, and external or extrinsic motivation.  If you're in a leadership role, then it's important to understand how employees are motivated, and what you can do as a leader to keep them motivated.

One of the talents leaders are often asked to draw upon are their presentation skills. These presentations can range from the relatively informal expression of an idea, through formal presentations given to large audiences. Effectively communicating a vision, goals, strategies, ideas, or even results, allows the leader to gain agreement and alignment within an organization.

The affiliative leader was first described by Daniel Goleman in connection with the six leadership styles defined in his theory of Emotional Intelligence.  As described by Goleman, affiliative leaders can be summarized as individuals that are often more sensitive to the value of people than reaching goals.

We've talked about several types of leaders in our articles on Leadership Style and Situational Leadership.  But here we are going to focus on just one type, the autocratic leadership style.  We'll discuss its strengths and weaknesses, as well as the best time to use this leadership style.

Authoritative leaders were first described by Daniel Goleman in connection with the six leadership styles he defined.  As described by Goleman, authoritative leaders can be summarized as being experts in their field of work, and individuals that are able to clearly articulate a vision and the path to success.

Charismatic Leaders are often thought of as heroes that are able to use their personal allure to lead others.  But that charismatic charm can be both a blessing and a curse on society.  That's because charisma can be used for the good of a company or nation - but also for less-than-honorable reasons.

If your company's intellectual capital is weak, or if you're simply looking for someone to share their knowledge, then you need to find someone that is good at, or willing to practice, the coaching leadership style.  Coaching leaders are excellent at helping others to advance their skills, building bench strength, and providing career guidance.

One of the six leadership styles that Daniel Goleman wrote about was the coercive leadership style.  Goleman's research linked each of these six different leadership styles to his theory of emotional intelligence.  As leaders, we recognize that each of these six styles plays an important role in achieving results.  We also need to recognize the coercive style is one that should be used with caution.

We've summarized many of the different types of leaders in our articles on Leadership Style and Situational Leadership.  In this publication on democratic leadership, we're going to dig deeper into this style, just like we did with Autocratic Leadership.  This way you have a better understanding of the attributes of the style, and when it's effective.

One of the six leadership styles that Daniel Goleman described in his theory of emotional intelligence was the pacesetting leadership style.  While each of the six leadership styles has its role in today's workplace, pacesetting leadership is one of those styles that should be used sparingly.

Perhaps one of the oldest attempts to describe, and identify, potential leaders is the trait theory of leadership. By examining the traits exhibited by past and present leaders, as well as their accomplishments, these theoretical models would attempt to predict the success of an individual based on the traits they displayed.

We're going to take a bit of a world tour, and quickly review the role of former Russian leaders, starting around the turn of the 20th Century.  We're going to divide these leaders into two groups, those that were considered Communist leaders of the Soviet Union, and those that held the title President of Russia.

We've already taken a look at Russian leaders of the Communist Party, but as the leaders of the Soviet Union continued to lose the faith of its followers, the door began to open on a new Russia.  With that change, we have the end of Communist rulers, and the beginning of democratically-elected Russian Presidential Leaders.