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The trait approach to leadership says that people are born with certain traits or cultivate traits that will make them effective as a leader. Traits such as intelligence, confidence, and enthusiasm are a few of the traits that effective leaders often possess. However, having these traits alone does not necessarily mean that someone will be an effective leader. As opposed to looking a certain traits, the functional approach identifies task and process functions that will make leaders effective. In other words, a leader may be intelligent and enthusiastic, but he or she must also be able to help the group get work done, as well as help the group maintain a friendly climate. It's not just about having a certain personality; it's also about what you do. Like the functional approach, the styles approach identifies behaviors that leaders exhibit. Specifically, it looks at leader's styles of interacting with others, categorizing them as authoritarian, democratic, or laissez faire. Unlike the functional approach, it does not prescribe what effective leaders do or identify the most effective style. The situational approach states that the most effective style depends on the situation and the type of group that the leader is dealing with at the time. A leader is not stuck with one style like a personality trait, but he or she should be able to adapt his or her leadership style to fit the situation. Like the styles approach, the situational approach recommends that leaders adapt their styles based upon the group's needs. Like the functional approach, it examines the group's task and relationship behaviors. However, it also examines the group's maturity level. Based upon an assessment of the group's task and maturity level, the situational approach prescribes how directive the leader should be with the group. Unlike the functional approach, the idea behind transformational leadership is less of a prescription and more of a philosophy. It combines ideas from both the situational and styles approach. The transformational leader is both a democratic and situational leader. He or she develops relationships with people in the group in order to build trust, and paints a picture of a shared vision to energize and motivate the group toward its goal. A transformational leader must certainly also display the characteristics described in the traits approach, be willing to follow through on task and process functions, and effectively assess the needs of group members like the styles and situational approaches.
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