History

• Among the hundreds of leadership theories that exist, the divergent ideas of Plato and Machiavelli remain central to the field. For Plato, leadership is based on the mastery of ideas in their pure form. This is a "trait" theory in that it stresses the ability for detached contemplation first, action and vision later. For Machiavelli, writing in the Renaissance, power and the manipulation of circumstances is the nature of leadership. This is a "contingency" and "situational" theory, in that it stresses the leader's ability to adapt himself to the situation and learn to match his skills with the circumstances.
  
  

Types

• Many Western leadership theories overlap. Trait, style and contingency theories are only subtly disentangled from each other. Style theory stresses the action of the leader, while trait theories stress the personality. These, of course, are not totally separate. Contingency theories are a sort of trait theory, but stress the fact that some personality traits are more appropriate than others, given the situation. To the extent that one sees these three as separate, one sees personality, action and personal traits as radically separate.
  
  

Features

• The sort of leadership that is criticized by non-Western writers is based around five things: goal orientation, one-on-one relations, machismo, short-term results and rationalism. All of these might sum up the basic Western approach to leadership. This sort of "tough guy" technocratic leadership is not the main issue in traditional Eastern thought, where social values and a more fluid approach to bureaucracy is the norm. In fact, these qualities are what separates Western from Eastern theories in general.
  
  

Function

• Western leadership theories attempt to isolate the variable or variables that make a great leader. Active and ability-centered leadership is the norm. The trait view stresses certain personality traits one must have to be a leader such as intelligence or social skills. Situational ideas are based on the fact that leaders arise given a set of circumstances, and different types of personality and situations are necessary for these leaders to emerge. Leaders, in other words, are as different as the situations.
  
  

Considerations

• The technocratic, competent activist is the Western norm, regardless of what specific theory one sees as true. Western theories have been imposed on Eastern ones, as the latter have taken up Western ideological ideas such as liberalism or socialism. In general, the East rejects the activist in favor of the more passive. The West stresses altering the environment, while the East stresses living with the environment.