There are four main approaches in the study of leadership. These are; traits theory, situational theory, contingency theory and the behavioral theories of leadership. In my study of these leadership approaches, I find the behavioral theories of leadership to be the most compelling. The behavioral theory of leadership develops highly competent leaders and is the most suitable approach to organizational leadership in the modern organizational environment. This paper examines the effectiveness of the behavioral leadership approach.

The behavioral approach believes that leadership is a trait that can be developed by acquiring the appropriate behaviors and attitudes of a leader. These theories of leadership seek to define leadership in terms of an individual's action and attitudes (Burns, 2012). This approach is crucial because it provides an opportunity for people to develop leadership skills through training, mentoring, observation and studying leadership material. It is a major step from the traits theory which assumes that leadership is genetic.