A Theoretical Evaluation on Traditional Leadership Approaches

The purpose of the present study was to examine the theoretical foundations of traditional leadership approaches, managerial leadership, bureaucratic leadership, authentic leadership, and team leadership, and to uncover the importance of these approaches for leadership literature and organizations. For this purpose, the study was conducted with the document analysis method, which is among the qualitative research methods. Domestic and foreign sources on these approaches, which constitute the starting point of traditional leadership approaches, were reviewed and the basic characteristics of these leadership approaches were explained. In this context, managerial leadership is a leadership approach aiming to preserve and maintain the present structure. Bureaucratic leadership, on the other hand, is a type of leadership that is performed in line with written rules such as laws, regulations, and directives. Authentic leadership includes characteristics such as establishing positive relationships with people based on trust, sincerity, transparency, and honesty. Team leadership, which is the last traditional leadership approach examined in the study, is a leadership approach aiming to manage a team and achieve its targets. In the conclusion part, as a result of the analysis of the data that were obtained by the document analysis method, the importance of the traditional leadership approaches, which are the subject of the study, in the management of management science, institutions and organizations is explained.