Understanding Theory

There is no one theory to describe leadership. Many are suited to describe the type of person their leadership style represents such as Theory X/Y, people/task oriented, and various others. The most interesting theory in my opinion is people vs. task oriented. The theory breaks it up into a matrix essentially creating four different kinds of people: slugs (low people, low task), care bears (high people, low task), authoritarians (low people, high task), and champions (high people, high task). From a non-biased point of view, I see my leadership style more on the champion side. I like to think I set goals with the intention on accomplishing them, but also take my employees/peers best interests into consideration. Theory X & Y are interesting to look at as well. Theory X assumes employees do not like working, are unmotivated, and do not want responsibility in their job. Theory Y on the other hand is the total opposite; assumes employees enjoy working, are motivated, and are willing to assume responsibility in their job.

A great example of leadership theories in TV is “House.” It is centered on Gregory “House” House, and his team of doctors, who try to figure out people’s illnesses that do not follow the status quo of medicine. House represents many of the theories throughout the many seasons of the show, but one I believe he interprets well is Theory X. Part of it is due to the way he interacts with his colleagues and friends, but the other half is a façade he puts on to inspire and teach his team a lesson. Thirteen represents Theory Y well; she has a passion for medicine, enjoys working with the team, and wants to be taken serious and viewed as a critical part of the team. Taub most represents the low people, high task theory. Taub struggles to maintain personal relationships, especially outside of his colleagues (his wife in particular), due to being some set on proving himself a worthy doctor and making a name for himself. Overall, House leads with a participatory democracy. While he holds command of his team, he allows each individual to actively participate and test theories throughout their diagnosis process. In the end, this leads to all members of the team learning valuable lessons and feeling a part of something bigger than them.