Ellen Johnson's Contingency Theory

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Ellen Johnson Sirleaf commonly known in her country as Her Excellency is the current president of Liberia. She has beaten all odds and became the first female head of state in Africa. Being the 24th president of Liberia, she has demonstrated commitment to improving the lives of her citizens. Her leadership skills in return earned her a second term to govern her people after winning the 2011 Liberia general elections. Among her many achievements, Sirleaf is also a Nobel prize winner for peace. This was after her resilience in fighting for peace and freedom in her country and struggle for women rights. Ellen Johnson`s kind of leadership follows the contingency theory of leadership. Contingency theory entails flexibility in leadership which in …show more content…

The transformative theory requires that the leader interacts with those that they lead and also to listen to their opinions. However, his is not applicable in Robert`s position as the Secretary of Defense since it would to compromise on national security. It could lead to him making wrong decisions which have further reaching complications. Therefore, application of this theory as a basis of leadership would lead to Robert failing in his duties as a leader. Consequently, the contingency theory does not fully describe Ellen Sirleaf`s leadership as a president. The theory suggests that the leader should employ critical thinking in solving dilemmas. The application of contingency theory in leadership of country like in Ellen`s case could in this case lead to failure. Presidential position requires the use of advisers who help in making consultations before making a decision (Chapparamani & Jyothi, 2011). This is because the decision made have effects on many people compared to individual decisions. The contingency theory does not stipulate this and hence application of this theory can lead to poor leadership styles such as dictatorial kind of …show more content…

The qualities that define this leadership include; Perseverance, Ellen fought for women rights in her nation as an activist. Sacrifice, in an effort to ensure that her country regained peace, Sirleaf went into exile and worked in creating awareness of the insecurity, violence and chaos in her country. This effort achieved international recognition with most countries joining in the fight against the violence. Sirleaf can also be defined as an agent of change. This is a quality that makes her a successful leader. In this regard she managed to introduce good governance in her country as well she managed to successfully advocate for the rights of women in her country. As the president of Liberia she managed to crash the foreign debt and therefore increasing the country`s GDP. Sirleaf`s weaknesses in leadership include: Dictatorship, having been an activist in the country, she embraced the strategy of manipulation. In this regard, her leadership is characterized by some dictatorial aspects.