Comparison and Synthesis of Leadership Theories in Human Resources: A Narrative Review
Abstract
Leadership in human resources (HR) management has evolved from a focus on individual traits and situational behaviors (classical and contingency theories) to contemporary models that emphasize ethical influence and talent development. The purpose of this paper is to compare and synthesize the main leadership theories, from classical to contemporary ones. Methodology: The Snyder was used to carry out this work, which consists of four steps (designing the review, conducting the review, analyzing the information, and writing the review). The websites used for this work were ScienceDirect, Elsevier, Springer, and Google Scholar. The selection focused on scientific articles from recent years in the databases Scielo, Scopus, and Web of Science. Results: The results showed that modern HR leadership has shifted its focus from seeking the perfect leader to seeking the right leadership process. Effectiveness today is measured by the ability to synthesize combining ethics, inspiration, and technical adaptability as required by the maturity of the team and the volatility of the market. The HR leader must transcend the administrative function to become a strategic partner who uses leadership models such as transformational, ethical, service, and distributed leadership. Conclusions: Integrating these contemporary approaches is crucial for HR to influence strategic decisions and align human capital with business objectives.