Abstract
This study presents a review of literature relating to
leadership styles in the construction industry, with the
specific aim of identifying the best suited leadership style
in the construction industry. The research objective was
necessitated because of the vital role of leadership in
achieving organizational goals and the promotion of
individual professional’s achievement. To this end,
leadership has been widely covered in management/
business school, however, little attention has been given
to managerial and leadership behaviour or styles of
leaders in the construction industry. The study is
conducted with reference to existing theoretical
literature, published and unpublished research. This
study is mainly a literature review on leadership in the
construction industry. One of the primary findings
emanating from the study reveals that there are a number
of leadership styles available to construction
professional. However, for the construction industry and
for the managers to be effective they must be able to
identify and apply the necessary leadership style suitable
for the given situation. Moreover, they should be able to
adapt to changes and sometimes contradictory
circumstances in which they need to show versatility and
flexibility. The study explores leadership and leadership
styles in the construction industry and it further
highlight’s the theoretical literature with regard to
leadership. The study presents a robust background on
the leadership styles of construction project leaders.