Leadership styles are inherent, or they develop with time and practice. It is more than a position of authority. Good leadership is a choice. Even in the most challenging situations, they take accountability for their actions. Show
But what is the one thing that you need to be a leader? Can you guess? People! Yes. That's it! Humans are social animals. When they receive recognition for doing a good job, they are more likely to perform better in the future. But will people follow you even without any extrinsic or intrinsic motivation? Are they willing to follow your lead? Keep on reading to find out all about leadership styles. What is Leadership Style?A good leader provides a clear vision of the company's goals and mission. Beyond the profits you make or the numbers at the end of the year, a leader gives a sense of purpose behind one's action. What is the point of the growth? What is your impact on the company's success? Leadership styles are how a leader guides a team through different stages. These styles dictate how a leader implements plans, provides guidance, and overlooks work. Based on different personalities and methods, there are many different styles.
Now, as we got a gist of how a leader impacts the organization as a whole, let's look at the different types of leadership. Transactional Leadership Style
What comes to your mind when you see the word “transaction”? In literal terms, it means the agreement to buy or sell something. In this case, the deal is between the leader and followers. Transactional leadership is a "give and take" scenario. Reward or penalizes your employees according to the organization's standards. Everyone knows what to do, why to do it, and to what standard. Evaluation of employee performance happens with predefined criteria and goals. This style can be effective if the employees are also motivated by perks and benefits. It works best where the tasks are repetitive and goal-oriented. Key Characteristics of Transactional Leadership Style
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Works best with large corporations with routine jobs where the team is already motivated and are experts who need a little direction. Transformational Leadership Style
This leadership style believes in the concept of transforming anything into something better. Transformational leaders provide the team members opportunities to explore different ideas and approaches. They let their creative juices flow. You make your team feel that you care about them by putting them first. You express care and concern for your team members and their problems. It fosters a sense of bonding, belonging, and loyalty towards the organization. But relying on praise and nurturing can also lead to mediocre performance over time. It can also result in a lack of strong, clear direction for the company. Leaders should establish a balance to ensure that people don't get too comfortable. Key characteristics of Transformational Leadership Style
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Use this style when your business requires constant innovation and moving ahead of the crowd, such as the internet or IT industries. Servant Leadership Style
The servant leaders operate on the idea of service first, lead later. This style of leadership runs on the motto, “You manage other people the way you would like to manage.” You ensure that everyone knows their job. Ensure that they have all the tools and supplies they need before they begin. If they don’t, you offer them everything they need to succeed. This style is a favorite among the workers. It works wonders for employee morale and employee experience. But if you don’t balance it, this can lead to your team running the show. It can result in a lack of authority, a little direction, and vision. Key Characteristics of Servant Leadership Style
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Works best for a diverse team, where personalized management is required for each member. If you want to dig more into this style of leadership, check out our blog here on Servant Leadership! Democratic Leadership Style
Democratic leadership style has what you call the "two is better than one" philosophy. Democratic leaders emphasize the inputs and ideology of workers. The business world also calls it "participative leadership”. This type of leader makes the final decision. But at other times, democratic leaders may delegate power to followers. Having said that, a democratic leader is not off the hook. They are still accountable for all the outcomes. This is the decentralized approach to power and authority. (Contrasts with the centralized approach of autocratic leaders, which we will address later.) Key characteristics of Democratic Leadership Style
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Works best with all kinds of organizations. Although places where strict procedures are required, such as manufacturing industries, democratic leadership is not the best choice. Autocratic Leadership Style
How do you picture an autocratic leader? We picture someone barging into the room and telling people what to do. As the name hints, autocratic leadership is a boss-centered approach to leadership. The leader has absolute control over the entire operation. They have a top-down approach to communication. They dictate instructions, policies, and activities and expect the followers to comply. You can see high power dynamics going on between the leader and the followers. Autocratic leaders give little to no importance to socializing and team-building activities. These leaders take no input or feedback from group members. They assess a situation from their own perspective. Key Characteristics of Autocratic Leadership Style
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Best approach when consensus is not possible and the leader is required to make a judgment call. (Source - https://giphy.com/) Can you think of someone who projects such qualities as a leader? Please feel free to drop us a mail and let us know if you have any more traits we may have overlooked. Laissez-Faire (Delegative) Leadership Style
"Laissez-Faire" is a French term meaning let do or let them do it. Some critics call it the “Zero leadership” style. It is a philosophy of non-interference. Leaders will give directions or goals and are less likely to check on you. They have fewer meetings and expect you to do it on your own. Key characteristics of Laissez-Faire Leadership Style
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Works best if the leader has a group of people who already excel at their skills. Bureaucratic Leadership Style
Bureaucratic leaders live by the rules. There are certain times that you expect to get things done by “the book.” You want to get a tattoo and expect the tattoo artist to follow the original procedure. You want to get your car repaired, and you want the mechanic to fix the problem by the rules. Likewise, you want to lead your team by the laws of the book. Bureaucratic leaders always follow specific rules and stick to those at all times. Yet, this leadership style can be very rigid at times. This rigidity restricts the level of creativity in the process. Key Characteristics of Bureaucratic Leadership Style
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Works best for large industries such as manufacturing plants where the employees perform routine tasks. Charismatic Leadership Style
Charismatic leaders are the ones who can walk the talk. The leaders of this style are masters of communication and persuasion with a sense of charm. They have a specific type of appeal, attraction, and magnetism. It helps them gain people to follow their lead. They inspire, excite, and spark enthusiasm among the team members. Some charismatic leaders that we can think of are Dalai Lama and Obama. They exude warmth and presence when they walk into a room. It is, what they call, the aura! Some people are born charismatic, and some acquire it with time and experience. (Recommended blog- What is Charismatic Leadership? Definition, Characteristics, and Benefits! ) Key characteristics of Charismatic Leadership Style
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Works best for social activists, motivational speakers, or political leaders—someone who needs to inspire and gain the trust of their followers. Leaders like Late Princess Diana, Mahatma Gandhi, Will Smith exude a spark and sense of charm. Coaching Leadership Style
This style of leadership believes in coaching the workers towards greatness. They are usually experts in their field of interest and are great communicators. This type of leadership is most prevalent in sports teams. Yet, it can get troublesome at times as it takes time to mentor and coach the employees. Key characteristics of Coaching Leadership Style
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Works best for teams who need to be trained thoroughly to perform to the best of their abilities. Leadership Styles in the Age of Covid-19Covid-19 has made it difficult and cumbersome for both businesses and life in general. It was a crisis that was new and unprecedented for everyone. There is no perfect way to handle a problem - it is a constant trial-and-error method. According to a report by Upwork, 26.7% of the American workforce will still be working remotely in 2021 and 22% by 2025. Thus, leaders must analyze their leadership styles. They must brush up on their leadership practices, especially for the post-Covid era. It doesn’t matter which leadership style you have; make sure you focus on these factors. Three focus areas that leaders need to inculcate during a crisis-
Types of leadership Approaches that can help the Leaders during the Covid crisis-
Taking inputs and suggestions from your team in uncertain times will benefit everyone. It can also foster a mutual sense of respect and a better approach to decision-making. *(Disclaimer: The above analysis is based on our experience and knowledge and not on facts and figures.) Final NoteLeadership takes skills and hard work to excel in one’s environment. An effective leadership style is not something that is carved in stone. Anyone can pick or drop any leadership style or combine them depending on the situation and people. It depends on one’s resilience, emotional intelligence, and experience while elevating their overall leadership qualities. Keep in mind that it is an ongoing process that solely depends on adapting to the corporate world’s changing dynamics. Moreover, one of the strongest leadership qualities can be seen in the military. In businesses, we have colleagues and co-workers. In the military, they have brothers and sisters. They might fight and bicker, but when faced with challenges, they stand united. But how did they create a bond as strong as blood relations out of strangers? Help your employees succeed. Help them build their confidence and achieve more than they and you have ever imagined. That’s leadership!
Thadoi Thangjam is a content marketer and digital marketing executive at Vantage Circle. When she’s not geeking out over content strategies, she is probably hunting for the next perfect track to add to her playlist. For any related queries, contact What type of leadership promotes trust in their leaders in the organization?What type of leadership promotes trust in their leaders and the organizations? Research has found that when leaders engage in transformational leadership, their subordinates tend to have higher levels of job satisfaction and performance.
What are the 4 leadership types?Types of Leadership Styles. Autocratic.. Democratic.. Laissez-faire.. Transformational.. Under Which style of leadership the leader totally trust their employees?The Laissez Faire Leadership Style: Here, the leader totally trusts their employees/team to perform the job themselves.
What are the types of leaders in organization and institution?Types of Leadership Styles in Management. Democratic.. Autocratic.. Laissez-Faire.. Strategic.. Transformational.. Transactional.. Coach-Style.. Bureaucratic.. |