Download Leadership Styles

Leadership Styles
There is a significant amount of literature in both the pop or self-help domains
and in the organisational research arena. Generally, theorists and proponents
of Leadership style fall into 1 of 3 key beliefs:
1) Leaders are born, not made. This approach suggests that great leaders
are heroic, genetically pre-determined to rise to the role of leader at the
right time. Winston Churchill and the Dali Lama are two individuals who are
thought to have been destined (for different reasons) to be leaders of their
time.
2) Leaders have personality styles that make them what they are –
Great. This approach assumes that people have certain qualities that are
stable and inherent: good leaders have a particular set of qualities that
mean they have a natural affinity to the role. Of course, there are many
people who have the set of qualities considered to indicate good
leadership style but do not become leaders!
3) What makes a good Leader differs across contexts. This final
approach suggests that a good leader may have a set of general qualities
that provide optimal support, but they also have specific qualities and skills
they can use to effect outcomes in particular situations. At times, they may
utilise a leadership style that is participative, while at other times they are
more directive or authoritative in their approach.
Leadership Tips:
In some situations, an autocratic or authoritarian style is appropriate:
• In critical situations, where one leader is required
• When the leader has specific knowledge that others do not
In some situations, a delegative style is appropriate:
• If a team member knows more than you do about a task
• When work loads and deadlines are pressing (shared success builds
team cohesion)
In most situations, a participative style is appropriate:
• Especially when team members understand the objectives and their
role in the task
• To gain engagement and buy-in from all team members (it is noted that
participative decision making is different to participative leadership and
not always possible)
There are multiple Leadership Styles within each of the three key beliefs
listed above. Some styles reflect more than 1 belief and share some
overlap – e.g., autocratic leaders are a form of transactional leader.
The key styles include:
Leadership Style
Transformative
Key Characteristics
• True leader who inspires team with shared
vision
• Uses delegation & participation to engage
team & has technical support staff so that
focus is on communicating & people
management
• Style most encouraged by Leadership
programs
Transactional
• Focus is on getting staff to do what they are
paid for (employment is a transaction)
• Reward & punishment is used to ensure
compliance to leader’s directions/expectations
(authoritarian)
• May have short-term benefits in high output
demand roles but long-term cost is high
• Low job satisfaction, high absenteeism & staff
turnover
Situational
• Mostly transformative leadership but can
switch between different leadership styles
depending on context requirements
• Good situational leaders communicate this
switch & reason for/time limits for the switch to
team members
Authoritarian/Autocratic
• Extreme form of transactional leadership
• “My way or the highway”
• team members have little opportunity for
decision-making
• High absenteeism or employee turnover
• May be appropriate in critical situations or
where absolute power outweighs high cost
Bureaucratic
• “By the book” leadership
• “If it isn’t a protocol, it isn’t practiced”
• Useful for work requiring precise outputs
• Limits team members’ capacity for innovation,
enterprise and buy-in (unless they like the
type of work that is clearly directive)
Charismatic
• Leader is highly enthusiastic and motivates
others with energy
• May be perceived as only source of
motivation or inspiration in the team
• Team members may feel that without their
leader they cannot complete important
projects
Democratic/Participative
• Invites team members to contribute to
decision making, although may make final
decision
• Very useful in situations where team cohesion
is important & job sharing a focus
• Change may be slower with participative
process but buy-in and outcome likely to be
greater
• Useful when quality is better than output
quantity
Popularist/Laissez-faire
• Leaders leave team members to get on with
their work: “leave it be”
• Useful when team members are highly skilled
and proficient, but if feedback on output and
achievements (or difficulties) are not provided,
lowered engagement or entrenched poor
behaviour may result
• Popularist leaders are often promoted from
within and may ‘leave it be’ to not upset expeers/friends
• Lack of continual direction or clarity often
results
Task-orientated
• Very task and output focussed
• Clearly provides targets, timelines, technical
support & advice but little focus on team
members as individuals requiring support
• Like authoritarian leadership, can lead to
increased absenteeism & staff turnover
because of lack of staff engagement
People/relations
orientated
• The opposite of task-orientated
• The focus is truly on people management
rather than task management
• Results in strong employee engagement via
team members feeling valued and important
• May result in lowered output if focus is too
much on providing support for non-work
related personal issues
Servant
• Leadership is achieved because person
meets the needs of other team members:
often not a formal team leader
• Often occurs when team undertakes a project
and a team member ‘arises’ as the project
leader by value of
skills/knowledge/enthusiasm
• Useful in many situations, but individual may
still be overlooked to become formal leader
and this may result in that person’s
disengagement or disgruntlement for person
What leadership type are you most often?