Leadership does not have one method. Effective leaders recognize that there are unique situations, teams and goals that require different methods. Knowing all seven (7) Leadership Style’s will enable you to adapt your Leadership Style to engage and motivate your team, enhance the performance of your team and ultimately achieve a better result.
In this article, we will examine the 7 Leadership Style’s along with their advantages, disadvantages as well as how to select one that will work best for you and your team.
1.The Autocratic Leadership Style
Definition:
An Autocratic Leader makes decisions on behalf of the employees without seeking the opinions of employees. The Autocratic Leader has total authority, power, and control over his/her employees.
Key Characteristics:
- Total authority, power & control over subordinates
- Decision-making speed and efficiency
- Allows for strict, fair and effective rules and procedures
- Advantages of Autocratic Leadership Style:
- The Autocratic Leader can handle crises or high-pressure situations better and faster than non-Autocratic Leaders.
- Provides clear direction and expectations to employees.
Negative Aspects of Autocratic Leadership:
Lowers morale & creativity
- Will eventually alienate teams.
- Effective Use of Autocratic Leadership:
- When Team Has No Experience, Requires Timely Decisions, or Requires Immediate Decisions.
2.Democratic Leadership.
Definition of Democratic Leadership:
Democratic Leaders make decisions with participation from team members but maintain the last decision-making authority.
Characteristics of Democratic Leadership:
- Open discussion
- Teamwork, participation, and feedback
- Shared responsibility
- Positive Features of Democratic Leadership.
- Encourages employees to become more engaged and committed to the organization
- Fosters innovation & trust in employees.
- Negative Features of Democratic Leadership:
- Time-consumptive Decision-Making Process
- Not Appropriate for Life-Threatening Situations
Appropriate Ways to Use Democratic Leadership:
When Team Has Experience, Is Motivated, & Is Collaborative, & Ideas Will Be Shared. Transformational Leadership. Definition of Transformational Leadership:
Transformational Leadership is when a leader develops vision-based motivation and inspiration within the team through a strong commitment to vision, growth & innovation.
3.Characteristics of Transformational Leadership:
Vision-Purpose Statement
Commitment to personal & professional growth of individual team members
High level of energy & inspiration
Positive Features of Transformational Leadership:
- Creates Long-Term Organizational Change & Growth
- Builds Loyalty Among Teams.
- Drawbacks of a Transformational Leader:
- Overview
- A transformational leader tends to miss short-term processes or other details.
- They rely heavily on communication and energy.
Best Use
The best time to use transformational leadership is when you want to drive cultural transformation or lead innovation.
(4.) Transactional Leadership
Definition
Transactional leaders focus on rewarding or punishing people based on their performance, structure, and results.
Key Characteristics
- Clear Expectations and Goals
- Rewards/Incentives Based on Performance
- High Emphasis on Result
Pros
Transactional leadership is highly effective for routine work and has the advantage of easy measurement of performance.
Cons
Transactional leaders have little room for creativity or innovation and tend to only focus on short-term motivation.
Best Use
The best time to utilize transactional leadership is when your team operates within a structured environment that follows well-defined processes and produces measurable results.
(5.) Servant Leadership
Definition
A servant leader places the needs of the team before their own.
- Key Characteristics
- Listening and Empathy
- Empowerment of Team Members
6.Ethical Leadership
Pros
Servant leadership creates a culture of trust and a strong relationship with team members, which leads to long-term loyalty.
Cons
Servant leaders tend to take longer to make decisions, and struggle to survive in highly competitive environments.
Best Use
The best time to utilize servant leadership is when you want to create a culture of support and develop people for long-term success.
7.Laissez-Faire Leadership
Definition: A laissez-faire leader will provide their subordinates with a great deal of freedom when it comes to doing their job, requiring them to be minimally supervised while providing them with a large amount of autonomy to get the job done.
Key Characteristics:
- Hands-Off Leadership;
- . High Trust;
- . Individual Responsibility. Pros: Allows employees to exercise their creativity and independence, and thus is appropriate for highly skilled employees.
Cons: Can lead to employees being unable to find their direction. Therefore it is inappropriate when working with low-skilled employees.
Best Used For: When your employees are experienced, highly motivated, and able to manage their own workload.
Coaching Leadership
Definition: Coaching is designed to develop the individual strengths of employees over time, to assist them in achieving long-term growth.
Key Characteristics:
- Ongoing Feedback;
- Mentoring and Guidance
- Goal Oriented Employee Development. Pros
- It is possible for an employee to improve their skill and job performance over time through coaching.
Cons:
Coaching requires a significant amount of time and is therefore not an option for those who cannot commit to developing their skills and abilities.
Best Used For:
If you are interested in investing in the continued development of talent and creating the next generation of leaders.
Selecting the appropriate leadership approach for your group is influenced by various elements.
Assess the capabilities and levels of experience of your team
Younger teams generally require structure; experienced teams typically respond best with autonomy.
Evaluate the environment
Autocratic management is often required when dealing with crises, but democratic and transformational leadership styles are advantageous when creating new products/ideas.
Identify your personal attributes
While all great leaders will modify their behavior, they do so with their genuine self. Identify styles that are congruent with who you are and your core beliefs.
Maintain Adaptability
Some of the finest leaders change styles as needed. Being flexible is a critical component of your ability to lead.
In Conclusion
True leadership is about your ability to adapt and to be aware of what is happening around you so that you may impact others positively. When you comprehend the seven different leadership styles, you can lead confidently, encourage your team, and deliver measurable success. Rather than asking, “What kind of leader am I?” Consider asking yourself, “What kind of leader does my team require today?”
