Leadership Styles

Leadership Styles

the ways in which decision makers behave or reveal their behavior.

Five styles

autocratic, paternalistic, democratic, laissez-faire, situational

Autocratic (4)

• An autocratic leader is one who is authoritative, so centralises decision-making without consulting others.

• Such a leader believes in formal chains of command, where consultation with subordinates in decision-making is non-existent. -

• Autocrats rely on their own ideas, experiences and instincts when making decisions.

• It is suitable in situations where employees are unskilled, inexperienced, lack initiative and/or need to be told specifically what to do.

ADVS of autocratic (3)

• It ensures the leader has complete control of the operations.

• It speeds up the business decision-making process.

• It provides workers with a clear sense of direction and clarity over their roles, as they understand exactly what is expected.

DIS of autocratic (2)

• Creativity and innovation are suppressed and discouraged as employees are not involved in the decision-making process.

• It can demotivate employees as their opinions are not valued.

Paternalistic (2)

• This refers to a leadership style where the manager or leader makes decisions on behalf of his/her team in the belief that these are in the best interest of the workers.

• Paternalistic leaders usually see the workers as less capable and/or experienced than themselves.

ADVs of paternalistic (3)

• It can motivate staff as they feel guided and that their interests are protected

• It can ensure harmonious relationships at work as the leader genuinely values the staff

• It can create a sense of belonging, helping to meet workers’ safety and social needs

DIS of paternalistic (2)

• Decision-making is still centralized, so workers can become dissatisfied if their views are ignored

• Paternalistic leaders may not always make the best decisions, which can lead to conflict and disagreement

Democratic (2)

• A democratic leader is one who is willing to delegate authority and consult subordinates in decision-making.

• This leadership style is characterised by inclusiveness, where all employees are encouraged to share their views and ideas in the decision-making process

ADVs of democratic (3)

• Workers feel valued as they are actively encouraged to participate in the decision-making process.

• Collaboration leads to higher morale and improved productivity.

• The organization takes advantage of the innovative potential of its employees.

DIS of democratic (3)

• It may result in disagreement and disharmony; it is not realistic to please everyone, all of the time.

• It is ineffective when critical decisions need to be made quickly, and sometimes workers just need to do what they are told to get their jobs done.

• It can be time consuming, especially if managers do not have the time to consult everyone, so decision-making is often delayed.

Laissez-faire (3)

• the leader delegates a significant amount of authority to subordinates and provides them with the freedom to carry out tasks in their own way,

• gives workers the autonomy to make their own decisions on how best to accomplish organizational objectives.

• with minimal direction or supervision.

ADVs of laissez-faire (2)

• A laissez-faire leadership style can be motivational as employees have freedom to carry out tasks in any effective way they wish.

• It also encourages individuals to be creative, and thus helps the firm become more innovative.

DIS of laissez-faire (3)

• Monitoring and coordination of business operations are made more difficult and time-consuming, especially as there is an absence of managerial control.

• Slack (complacency) can arise due to a very minimal level of supervision involved.

• It does not suit all workers as they may want or prefer clear guidance and direction

situational

involves the leader or manager adjusting their leadership style to fit the task, circumstance or situation that they find themselves in.

ADVs of situational (2)

• It recognises that effective leaders have to be adaptive, rather than rigid in their leadership style

• Situational leadership is possibly the most practical of leadership styles as it applies to almost all business organizations

DIS of situational

• If workers become used to a particular leadership style, they may become disheartened and unsettled if the leader or manager needs changes their style

• Most people have a preferred or natural leadership style, so changing or adopting a different style can be difficult and uncharacteristic for them.