Leadership Styles

Have you ever resonated that there seem to be as many different ways to lead people as there have been great leaders? When we recall the success of Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Abraham Lincoln, Napoleon Bonaparte to Steve Jobs and Jack Welch, we also notice that they all used different approaches that were suitable to their specific situations and circumstances. Over the last century, researchers and psychologists have developed simple ways to describe the “Styles of leadership” and in this section, we will explore these commonly known leadership styles.

We hope that learning about these styles will help the learners choose the Right Style for their specific workplace situation and help them understand the qualities of a great leader. These articles will help you gain a thorough understanding of different leadership styles including some recently proposed leadership styles in recent leadership literature. We also hope that; the more approaches you're familiar with, the more tools you'll be able to use and by understanding these styles and their impact, you will be able to develop your own approach to implement these to your specific circumstances and this will help you to become a more effective leader.

The connection between Leadership Theories and Leadership Styles

You have also come across different leadership styles, such as Human relations style, Theory X and Y style, Authoritarian, Democratic and Laissez-faire style, Employee-oriented and Production-orientation styles, Consideration and Initiating Structure styles and Scientific Managerial styles.

Styles have been related to various theories of leadership such as Trait theory, Group, and Exchange Theory, Social Learning Theory, Managerial Grid Theory, Contingency Theory, and Path-goal theory. Traditional theories such as traits theory, behavioral theory, contingency theory, etc. and the contemporary theories like transactional and transformational theories offered different dimensions to the study of leadership.

There is quite a close linkage between the theories of leadership and the styles and types of leadership. The types and styles of leadership discussed here derive inputs from one or more leadership theories described in this section. To put it in simple terms, types, and styles of leadership is the application part of leadership theories.

What is a Leadership Style

There has been considerable research on the leadership process seeking to determine the characteristics of a good leader, essence of leadership, effective leadership style, etc., which resulted in the vast literature on the subject of leadership and the multiplicity of theories and approaches to leadership.

There has been a hunt for a useful leadership model. Many of them have used the terms `styles', `theories', `approaches' and `models' almost interchangeably in the literature. It is also true that none of the styles, theories, and approaches is fully satisfactory.

In the section on “Leadership Theories,” various leadership theories have been discussed in detail. Here in the section, the focus is on the linkage of the theories to various styles that emerge from them, either individually or collectively. Leadership is defined as an “influencing process” or the “process of persuasion” to motivate the members to get their best efforts to achieve organizational objectives. Leadership style can be viewed as the way in which that process of leadership is carried out.

Leadership style is the pattern of behavior that a leader exhibits, in influencing his subordinates towards the goals of an organization. The study of leadership style has been in vogue right from the 1930s, when researches were conducted on leadership theories. Leadership styles are the application part of leadership theories.

Speaking of "leadership" (the abstract term) rather than of "leading" (the action) usually implies that the entities doing the leading have some "leadership skills" or competencies. If a task needs to be accomplished, how does a particular leader set out to get it done? If there are problems, emergencies, or conflicts, the manner in which the leader handles it? All of these depend on leadership style. Leadership style changes from group to group and also from situation to situation.

When a group lacks a sense of direction or purpose, a directive style can be adopted by a leader, and when groups are clear of the organizational goals and objectives and perform well, non-directive styles can be adopted by a leader.

When the traits and behaviors of leaders were explored, the classification that was arrived at was, task-oriented and employee-oriented leaders.

Such classification further was expanded by the scholars in later years, which got extended as different styles of leadership.

Why learn various leadership styles?

It has been observed that the style of its leader impacts as well as defines an organization. The combination of the leader's and the organization's conception of leadership and how that gets executed by the leader defines the leadership style for a particular organization. Ideally, the leadership style of its leader must be consistent with the values, goals, philosophy, vision, and mission of the organization. Being conscious of both your own style as a leader and the ability to understand and interpret the leadership style of your followers as well as your seniors can be crucial in your success as an effective leader and keeping your organization on the right track. Styles define what leadership means for an organization and create a perception about what leadership is and does in the members of that organization.

There might be different expectations from different leaders based on their specific situations, for example, some may be expected to turnaround things, bring change and support change, maintain the status quo, be proactive, and assertive, be passive but drive growth. And all these combinations in different ways create different styles of leaders.

In this section, we have listed down all the different types and styles of leadership. But before we get into the leadership styles that exist, it is critical to understand the factors that influence leadership styles.

Factors influencing Leadership Style

The behavioral pattern, exhibited by a leader is influenced by various factors. Some of the factors that influence leadership styles are as follows:

The personality of the Leader
Value Systems
Confidence in Group Members Leadership Inclinations
Feelings of Security in uncertain
The personality of the Group Members
Need for Independence Desire for Responsibility Skills of Employees

The very personality of the leader has its impact on the style of leadership that he adopts. The value system that a leader follows influences adopting a certain style. The leadership style also gets influenced by the amount of trust that a leader has on employees. The inclination that a leader has towards a directive style or team-building style also influences the leadership style. Further, the personality displayed by a leader in uncertain situations also decides the style of leadership to be adopted.

Leadership is the activity of influencing people to strive willingly for group objectives. As you can see, this process is a function of the leader, the followers, and the situation.

In any situation where you are trying to influence the behavior of another individual or group, leadership is operating. Thus each one of us tries leadership at one time or the other, whether our activities are centered on business, educational institution, hospital, political organization, Government organization, or a family.

As part of this process, one who attempts to influence the behavior of others becomes a potential leader and the persons he or she is attempting to influence are the potential followers. This may happen irrespective of the fact that the leader may be their boss or a colleague (associate) or a subordinate or a friend or a relative. In other words, through a style of functioning, he or she influences attitudes and expectations, which in turn encourage or discourage the follower’s activity or achievement, enhance or diminish the follower’s commitment to the work, etc.

In our day-to-day life, we come across instances of how people are influenced by the activities or words of a person who is trying to lead them. We always make judgments about the leaders in our own office. In our mind, we make a difference between a good leader and a bad one, by judging the style or way of functioning and the influence on others.

Hence, in understanding the phenomenon of leadership, we must first understand the various styles of the leaders.

How to determine the appropriate style?

The literature on leadership styles has been growing in number and different styles of leadership are highlighted by different studies. However, it has to be understood that a single style of leadership cannot suit different situations. As and when the need arises, based on the situation and needs of the employee and organization, a leader can combine one or more styles of leadership in influencing people towards the goals of the organization. Thus, choosing the right style, in the right situation, at the right time is the key to the success of a leader.

You can choose and develop leadership styles and skills by assessing your own tendencies and talents. For example, have you ever asked yourself, what kind of leader do you want to be, and have you ever tried to reflect back and see when you work most effectively as a leader? Based on your organizational setup and interpersonal relationships play, what kind of leadership style could most benefit your organization?

Answers to these questions have to be considered when choosing an appropriate leadership style. These few questions are obviously just a beginning, but they should help you think about some important leadership issues. Your style needs to be consistent with the goals, mission, and philosophy of your organization and on top of it, you need to evaluate and create strategies that succeed you as an effective leader. Finally, learn to adapt to other styles based on the needs and demands of the situation. The styles described here will provide you with a framework about leadership styles, and help you refine your own thinking about what leadership is and what kind of leader you'd like to be.