Leading any organization is similar to leading an orchestra. As the orchestra consists of a string, brass, woodwind, etc., directed by the leader, any organization or business is also guided by the leader. If using any approaches makes music better and can accomplish a successful song, then using different organizational styles will help it reach its ultimate goal. In this article, we discuss the definition of leadership with 8 types of leadership styles and leadership examples.
What is Leadership Style?
A leadership style is referred to the leader’s way of guiding, motivating, and managing the rest of the people in their organization. A great leader can encourage and provide the proper guidance to the employees to achieve the organization’s goals. The leaders should also choose suitable leadership styles and methods for running the organization successfully. It also focuses on the attitudes of the leaders. An example of a leadership style is Barack Obama, who used transformational leadership style to transform the people’s mindsets regarding racism and encouraged them to treat people of different races and colors equally.
How Many Types of Leadership Styles Are There?
Eight different leadership styles will help the leaders choose for their organization. It should be kept in mind that an organization may choose more than one style. These styles are:
- Transactional Leadership
- Transformational Leadership
- Servant Leadership
- Democratic Leadership
- Autocratic Leadership
- Bureaucratic Leadership
- Laissez-Faire Leadership
- Charismatic Leadership
8 Types of Leadership Styles Explained with Examples
Each leadership type has its unique ways to use the leaders. These have been elaborated below with specific kinds of examples.
Transactional Leadership
It is a type of leadership in which the leaders give orders to their employees. They also reward or punish the employees according to their performances. The leaders also promote their employees to keep their motivation intact. This leadership occurs if the organization is not thinking about the future and focuses only on the present situation. It is an exchange between the employees and the leaders in which the leaders give money to employees in exchange for the tasks completed.
The main characteristics of transactional leadership style are to build up the strategies, to look out for the efficiency goals, the thrift of the sales, and the difference in the quality of the tasks. The transactional leaders mainly keep an eye on the performance-related goals and tasks.
There is a lesser chance of getting confused regarding the tasks as the leader will provide detailed instructions. The chances of being unfair are low as all the employees are treated equally.
A perfect example of a transactional leader was Joseph McCarthy, who punished his followers for not following the rules he set. He also promised rewards for those who brought the people who said anything against him.
Transformational Leadership
Transformational leaders look out for transformations in their organizations. They do this by encouraging their employees to come up with unique ideas. Thus, the leaders depend on their employees for suggestions or steps that could improve the organization for the future. The employees can take authority over the own tasks that they are assigned.
The major traits of this type of leadership style are the four major different attitudes: inspiration, positive influence, stimulation of intellect, and considering the individuals. Another important trait is that it spreads a sense of motivation, moral values, and the workers’ performances.
Both the leaders and the employees get the equal benefits of sharing a single organization’s vision. There is also a development of trust and respect among the team members and the leaders.
An example of a transformational leader is Nelson Mandela, who worked to transform human rights. He also believed that working together in teams will build a successful community, and by taking the responsibility of making the world a better place to live.
Servant Leadership
The leaders of servant leadership style prefer to help the employees rather than give them authority. They take up their roles as mentors rather than leaders, encourage their employees if they feel low, and guide them on working on their tasks. Furthermore, they keep the needs of their employees higher rather than their benefits. This type of leadership style also helps build up the employees’ leadership qualities.
The key traits of this leadership style require an individual to present their characteristics such as a sense of empathy, listening to others, management of the situations, and commitment to the employees’ personal growth.
This approach leads to a higher level of trust and creates a better bonding between the leader and the employees. This generates a positive influence in the atmosphere of the workplace and the performance of the employees.
One of the greatest examples of servant leadership is Mother Teresa. She was kind-hearted and always thought of other people’s well-being rather than her own. She has urged other people to do the same and spread positivity and peace.
Democratic Leadership
Democratic leadership style allows the leaders to allow the employees to participate and give suggestions for the betterment of the organization. The leaders rely on the employees’ decisions as they believe that they are an important part of the institution. This leadership style is also known as “participative leadership.”
The traits of this leadership style are that the employees are motivated to generate their innovative ideas, even though the leader has the final say in the decision. The team members feel their importance and engage in active participation. The employees’ creativity is taken into account and is rewarded as well.
This leadership style is beneficial to both the leader and the team members. As the employees develop different solutions and ideas, the leaders find it easy to decide. This leadership style also contributes to the higher productivity of the organization.
A great example of a democratic leader is George Washington. He showed the signs of a democratic leader when he hired strong leaders for his staff. He also guided the U.S government and came up with incredible solutions.
Autocratic Leadership
Leadership style named autocratic is completely different from democratic leadership. The autocratic leader possesses the power and takes the organization’s authority. They do not allow their subordinates to for suggestions or opinions. Instead, the employees will need to carry out the instructions of their leaders and have to maintain strict deadlines. The leaders will assign the tasks and provide the process on how it should be done.
The key characteristics of this leadership are that the employees are not allowed to provide feedback to their leader. It also does not encourage creativity; rather, the employees will need to work according to the leaders’ desires. The leaders are the sole decision-makers in this leadership style.
This type of leadership style is helpful for leaders as it allows them to make decisions quickly. The team members are also kept on track on whether they do their work properly or not. Autocratic leadership can be improved following some effective ways which are sole decision-taking ability, enforcement of strict rules and regulations, and structured environment. However, autocratic leadership has some bad historical examples.
A great example of an autocratic leader is Adolf Hitler. He was responsible for the activation of the Second World War. His dictatorship bought injustice among the Jewish tribes and killed about 62 million people.
Bureaucratic Leadership
The leaders of this leadership style possess their authority through the hierarchy of their title and not with their characteristics. They are also provided with responsibilities to follow and make decisions regarding their employees. The leaders only need to follow the way that has been paved for them by the authorities above them.
The traits of this leadership are that the organization is well-structured with proper management. It also consists of a well-ranking of the authorities and an even distribution of the responsibilities among everyone.
Bureaucratic leadership style is beneficial to everyone as no one has to take any extra responsibility. As this leadership style goes through a series of systems and guidelines, this system will not collapse even if there is a slight change in the shifts of the organization.
An example of a bureaucratic leader is Winston Churchill. He used a structured and strategic plan to defeat Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party. Thus, his schedule allowed him to work with other allies to establish his goals.
Laissez-Faire Leadership
The name of this leadership style is derived from a French term that means “leave it to be.” The leaders will provide their employees with the necessary tools and resources but will step aside and rely on their employees for the rest of their work. The team members are free to make decisions, solve problems and get their work done according to their pace.
The characteristics of this leadership style are that the leaders are not around to supervise their employees all the time. If necessary, the leaders will take any actions and take responsibility for the overall decisions.
This leadership style encourages independence and creates bonding among the employees and the leader. The employees tend to be more creative, and the leaders have less pressure.
An example of Laissez-faire leadership style is Martin Van Buren. During his leadership period, he followed laissez-faire leadership and depended upon his people’s talents. His people used their talents to assist him in building an organized structure for democracy.
Charismatic Leadership
A charismatic leadership style has magnetic personalities of convincing and communicating with their employees to believe in their ideas. They are capable of explaining their vision of the organization and can motivate the employees to follow the same goals. The leaders of this leadership style remain determined and confident regarding their decision-making process in an organization.
The main characteristics of this type of leadership style are that the leaders’ communication skills are motivating to the employees. They are also active listeners, listen to their employees, and have a positive attitude.
Charismatic leaders are inspirational and are capable of connecting to their employees. It also positively influences the workplace and increases the employees’ learning process.
Examples of charismatic leaders are Martin Luther King and Richard Branson. He focused on human rights and took a step to eradicate racial discrimination in the United States. He inspired many people worldwide and brought a positive change in society.
Why Is It Important to Know Your Leadership Style?
It is essential to know the leadership style to help us identify the people’s roles in an organization. It is also beneficial as it will allow us to communicate better and have better relationships among the leaders and the employees. A leader will also handle any difficult situation by choosing suitable leadership styles. Moreover, the leaders will motivate and create a sense of inspiration within their employees. Knowing your leadership style will also help you accomplish the organization’s mission.
The Bottom Line
Different leadership styles have some benefits and drawbacks, and it is the responsibility of the leaders to choose the most suitable leadership style for their organization. It will also help you focus on your strengths and weaknesses in you and your way of management.
References
- https://courses.lumenlearning.com/baycollege-introbusiness/chapter/reading-leadership-styles/
- https://www.verywellmind.com/leadership-styles-2795312
- https://www.thesuccessfactory.co.uk/blog/amazing-examples-of-leadership
- https://www.themuse.com/advice/common-leadership-styles-with-pros-and-cons
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transactional_leadership
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transformational_leadership
- https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/servant-leadership.asp
- https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-democratic-leadership-2795315
- https://online.stu.edu/articles/education/democratic-participative-leadership.aspx
- https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-autocratic-leadership-2795314
- https://www.wgu.edu/blog/what-laissez-faire-leadership2006.html#openSubscriberModal
- https://novisurvey.net/blog/benefits-of-understanding-your-leadership-style-through-an-online-survey.aspx
Tamanna is working as a content writer at The Strategy Watch. She has recently completed her graduation from a reputed university in Bangladesh. Tamanna was immensely interested in knowing about leadership and has written about different kinds of leadership till now. She has gathered a vast amount of knowledge regarding the topic and is looking forward to work on more leadership related topics in future. Moreover, she is intended to dive deep into the different sectors of the business world and explore them.