Leadership Styles

Leadership Styles

Introduction

Leadership can be defined as the process of influencing the behavior of other people socially. People could be either the employees, subordinates, or they may be followers of the leader. The main task of the leader is to support and procure the followers or the subordinates in achieving the tasks they are assigned. It is not necessary that the authority and power of the leader should be formal. The leader might also have informal authority and power of influence. The leadership can also be defined as the process of managing a group of people to accomplish a common objective and aim. There are several types of leadership, and many researchers have also given different theories regarding different types of leaderships. The three basic leadership theories are Authoritarian, Paternalistic and Democratic leadership theories.

Authoritarian Leadership Theory

This is the least flexible leadership style of all three. In this style, the leader is a dictator and dictates all the goals that need to be accomplish plus the methods and strategies that how the employees and the followers will achieve the goals. In this style, there in no participation from the employees and followers and the leaders make decisions on whole sole basis. Leaders are independent in decision making with very less or no decentralization. This style of leadership is not good to use when the situation is in need of creativity. This style is suitable only when there is complete information to solve a matter or a problem with intense time pressure and when the work task does not require any creativity. The system of command and control is very formal with only one way communication that is top to down communication. The ideas from the subordinated are not entertained. Another situation to use this leadership style is when the subordinates lack the working skills and the leadership does not trust the workers. The penalties are very strict in this leadership style, with very less delegation (Gordan.G, 2011).

Paternalistic Leadership Theory

Paternalistic leadership style is the one in which the leader or the manager acts like a father of the subordinates to the extent of the work. The leaders engaged in this leadership style are mostly dominant in nature where they use their organizational powers to control the behavior of others but in less dictating manner. They not only control the subordinates, but they also take care of their employees whenever the employees are in need of help. Due to this very reason the subordinates and followers are very loyal towards the leaders in this leadership style. This type of leadership style is suitable where there is a formal structure of an organization. In this type of style, there is no creativity required like the authoritarian style. This style is a softer form of authoritative style, and this softness leads to greater motivation of subordinates and lower turnover. In this leadership style, the leader explains to the subordinates the reasons of the decisions taken and answers any questions of subordinates regarding the decisions ...