Leadership Styles



Leadership Styles

Introduction

Leadership is among the key variables in the management of any organization and is among the four fundamentals of management, along with planning, organizing, and controlling. Organizational and team goals are accomplished by members who are directed by a designated leader. Leadership style describes a leader's strategy for relating to team members as a means to influence the achievement of established goals. Both verbal and nonverbal leader behaviors convey a particular leadership style. It is important that a sport team leader understands the styles.

The leader chooses a style depending upon circumstances, including organizational and team values, team culture and structure, the capabilities and preferences of the leader, the task and skill and self-discipline characteristics of the team members. Thus, the above are possible leadership styles that may be adapted to circumstances. No one leadership style is necessarily better than another, although some may be more effective in one situation over another. A given leader may use varied styles on a given day depending upon the employee and the situation, although one style tends to be dominant. Less effective leaders may tend to stick to only one style.

Discussion

Lewin's Styles

There are a range of possible leadership styles. According to psychologist Kurt Lewin, there are three basic leadership styles: autocratic, participative (or democratic), and delegative (or laissez-faire).

In the autocratic style, team members are told what to do and are expected to comply without comment. In this approach, the leader seeks to centralize power in order to have firmer control over team outcomes. This approach may be especially effective in times of dramatic change or crisis. Otherwise, team members could become fearful and tense and come to resent the heavy-handedness of the person in charge. The autocratic style demands obedience rather than input of team members, and relies more upon threat of punishment over reward. This style should be used less frequently, especially if the leader is seeking to gain team member commitment.

In participative or democratic climates, team members are encouraged to be self-motivated and self-reliant. They participate in decision making by giving input. However, the leader retains the right to have the final say and holds ultimate responsibility for decisions. This may also constitute a stakeholder approach in which individuals who are critical to team outcomes (team members, fellow students, and staff) are approached on matters that concern them. This approach may foster communication and is especially effective when team buy-in is important or when a problem at hand is complex and in need of multiple perspectives.

In the delegative or laissez-faire style, the leader takes a hands-off approach as team members (usually more skilled) are encouraged to take initiative, set their own goals, and give shape to desired team outcomes. This approach may be highly motivating to team members with high levels of initiative and skill as it suggests the responsible leader trusts members greatly. It would not be desirable where members are new, unskilled, or insecure, and can be construed as leader disinterest or laziness if not used appropriately ...