LEADERSHIP

The Role of a Manager and Importance of Having an Ability to Lead People Effectively - Leadership Styles



The Role of a Manager and Importance of Having an Ability to Lead People Effectively - Leadership Styles

Introduction

As globalization continues to reduce the significance of physical boundaries, the need for effective leadership continues to increase in tow. The continuously increasing importance of effective leadership is one of the most unanimously agreed-upon elements in modern time. It is perhaps because of the same reason that a variety of different leadership styles have come forth in the last few decades; with each leadership style unique and parallel in terms of importance. However, the fundamental reason behind the development of a variety of leadership styles is that the leadership style has to be suited to the scenario at hand. There is no generic leadership style since there is no generic scenario to be led. Every scenario contains unique characteristics that have to be identified and acknowledged if the desired outcomes are to be derived from the scenario. Moreover, the increasing need to gain "more from less" makes it critically important to ensure adequate usage of limited time and resources.

In the same vein, this discussion will attempt to analyze (with reference to a recognized theory) the different leadership styles which leaders and managers may use when leading staff. For each style the discussion will attempt to give consideration to the key aspects and the situations where the leadership style will be both productive and unproductive. In addition, the discussion will also give relevance to the variables that will determine whether that style will be appropriate and shed light on the manner in which the leader/manager would take decisions and exercise power. In order to do so adequately, the discussion will include a consideration of the influences of a leader's choice of style; including individuality within a team and individual and team ability with regards to different tasks. Further elaboration will be based on the possible effect on a team of an inappropriate style being used and conclude on the importance of using an appropriate leadership/management style including consideration of any changes the writer of this paper may need to make to leadership style in order to be more effective when developing and leading teams.

Discussion & Analyses

Perhaps the most widely recognized leadership style is the Authoritarian leadership style. This particular leadership style is highly autocratic and the leader (when exercising leadership) tends to give little to no relevance to the subordinates/team members (Cruikshank, 2005). In addition, the Authoritarian leadership style holds that the leader clearly marks out his/her expectations and provides the subordinates/team members with the process through which the assigned task is to be executed. A leader functioning under the Authoritarian leadership style does not give regard to the feedback from co-workers, team members or sub-ordinates (Deutsch, 2006). While this particular leadership style may appear to be somewhat negative and inadequate considering the demands of the modern day workplace, there are certain circumstances in which the ...