UNIT 4
LEADERSHIP STYLES
1. Laissez faire leadership style
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Laissez-faire leadership, also known as delegative leadership
Laissez-faire is a policy or practice of letting people act without
interference or direction.
It is also known as the hands off style of leadership
This leader exercises little control over his followers
Laissez-faire leaders abandon their responsibility, delay
decisions, give no feedback, and make little effort to help
followers satisfy their needs.
For example: When a homeowner is allowed to plant whatever they
want to grow in their front yard without having to get permission from
their city.
Laissez-faire leaders have an attitude of trust and reliance on their
employees.
They don't micromanage or get too involved, they don't give too much
instruction or guidance.
Instead laissez-faire leaders let their employees use their creativity,
resources, and experience to help them meet their goals
is a type of leadership style in which leaders are hands-off and allow group
members to make the decisions
This autonomy can make group members feel more satisfied with their
work.
Laissez-faire leadership is the direct opposite of autocratic
leadership.
Instead of a single leader making all decisions for an organization, group
or team, laissez-faire leaders make few decisions
These leaders allow their staff to choose appropriate workplace solutions.
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The management structure tends to be flat, meaning it lacks hierarchy.
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Team members might wonder who the final decision maker is or can
complain about a lack of leadership which can translate to lack of
direction.
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DISADVANTAGES:
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Lack of role clarity in some situations, the Laissez Faire style
leads to poorly defined roles within the groups.
• Poor involvement with the group, Laissez Faire leaders are
often seen as uninvolved and withdrawn, which can lead to
a lack of cohesiveness within a group.
2. Autocratic leadership style
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Autocratic leadership is also known as Authoritarian leadership
 Autocratic leadership is a style of leadership characterised by
individual control over all decisions.
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A leadership style characterized by individual control over all
decisions
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little input from group members
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An authoritarian leadership style is exemplified when a leader
dictates policies and procedures
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decides what goals are to be achieved
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directs and controls all activities without any meaningful
participation by the subordinates
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Such a leader has full control of the team, leaving low autonomy
within the group
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Autocratic leaders typically make choices based on their ideas
and judgments and rarely accept advice from followers
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make all the important decisions
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Autocratic leaders typically make choices based on their ideas and
judgements and rarely accept advice from followers
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Highly structured environment structures, is an absolute must in
any organisation
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Clearly defined rules and processes.
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It is a management style where in one person controls all the
decisions and takes very little inputs from other group members
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It is only effective when used for specific solutions
STRENGHTS:
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Decision can be made very quickly
Organisational goals are reached unambiguously
There is a clear chain of command
Productivity can greatly improved
Creativity can be stifled
Not everyone feels aligned with the vision
Autonomy is reduced
DISADVANTAGES:
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often leads to micromanagement
It does not offer a sense of professional ownership It
It creates a work culture based on the leader
It creates a system of dependence
It creates a lack of trust
Can damage group moral and causes resentment when people are not
involved in decision making
• They feel their contributions are not valued
3. DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP
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Democratic leadership is also called Participative leadership or shared
leadership
• It is a type of leadership in which members of the group take a more
participative role in the decision-making process
• It is about distributing power or gaining consensus
• The manager leads the team by gathering input, encouraging
collaborations, and valuing the expertise of team members, while each
team member contributes to the decision-making process
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Democratic leadership style can create feelings of uncertainty within a
team because of the need to make fast decision sometimes
If leaders, make these needed decisions without consulting their team,
then team members may wonder when, or if they will be consulted for
future needs
Under this leadership style, the leader still retains final responsibility
for the groups decision
Democracy in leadership is often most effective, when a leader is
working with highly skilled or experienced workers
It allows the leader to capitalise on their employees’ individual talents
and strengths, while also benefiting from the power of the whole
Democratic leader keeps the lines of communication open
PRINCIPLES OF DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP
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Promotion of free flow of ideas
The inspiration of trust and respect
An emphasis on morality and values
Competence
An honest and open mind
Transformational Leadership
 It is type of leadership approach that causes changes in individuals
and social systems.
 In its ideal form, it creates valuable and positive change in the
followers with the end goal of developing followers into leaders.
 They articulate a vision that’s appealing and inspiring to followers,
providing a vivid mental image of the long term goals and
aspirations
 This is crucial, especially during times of drastic internal
organisational change
 Transformational leadership provide change and movement in
their organisations.
 Such leaders seek to alter a new vision and new possibilities
 Excellent transformational leaders use authority and power to
inspire and motivate people to trust and follow example
 Transformational leaders focus on “transforming” others to
support each other and the organisation as a whole
 Followers of a transformational leader respond by feeling trust,
admiration, loyalty and respect for the leader and are more willing
to work harder than originally expected
 Transformational leadership characteristics:
 Is a model of integrity and fairness
 Sets clear goals
 Has high expectations
 Encourages others
 Provides support and recognition
 Stirs the emotions of people
 Gets people to look beyond their self-interest
 Inspires people to reach for the improbable
 Creativity and autonomy
 Focus on scale and goals
 Collaboration among team members
 Balanced risk taking
 Strong leadership ego
Advantages of Transformational leadership
 Establishes strong relationships
 Serves as an ideal influence
 Helps bring enthusiasm and motivation into being
 Encourages learning and stimulates creativity
 Reduces employee turnover
Factors of transformational leadership:
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Idealised influence
Inspirational motivation
Intellectual stimulation
Individual consideration
Transactional leadership
 Transactional leadership focuses on supervision, organisation, and
performance.
 It’s a leadership style where leaders rely on rewards and punishment
to achieve optimal job performance from their subordinates
 It is an integral part of the of the full range of leadership model, it was
born during industrial revolution as a source of competitive advantage
 Leaders are concerned with processes rather than forward thinking
ideas
 It involves motivating and directing followers primarily through
appealing to their own self interest
 As compared to transformational, transactional leadership depends on
self-motivated people who work well in a structured, directed
environment
 Seeks to motivate and inspire workers, choosing influence rather than
direct others
 They are generally split into three dimensions:
1. Contingent rewards
2. Management –by-exception (active)
3. Management-by-exception (passive)
 Transactional leadership style focused on short-term goals
 Favour structured policies and procedures
 Thrive on following rules and doing things correctly