Top Five Leadership Styles

The well popular and the immensely important concept of leadership unveils with itself many approaches, leadership styles and skills which if truly applied and are well integrated ,keeping in view the reality and the depth of goal, will ensure the positive, promising environment for success. These leadership styles are emerged from the different theories put forwarded after the thorough research.

There lies a broad spectrum of leadership styles, ranging from the classic, old and bossy styles to the modern, participative and thoughtful styles, successfully catering the needs of as diverse situations as the styles possibly are. It covers all the areas of leadership, ranging from a small school to a corporate organization, from the coaching of athletes to running a successful business; only the apt selection of leadership style and proper application of it, ensures the effective leadership across the board.

The following are the most common leadership styles

Authoritarian Or Autocratic Style

This sort of leadership style mainly revolves around the power of the leader where the leader, solely, exercises all the powers and the subordinates are only expected to complete the designed job without any questioning. Since all the activities are controlled by leader and the subordinates are not taken in to confidence, so they are highly uncertain of their future. This results in high absenteeism and staff turnover. The leader does not participate in the group and, just come up with directions to the subordinates. Hence; this style lacks creativity and innovation of new ideas and techniques that come up if young subordinates are given at least a little free hand. These budding minds then feel like being bottled- up and are totally confined.

This style is generally viewed as the bossy or dictatorship style.

It is helpful only in the situation when the leaders possess the excellence in knowledge or there is lack of decision-making time.

Democratic Or Participative Style

This type of leadership style is truly creative as it permits all the subordinates to participate in the decision making process by coming up with ideal suggestion and creative ideas. Here, the subordinates are fully involved in the task, from decision-making process to working on it with commitment and, hence they are highly certain of their future and can visualize their success in near future. This impulse acts as a source of motivation.

Since, this style encourages the maximum participation on both sides; there lies the good communication and friendliness between the leader and the subordinates. Hence, this style could be well applied in the situations which are task-oriented and, at the same time demands the good, comprehensible communication.

It minimizes the aggression, hostility and grievances among the group members and paves way to the greater satisfaction and high morale. It ensures the personal development of subordinates, too.

Employee-Centered Style

The employee-centered style is little bit more freedom oriented than democratic style. The leaders just designed the achievable goals and, articulately explain it to the employers. The rest is the job of the subordinates to follow any possible strategy that paves the way to success. The leaders then focus on the human aspect of the subordinates and motivate them in the application of their useful thoughts.

This style is best applied on the subordinates who possess the considerable knowledge about the task.

Production-Centered Style

The style is quite contrary to the employee-centered style where the focus is on the production rather than on the human aspect. The employers are kept pushed to meet the deadlines without giving deserved attention to the assigned task. The focus is mainly on the increased productivity and the best use of employers is made to attain this target.

This style can no longer be applied in today’s scenario where the subordinates are not willing to be directed and pushed all the time. In fact, today’s scenario portrays that the subordinate is more leader than the leader himself.

Supportive Style

This style is linked with the psychological relation between leaders and subordinates, which springs from the good mutual understanding and good communication skills. Leader, when adopting supportive leadership, appreciates and truly acknowledges the work of subordinates, does not force the worker to do beyond his capacity and often keeps in mind the problems of subordinate. In fact the leader appears more as a source of help to the subordinates. More than that, he always stand up for the rights and efforts of the subordinates and, do not criticize them harshly or even in front of others. The leader is willing to get influx of ideas from the subordinates and, often appreciates and rewards them for their extraordinary thinking.

When such a strong, motivated and appreciably good relationship exists between them, they subordinates feel motivated and always endeavor to do the best.

However, this relationship can not be solely applied. It has to be integrated with the employee-centered style or participative style, the required perceived results can then be guaranteed.

The leadership styles are extremely diverse and their effective application is totally subjected to the situation. The hallmark of a true leadership is that it analyzes the changing attitudes, values and the situation appropriately and then implements the blend of leadership styles, which reflect those changes, that eventually ensures the good outcome at the end.