The behavioral pattern of a leader enables them to manage their team members by inspiring and directing them toward a common goal is reflected in their leadership style. A leader’s approach to strategizing and implementing strategies while meeting company objectives and concentrating on the development of the team is also influenced by their leadership style.
What is a Leadership Style?
A leader’s approach to encouraging team members to strive toward the same purpose while putting an emphasis on their welfare is referred to as their leadership style. It is essential for a team to comprehend the leadership style in order to function as a unit, continue to grow, and accept change.
Here’s a look at different leadership styles, why they can fluctuate in efficacy, and how you can establish these types of leaders in a workplace.
Transactional Leadership
Task-oriented leadership indicates that team members will receive rewards and punishments depending on whether they satisfy the expectation of a leader. It is a common leadership approach based on the idea of action and reward. While stifling innovation and originality within teams, this conservative leadership style fosters high compliance, yet the emphasis on procedure allows for a high degree of process control and produces predictable dependable results. Teams can thrive under a transactional leader as long as the give-and-take nature of this relationship is fair and widely understood by them. Yet, transactional leaders are less able to understand the requirements of certain employees or change the rules to suit them.
Democratic Leadership
Leaders in this category operate groups and initiatives like, well, a democracy. You may also hear this leadership style referred to as “participative leadership.” Despite the fact that these leaders are theoretically higher up the org chart, they place a strong emphasis on collaboration and actively include their teams in decision-making. Democratic leaders still make the decisions, but they do it in a way that makes others feel involved and invested in the outcome. These types of leaders thrive at inspiring creativity among their followers, and projects are improved when everyone contributes positively.
Autocratic Leadership
Democratic leadership is on one end of the spectrum, and autocratic leadership is on the other. This can be compared to a “my way or the high way” attitude. Autocratic leaders make choices on behalf of their followers and believe they have absolute power. They specify not just what must be done, but also how those duties must be carried out. They create a clear picture of the ultimate result and the steps needed to get there. These leaders typically anticipate that their followers would follow their directives without question and without delay. Autocratic leaders don’t always think of themselves as “know-it-alls” who are superior to others. In reality, they are frequently intensely focused on getting effective outcomes by predetermined activities that they feel are best for the company.
Transformational Leadership
Transformative leaders motivate followers to take unexpected actions. Through inspiring and motivating people, they hope to change and enhance the capabilities of teams and organizations. THis approach encourages the team to grow both personally and professionally in order to accomplish the overall objective. Teams working under a transformational leader are united for a single goal and prepared to devote their effort, time, and energy to the business when the organization and employees are in alignment.
Laissez-faire Leadership
Laissez-faire means “let them do. The team members’ ability to make decisions is guaranteed by this least intrusive leadership approach. Team members are empowered by this leadership approach, which also holds them responsible for their work. This encourages many team members to perform at their highest level, increasing the effectiveness and production of the company. Laissez-faire leaders come in two different varieties. Intentional laissez-faire leaders, give employees the freedom to decide what to do and when. On the other hand, unintentional laissez-faire leaders occasionally have no control over their teams. Teams that are innovative and self-driven benefit from this degree of trust and independence.
Key Takeaway
The best leadership approach will vary depending on the situation, the team members, and the leader’s personality. Having a distinct leadership style that you can adjust to in different situations will help you become more effective overall, which will benefit both your team and the company as a whole. Because leadership is not a one-size-fits-all profession, there is no such thing as a “perfect” leadership style. All of these tactics come with their benefits and limitations, and some of them will be more effective in particular contexts.
