Types of leadership

What is leadership?

Leadership can be defined as a process of influencing others to agree about what is to be done is to be done. It is a process of achieving shared objectives. It is a process through which one individual influences other people to achieve common objectives. All of these definitions have components which are

• It is a process
• Achievement of shared objectives or common goals
• Influencing other people
• Involves achievement 

Leadership is not a trait which is fully developed. It also involves some inborn characteristics. Leadership can be defined as transactional events which happen between leaders and followers.

When we say that leadership is a process, it means that leaders affect their followers and are affected by followers. It may be in the positive or negative way. It is a two-way interaction between leaders and followers rather than linear interaction. Linear interaction includes the just effect of a leader on followers. Leadership characteristics can be developed. They are not just inborn.

Leadership is about influencing of leaders to followers. In an organizational context, leaders can influence their subordinates as well as top management. A person cannot be a leader without influencing element. This influence should be ethical.

Leadership is about influencing group of people not single person. These influenced people or employees in the organization should have common goals or shared objectives.

Theories of leadership

Traditional and contemporary theories of leadership help to create a framework for the selection and development of the leader. We discuss some influential theories of leadership for the development of a leader.

Leadership traits

In the twentieth century, it is assumed to identify traits which can be used to select and develop leadership. According to Great Man theory, leaders are born with their leadership personality. According to Stogdill, there is a list of specific traits which are identified to be a leader.

• Drive for responsibility
• Completion of task
• Vigor to achieve goals
• Problem-solving focus
• Expert initiative in social settings
• Self-confidence’
• Personal identity
• Accept results of decisions
• Absorb interpersonal stress
• Tolerate frustration and work burden
• Influence others
• Structuring social system

Leadership styles

Rather than intrinsic characteristics, it is possible to focus on what leaders actually do. This is alternative to trait approach. McGregor proposed that leadership styles are influenced by human nature. He proposed two viewpoints of managers in the industry. He told about theory X and theory Y. Theory X focus on people who dislike work. They want to avoid workload. Leaders have to force them to take responsibility for doing work. These workers have no wish to take responsibility. Theory Y considers people who love to take responsibility and consider effort in work naturally important. Theory X leaders prefer autocratic style while theory Y prefer participative styles of leadership. Theory Y managers focus on teamwork and understanding between managers and employees.

Managerial Grid

Another approach to leadership is managerial grid developed by Blake and Mouton. This model focused on employee and task orientation. It defines the combination between two extremes. Grid having product(task) on X axis and people(employee) on Y axis describe five styles of leadership

• Country club management
• Team management
• Organization man management
• Impoverished management
• Authority obedience

Situational leadership

Behavioral theories focus on different leadership styles. These theories do not focus on situational fit to the effective leadership behavior. Situational leadership focuses on which leadership style is dependent upon factors such as situations, people, and task. Frieder proposed that leadership style should be selected according to the situation. For example, as the maturity and skill level of employees increase, leaders have to change their leadership styles from directing to supporting and coaching.

Transformational leadership

James McGregor was the first to develop transformational leadership. In transformational leadership, leaders may convert into followers and followers into leaders. In this way, they raise motivation and morality. In this way, leaders may empower followers to motivate them.

Transformational leadership starts after the development of a vision for future. It will create potential followers.

Charismatic leadership

Charismatic leadership concept was introduced earlier, but it became popular in the 1980s and 1990s. A charismatic leader can rebuild morale and positive vision. It combines all approaches from trait theory, transformational leaders to Great Man theories. The charismatic leader may have:

• Dominant personality
• Role model or ideal behavior
• Ideological goals
• Meet expectations of followers

A leader needs a charming personality to create followers. The leader should be self-confident enough to encourage followers and decisions accepted by followers. Leaders do not have any external power or authority to be followed by other except personality. They have the power to pick up the moods of other people. They use different methods to manage their image in front of their followers. They also show confidence in their followers. They use very effective body language and verbal communication pattern to maintain the image in front of their followers. They create desired effect to their decisions. Most of the leaders use charismatic leadership style.

A charismatic leader and transformational leader have many similarities. A transformational leader can also be a charismatic leader. The main difference of transformational and charismatic leadership is of focus. The focus of transformational leaders is on change the behavior of employees and organization while the focus of charismatic leaders is not on change.

Servant and team leadership

The emphasis on the servant and team leadership is on moral and ethical elements of leadership. Servant leaders do not lead the followers. Rather they serve the followers. This approach has become popular within the church and nonprofit organizations. Team leadership has wider acceptance. In team leadership, leaders act as a facilitator rather than a director. The leader provides opportunities to the followers. He emphasis on working within teams. 

Democratic leadership

It is also known as participative style. Democratic leaders show participative behavior to their followers. They take suggestions from their followers and then take decisions according to the followers choice. Democratic leaders encourage staff in decision making. They inform their staff of every decision they take and the share the staff problem. They try to solve the problems of staff members and provide opportunities to them. They produce high quality and high quantity work for followers. They cooperate with their staff and increase team spirit and morale. Democratic leaders allow:

• Staff to establish goals
• Staff to be promoted
• Encourages achievement

Democratic style of leadership is adopted when:

1. Managers want that staff is informed about organizational matters
2. They want to share problems and their solutions
3. Complex problem require long time solution
4. Staff behavior has to be changed
5. Encourage teamwork and motivation

 This style should not be used when:

1. Time is not enough for taking staff suggestions
2. Managers can only take decisions themselves
3. Mistakes cannot be afforded
4. Staff safety is crucial
5. They feel threaten by using this

Laissez-Faire Leadership

This is also known as hands off style. In this type of leadership, leaders do not provide any direction to the followers. The staff has to make a decision on their own. Leaders do not guide them. Staff members have to give authority.

It can be used when:

1. Staff is highly experienced and skilled
2. Staff can do their work on their own
3. When staff specialists are hired
4. Staff is trustworthy

It should not be used when:

1. Managers are unavailable, and staff feel insecure
2. Managers cannot provide feedback
3. Managers are not able to say thanks to staff
4. Managers cannot do their work and staff have to do it on behalf of managers

Transactional leadership

A transactional leader creates a clear structure for followers to work. It is based on rewards and punishment. Rewards are clearly mentioned, but punishment rules are not clearly mentioned. Followers get rewarded for their good work and are punished for bad work. It uses a very formal system of discipline.

At the early stage of transactional leadership, followers negotiate to get the salary in contract form. The company has authority over a subordinate. When work is given to employees, they are considered responsible for performing it even if they are not capable of performing it. When an employee works wrong, he considered responsible for it and got punished for it. Transactional leader use management by exception. Followers are to be performed according to leaders expectations. If they do so, they get a reward. Otherwise, they get punished for their failure.

Transactional leadership is based on contingency. Punishment and reward are contingent upon the performance of the employee. It has some limitations also like other leadership styles.

Participative leadership

A participative leader allows other people to participate in the process of decision making. He takes suggestions from subordinates and the top management to take a decision. He is the transformational leader. In this way, other people are more committed to the organization and the decision-making process. They are very cooperative with employees to guide them. Their collaboration with their employees helps to achieve shared objectives. When several people take a decision, it will be more successful rather than one person decision. The level of participation varies in every decision leaders take. It may be possible that participation level at one decision is lower than another. So it depends on the type of decision being made. It may be possible to have high employee participation in goal attainment strategies making and possible to have low participation in performance evaluation of subordinates.

Participative leadership is also known as management by objective(MBO), joint decision making or democratic leadership.

Leadership and Management

Leadership and management have same as well as different aspects. Leadership and management both involve influencing people. Both require people for working. Both of these related to the achievement of goals.

Leadership and management are also different in certain aspects and dimensions. Zaleznik focuses on different dimensions of management and leadership. He says that managers are reactive in nature. When they work with people and solve their problems, they show little emotional involvement. On the other hand, leaders are proactive. They shape ideas and are emotionally involved in solving problems of people who follow. They share ideas and work for people instead of reacting to other people’s suggestions and ideas. Managers have a minimum number of choices for solving the problems of employees while leaders have extended number of alternatives to solve the problem of employees. Managers can change the behavior of employees while leaders change the attitude of followers.

Mintzberg proposed that managers deal by using cerebral face. They view the organization as components of portfolios. They operate with numbers and words of rationality. But leaders lead their followers by using insightful face. They show commitment to the followers and view organization with integrity. He considers managers two-faced behavior including manager as well as a leader.

Kotter says that aspects of both management and leaders are necessary to manage the organization. Organizations need strong management and strong leadership. Managers need to solve complex problems by performing functions like planning, organizing, leading and controlling. Leaders need to deal with change by motivating people and setting direction to them. He says that organizations need both managers and leaders.

Rowe considers managers and leaders different from one another. He believes that managers make decisions only which is suggested by the organizations and organization are affected by the industry in which they operate. Managers determine their belief system. He says that leaders decision affects the organization. In simple, the belief system of leaders is more aligned and synchronized.

Organizations that have strong management but weak leadership are not innovative and creative. On the other hand, organizations with strong leadership and weak management just focus on change, and this change is meaningless and has a negative effect on the performance of the organization. It means management and leadership both are important for the performance of the organization. Managers do things right while leaders do right things. Organizations need both because they want right things at the right time.

Why we need Leaders?

Organizations need leaders to attain the goal of the organization. For example, if a leader of the country is not able to affect their followers and do not motivate them, it will exert negative effect towards the economy of country and goals for the success of the country could not be achieved. So leaders are considered as the backbone of the country or organization. They can do right things at the right time. 

Mohamed Dekkak @mohameddekkak1