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Managing An Organization : Leadership Models And Styles
Leadership is the topic for this part of our guide to organizational management...
Three leadership styles are frequently seen in organizational leaders: autocratic; democratic; and laissez-faire; and leaders perform in their role by employing one, or a combination of any, of these styles.
While an autocratic leadership style can be beneficial in instances where there are advantages of such control, such as when workers are performing routine or unskilled tasks, overall, this style of leadership can result in high turnover and employee absenteeism. This is because the autocratic leader will exert his or her power over employees, giving staff little opportunity to provide input, even input that would ultimately benefit the organization. This can lead to resentment on behalf of the workers.
Democratic leaders, on the other hand, will seek input from staff prior to making a decision, even though the democrat will ultimately make the final determination. Employees appreciate being provided with an opportunity to contribute, which, in turn, results in greater job satisfaction. This approach, however, can slow things down a little more than an autocratic approach, but results in better employee retention, increases employees' knowledge and skills, and overall, has a more positive benefit to the organization.
In situations where an organization has a team of workers who are highly skilled and experienced, and who are self-motivated, a Laissez-faire leadership style can be very effective. French for "leave it be," laissez-faire leaders do not typically micro-manage their employees, but instead allow them to work toward organizational goals on their own. A good laissez-faire leader will continually monitor staff's progress and achievements and provide good communication to his or her team. The downside is where a laissez-faire type leader does not exert sufficient influence and loses control over where his or her team is heading.
No leadership style is right, wrong, or best for all situations. The most effective approach for a particular organization being dependent on: the skill levels and experience of the members of the organization; the type of work involved; the organizational environment (stable or radically changing, conservative or adventurous).
The best leaders will frequently toggle among leadership styles, employing the best style for the situation in front of them and the personalities with which they are working.
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