Advantages and disadvantages of different leadership styles

Leadership is a personal relationship in which one person directs, coordinates and supervises others in the performance of a common task. Leadership seems to be a matter of aligning people towards common goals and empowering them to take the actions needed to reach them. The ability to influence an individual/group towards the achievement of common goals to solve problems on their own.

The styles of leadership

The terminology style is roughly equivalent to the leader’s behavior. It is the way in which the leader influences the followers Luthans, (1977). There are many ways to lead and every leader has own style. Some of the more common styles include autocratic, democratic leadership and laissez-faire. In the past several decades, management experts have undergone a revolution in how they define leadership and what their attitudes are toward it. They have gone from a very classical autocratic approach to a very creative, participative approach. Somewhere along the line, it was determined that not everything old was bad and not everything new was good. Rather, different styles were needed for different situations and each leader needed to know when to exhibit a particular approach.

Autocratic Style of Leadership

This is often considered the classical approach. It is one in which the manager retains as much power and decision-making authority as possible. The manager does not consult employees, nor are they allowed to give any input. Employees are expected to obey orders without receiving any explanations. The motivation environment is produced by creating a structured set of rewards and punishments. This leadership style has been greatly criticized during the past 30 years. Some studies say that organizations with many autocratic leaders have higher turnover and absenteeism than other organizations. Certainly, Gen X employees have proven to be highly resistant to this management style.

These studies say that autocratic leaders are

·        Rely on threats and punishment to influence employees 

·        Do not trust employees

·        Do not allow for employee input 

·        Autocratic leadership is not bad. Sometimes it is the most effective style to use. 

·       New, untrained employees who do not know which tasks to perform or which procedures to follow. 

·        Effective supervision can be provided only through detailed orders and instructions. 

·        Employees do not respond to any other leadership style

·        There are high-volume production needs on a daily basis 

·        There is a limited time in which to make a decision 

·        A manager's power is challenged by an employee

·        The area was poorly managed 

·        Work needs to be coordinated with another department or organization

Advantages of Autocratic Style of Leadership 

·        Good control, overview 

·        Unimpaired program 

·        Laws: Youth protection laws 

·        No long discussions 

·        Group members know what they must do 

·        Rules give security 

·        Discipline

Disadvantages of Autocratic style of leadership 

·        Defiance

·        No development of freedom of choice 

·        Listlessness 

·        Less own initiative (Fears, hatred toward other members) 

·        No trust 

·        Lessor no self-confidence 

·        Hierarchy is promoted

·        Group interests are suppressed 

·        Groups are not relaxed

·        Rivalry amongst the group members 

·        Ability to criticize is suppressed 

·        The independence of the group is weakened by the authority of the leader 

·        Talents are not recognized and therefore not promoted 

·        Fear turns into aggression, therefore violence

Democratic Style of Leadership

The democratic leadership style is also called the participative style as it encourages employees to be a part of the decision making. The democratic manager keeps his or her employees informed about everything that affects their work and shares decision making and problem-solving responsibilities. This style requires the leader to be a coach who has the final say but gathers information from staff members before making a decision.

Democratic leadership can produce high quality and high quantity of work for long periods of time. Many employees like the trust they receive and respond with cooperation, team spirit, and high morale.

Typically the democratic leader: 

·        Develops plans to help employees evaluate their own performance 

·        Allows employees to establish goals 

·        Encourages employees to grow on the job and be promoted 

·        recognizes and encourages achievement.

·        Like the other styles, the democratic style is not always appropriate. 

·   It is most successful when used with highly skilled or experienced employees or when implementing

·        operational changes or resolving individual or group problems.

·        Democratic leadership should not be used when: 

·        There is not enough time to get everyone's input. 

·        It's easier and more cost-effective for the manager to make the decision. 

·        The business can't afford mistakes. 

·        The manager feels threatened by this type of leadership. 

·        Employee safety is a critical concern. 

Advantages of Democratic Style of Leadership 

·          Self-sufficient 

·          Compromises are agreed 

·          Motivating 

·          Varied ideas 

·          Has the confidence of the group members 

·          Strengthens public interests 

·          Prohibitions are understood

·          An understanding of most problems

·          The possibility to grow creatively is given 

·          Freedom of opinion 

·          Equal rights 

·          Makes integration of outsiders possible

Disadvantages of Democratic leadership style

·          Time-consuming for the leader 

·          Difficult for the leader 

·          Very dependent upon age 

·          Not optimal solutions 

·         Lots of discussions can become boring ( google.com)

Laissez-Faire Style of Leadership

The laissez-faire leadership style is also known as the "hands-off ¨style. It is one in which the manager provides little or no direction and gives employees as much freedom as possible. All authority or power is given to the employees and they must determine goals, make decisions, and resolve problems on their own.

This is an effective style to use when:
 

·        Employees are highly skilled, experienced, and educated. 

·        Employees have pride in their work and the drive to do it successfully on their own. 

·        Outside experts, such as staff specialists or consultants are being used 

·        Employees are trustworthy and experienced. 

Advantages of Laissez-faire Style of Leadership 

·          Freedom to choose 

·          No burden on the team members 

·          Sometimes: independent 

·          The group leader hardly requires any preparation time 

·          There is a lot of freedom 

·          Own social structures

·           Less chance of the leader being unpopular 

Disadvantages of Laissez-faire Style of Leadership 

·          The group attempts to overstep the limit 

·          Unsatisfied minorities 

·          Tolerance between the group members is destroyed 

·          Misuse of rules

·          Team members are no longer taken seriously 

·          No responsibility 

·          Weaker members are held back 

·          Resignation 

·          No initiative 

·          No, We Feeling 

·          The group does not stick together 

·          High danger of injury to supervision laws.

To conclude, from the present study that the Leadership was found as the influential leadership style among the managers that combines both the features of Transformational and  Transactional Leadership. In second place, the style of Transactional Leadership was found the most influential styles of leadership among these managers.

References

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3.  George, J. M., & Jones, G. R. (1996). Organizational Behavior. Addison Wesley publishing company (USA).

4.  Gray, J. (1996). Organizational Behavior. Harper Collins collage publishers

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6.  Harris, M. C. (1998). Value Leadership. Asoke K. Ghosh (New Delhi).

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