The concept of leadership is fluid, as it can be influenced by various factors, such as the type of environment and the people involved. Most leaders will eventually adapt their style to suit their situation. Leaders need to understand where they are in their careers and where they are in terms of their leadership style. In this article, we’ll talk about the various leadership styles and how they can be effective.
- Transformational Leadership
We all have experienced group situations where someone took control and created a shared vision. This type of leader is often regarded as a transformational leader. They can form bonds, inspire passion, and develop a sense of unity within their team.
Transformational leadership focuses on transforming and inspiring people. Leaders who adopt this approach aim to encourage their followers to reach their full potential by developing their talents. This type of leadership can effectively help organizations transform and make significant changes.
- Delegative Leadership
Delegative leadership is often referred to as laissez-faire. It focuses on delegating various tasks and responsibilities to team members. This type of leadership is considered very hands-off, so it doesn’t require a lot of supervision. Leaders who adopt this approach rely on their team members to carry out their jobs. Instead of micromanaging their team, delegative leaders allow their subordinates to use their creativity and resources to meet their goals.
This leadership strategy can be very effective if team members are competent and willing to take responsibility for their actions. However, it can also lead to disagreements within the group.
It can be challenging for new team members or staff members to adapt to this type of leadership because it can lead to conflicting responsibilities and tasks. It’s also important to keep this style in check.
- Authoritative Leadership
People refer to authoritative leaders as visionary individuals who mentor their followers. Unlike authoritarian leadership, which focuses more on controlling and controlling subordinates, authoritative leaders encourage their followers to follow their course.
An authoritative leader is someone who can inspire and motivate their team members. They can provide feedback and guidance as they lead their subordinates. This type of leader also promotes a sense of achievement and accomplishment.
The goal of an authoritative leader is to get to know their team members on a personal level, which allows them to provide feedback and guidance on a more personalized basis. This style of leadership requires that they can adapt to their team’s size.Although authoritative leadership is very hands-on, leaders should avoid micromanaging their team members. This leadership style can be very unsettling to team members and cause negative sentiments.
- Transactional Leadership
The type of leadership style commonly referred to as transactional leadership which involves rewarding and punishing team members. This type of leadership focuses on the structure and assumes that team members don’t have the motivation to complete their tasks.
Leaders usually use reward-based systems to set clear goals and tasks for their team members. They also make it clear that their team members will be rewarded for their efforts. Usually, rewards can be monetary or other types of compensation. The give-and-take leadership style is usually focused on following established procedures and routines. It avoids making radical changes to the organization.
- Participative Leadership
Participative leadership is a style of leadership that encourages leaders to involve their team members in the decision-making process. This type of leadership requires that leaders have good communication skills and be able to share their responsibility and power. Adopting a participative leadership style can encourage collaboration among team members. It can also help develop practical solutions to problems through a collective effort.
Although many organizations have used this type of leadership, it’s becoming more difficult to adopt due to the changes in working habits and the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Participative leadership can also be associated with spontaneous and open communication. However, this type of leadership can be very challenging to maintain due to the various changes in working habits and the emergence of virtual teams.