Types of Leadership

Types of Leadership

Leadership isn’t an attribute of business alone. Its where people work in groups and the leadership function emerges since the fact that there should be somebody to guide them. Leadership is a vast topic that we could learn under several topics such as the characteristics of leadership, functions of a leader, leadership theories and types of leadership roles, but here it brief about the types of leadership that affects the overall working process of an any kind of organization.

Mainly there are four types of leadership:

1) Autocratic or Authoritarian Leadership

2) Paternalistic Style

3) Democratic or Participative Style

4) Laissez-faire or Free rein

01 AUTOCRATIC OR AUTHORITARIAN LEADERS

These kinds of leaders give definite instructions, demand compliance, emphasize task performance, exercise close supervision, permit very little or no subordinate influence on decisions and do not welcome suggestions from them. Here the leader has no much concern about the opinions of other employees regarding the decisions that he takes. These kinds of leaders can’t survive without losing employees of a company.

02 PATERNALISTIC STYLE

Paternalistic leaders are heavily work centered but they also have consideration for their subordinates. They tend to look after their subordinates the way a father does his family.He thinks about the final outcome of any process when he takes a decision and how it affects the employees. He always appreciates working on time and complete the tasks for the given time. The leader also looking forward for the trust and loyalty of the employees in work.

03 DEMOCRATIC OR PARTICIPATIVE STYLE

This type of leader welcomes the participation group in the formulation of policies and decision making. He is prepared to listen to his subordinates and its ready to implement suggestions after evaluating them in an objective matter. This is more practical since the responsibility of work is equally shared among all the employees under the great guidance of the leader. This leadership helps the company to excel in a more understanding way in any kind of situation.

04 LAISSEZ-FAIRE OR FREE RAIN

This is also called delegative leadership. In a company it is important to have a figure that leads the company to reach the peaks of it. But laissez-fair leaders are fond of neglecting their duties as leaders. Under this style the leader plays a rather passive role in social participation and leaves complete freedom for group and individual decision. Such a leader does not direct. He makes hardly any contribution to overall effort.