Leadership Styles : 2 BC to 2009

Leadership styles are often an extension of the personality of a leader and are shaped by the needs of the position. Example: Bill Clinton was considered one of the most charismatic leaders of out times. Idi Amin could not have been a democratic leader and still rule over Uganda.

The position of leadership is not just limited to an office, a rank or a family. Leadership is a gift to influence the people positively towards a direction which is for the common good. While there is not point in arguing about an all encompassing definition of leadership, for functionality let’s assume the above definition works.  

Let’s put it the old fashioned way

"Leadership is the art of influencing fellow human beings towards a direction which is of common good" 

As we have already established, there are no schools of leadership so you won’t find a particular style of leadership used by everyone. By default, most leaders would prefer to follow their own style rather than adapt a commonly accepted standard.

Let us take a look at some of the observations that have been carried out on the various leadership styles. A word of caution: while we may try hard to ‘box’ or ‘categorize’ a style. No one will exhibit the same kind of behavior at all points of time… translation… Humans are very flexible and will respond differently to different situations.

Some of the commonly recognized styles of leadership are:

Autocratic leadership
Bureaucratic leadership
Charismatic leadership
Democratic leadership or Participative leadership
Servant leadership
Transactional leadership
Transformational leadership

Let us take them one by One and dissect to what they are made of

 Autocratic Leadership Style

Autocratic leadership can be roughly translated as "A person with unlimited power or authority". Autocracy is not a thing of past. You can still see it at work in many types of governments, organization, industries and of course the Military.

While many people may believe Autocracy has no place in a modern day society which is envisioned to be moving towards a socialistic phase, I disagree. There are certain functionalities in many organizations where autocracy is required.

For example, it would be a lot better to have the Major in the army take the decision on whether or not to fire, than have a vote of hands of all those involved. Many corporate organizations and small time business run successfully due to an authoritarian and autocratic boss.

Another example would be a supervisor in an unskilled sector where he will have to dictate and get the work done. Else all the laborers might vote in for a day off and not turn up for work.

Many management gurus oppose the idea of autocracy in corporate sectors. When a leader has absolute power over his employees, there are chances for disturbances and disagreements which might be valid. Employees and team members have little opportunity for making suggestions, even if these would be in the team or organization’s best interest.
 

List of autocratic leaders is pretty huge. Most of the dictators like Hitler, Stalin, Saddam Hussein and kings ruled with complete and unquestioned powers. Some of them were good and some were tyrannical and the power of tyranny came from their unlimited autocratic power.

Bureaucratic Leadership style

Max Weber was one of the first to describe the Bureaucratic Leadership Styles in 1947 along with charismatic leadership and traditional leadership styles. The bureaucratic leadership style is based on following normative rules and adhering to lines of authority.
 

The characteristics of the bureaucratic style include:

a. Leaders impose strict and systematic discipline on the followers and demand business-like conduct in the workplace
b. Leaders are empowered via the office they hold - position power
c. Followers are promoted based on their ability to conform to the rules of the office.
 

Followers should obey leaders because authority is bestowed upon the leader as a part of their position in the company/organization. Bureaucratic leaders work “by the book”, ensuring that their staff follow procedures exactly. This is a very appropriate style for work involving serious safety risks (such as working with machinery, with toxic substances or at heights) or where large sums of money are involved (such as cash-handling).
 

By word, it is not difficult to imagine the number of lousy and lazy pubic servants working for the federal or state governments. If you get to see one of these, especially in a developing nation, you will understand why “Bureaucratic” style is not well favored by many segments of business and commerce or for that matter by public in general.

Charismatic leadership style

"A rare personal quality attributed to leaders who arouse fervent popular devotion and enthusiasm."  A definition of Charisma

Fmr. President John F Kennedy and his look-alike Fmr. President Bill Clinton have often been called “The most charismatic leaders of 2020th century” Another good example would be Adolf Hitler. While looking in retrospect, Hitler was a tyrant. But the primary reason for him to raise from a “Bohemian corporal” to “Herr Führer” was his ability to captivate people into following him (right into the grave, I might add).
 

It is interesting to watch a Charismatic Leader ' work the room' as they move from person to person. They pay much attention to the person they are talking to at the moment, making that person feel like they are, for that time, the most important person in the world.
 

Charismatic leaders, who are building a group, be it is a political party, a cult or a business team, will often focus strongly on making the group very clear and distinct, separating it from other groups. They will then build the image of the group in the minds of their followers, as being far superior to all others. – This is exactly what Hitler and his Aryan Superiority Theory did.
 

The Charismatic Leader will typically attach themselves firmly to the identity of the group, such that to join the group is to become one with the leader. In doing so, they create an unchallengeable position for themselves.
 

Throughout history we can see example of how some leaders have used the Charismatic leadership style to reach their objectives. Be it Hitler’s dream to be the leader of Germany or Martin Luther King Jr. for equality movement or L. Ron Hubbard or A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada for the Krisna consciousness.

"Charismatic visionaries lead people ahead-and sometimes astray."  - Fortune Magazine

New:

Came across this clip of Will Smith this morning and I found it to be one of the best examples of leadership that I have seen in my life time. Have a look. For those who do not know Will Smith, which means you have to be living under a rock (pun intended), he is one of the most amazing Actors alive. His movies usually have a strong message.  My Favorite ones are

1. The Legend of Baggar Vance

2. Seven Pounds

3. In Persuit of Happyness

Check out this video for some inspiring messages.

 My Favorite quotes from this interview:

"I want to do good. I want the world to be better because I was here."

"Why would you want to be realistic?"
 

 Leadership style  Characteristic of Leadership  Definition of Leadership  Leadership Skills  Leadership Quality  Leadership Quotes  Leadership Traits

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