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Leadership is the topic for this part of our guide to organizational management...
There are three generally-accepted leadership styles that organizational leaders will use to carry out their duties and responsibilities - autocratic, democratic and laissez-faire, or a combination of any of these styles.
An autocratic leader supervises in a manner that denies employees an opportunity to provide input or make suggestions, even those suggestions that could be of benefit to an organization. Autocrats lead by exerting unchallenged power over their staff, and, while this may be warranted in situations where staff is providing routine or unskilled labor, generally, most people resent being treated in such a manner. Such resentment will typically result in a high turnover rate and a higher-than-usual employee absentee rate.
Employees who are kept abreast of what's going on in an organization, and who are invited to participate in the decision making process, are more likely to have a higher level of job satisfaction. A democratic leader will seek input and recommendations from his or her team before making a final decision. Thus, democratic leadership has a tendency to slow down the process somewhat, but on the whole results in more satisfied staff with better skill sets and less turn-over.
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.
There is no one leadership style that fits all situations. A good leader will take into account factors that play into productivity - things like the organization's structure and culture (does the company effect radical change frequently, or is it stable and conservative?), the type of work being performed, and the general skill-level and experience of its staff.
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.
There are three generally-accepted leadership styles that organizational leaders will use to carry out their duties and responsibilities - autocratic, democratic and laissez-faire, or a combination of any of these styles.
An autocratic leader supervises in a manner that denies employees an opportunity to provide input or make suggestions, even those suggestions that could be of benefit to an organization. Autocrats lead by exerting unchallenged power over their staff, and, while this may be warranted in situations where staff is providing routine or unskilled labor, generally, most people resent being treated in such a manner. Such resentment will typically result in a high turnover rate and a higher-than-usual employee absentee rate.
Employees who are kept abreast of what's going on in an organization, and who are invited to participate in the decision making process, are more likely to have a higher level of job satisfaction. A democratic leader will seek input and recommendations from his or her team before making a final decision. Thus, democratic leadership has a tendency to slow down the process somewhat, but on the whole results in more satisfied staff with better skill sets and less turn-over.
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.
There is no one leadership style that fits all situations. A good leader will take into account factors that play into productivity - things like the organization's structure and culture (does the company effect radical change frequently, or is it stable and conservative?), the type of work being performed, and the general skill-level and experience of its staff.
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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Our full guide to organizational management is here : Guide To Organizational Management
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