There is a continuum of ways in which leaders operate. However, theory focuses more on specific styles. They relate to the way individuals direct, influence and motivate others.
Five main types of leadership style has been identified:
Autocratic or directive
Democratic or consultative
Laissez-faire
Bureaucratic
Participative
An Autocratic leader is one that exercise authority and takes responsibility for what team has to do. This will involve setting goals and targets, making decisions and giving orders about how things will be done.
This leader structures work for employees and tell them ho it is to be done. This can be an appropriate style when there is something to do quickly in an uniform way. There is no time for debate and if employees decide to do their own thing it may have negative consequences.
In a long term, however, this style might have a negative effect on individuals, because people like to contribute to how things are done. If they are not allowed to contribute they may feel less valued.
This style used positively can also have advantages: inspire confidence and understanding of what is expected, leaders feel satisfy to be in control, rapid decision making, benefits people who may be less competent in the organisation.
Used negatively, can cause frustration and fear. The people will be more dependable on the manager for guidance and innovation may be eliminated. Commitment will be lower.
It is therefore not recommended to use autocratic style all the time as it can lead to resentment.
A leader who adopts democratic style consults with individuals and groups. The decision making process is enhanced by others ideas. This approach focuses on employee involvement and teamwork.
One advantage of this style is that managers feel supported by the group who express ideas and make suggestions. There is generally a greater commitment, motivation and respect for expertise among the team members.
However, leaders may not always agree with group decisions. Competency of the group members is also important here, plus, decision making may be slower then with an autocratic style.
Some people argue that Laissez-Faire is not a leadership style at all. This is because here the manager gives people the freedom to operate as they wish. Leaders here do not give a lot of direction, but provide freedom for better results. This leadership style may be appropriate in some situations. If the team members are highly skilled and motivated the team might not need close guidance.
Some advantages of this style is that the group have autonomy in the day-to-day aspects and brings opportunities to grow and can produce high results if motivation exists.
However, a lack of direction may lead to people working at cross purposes, people may also feel disrespect to the leader that takes the department off course.
The bureaucratic leadership style is focused on following rules and procedures. There is a considerable amount of direction in this style. The authority here may be based on the title and the role that the leader has. Employees are rewarded by following rules.
This can be an advantage when rules are important, there is going to be more consistency which will lead to better quality. Some people value this approach as it is clear what is expected.
However, people may feel that they have no value to add and some of the work enjoyment may be taken away. People may be less likely to voice their opinions and add value. Individuals may also blindly follow the rules as opposed to using their own initiatives. There rules could be "too tight" with no flexibility or adaptability to different situations.
As we can see there are different styles to approach the same issue and give directions. Each leadership style will have different effect in different situations.
Participative style deem most difficult for leaders to use. There needs to be a balance between the responsibility and giving freedom and letting go of some authority. This balance is the centre of many issues relating to quality.
For it to work there need to be some trust and there are studies that prove that this can be very beneficial. We need, however, allocate adequate time to consult with employees and benefits of this style must exceed the costs. There also need to be a 'safe' culture where people are not afraid to contribute.
Some advantages of this style is that employees often feel valued and if their ideas are captured effectively they can bring substantial improvements.
On another side the approach will not be successful if the leader does not have the confidence in the employees or time to consult with them. Or simply, sometimes, the employee do not want to contribute.
Leadership and change
Different people will be successful in different situations. Participative leadership, however, has been suggested to adopt when leading successful change.
We deal with constant changes connected to globalisation, social and political changes as well as technological advancements.
Generally major changes in the organisations are lead by top management, but others can also contribute to change.
Many types of changes can be made by leaders: roles or attributes, structures, procedures, interpersonal skills and competence. We want people to be consistent with new behaviour. Generally, it will reflect itself in the reward system. Different approaches can succeed or fail and it depends on how these are implemented.
Another type of change is the technology used at work. For this, people skills and attitudes need to change also. Strategy can also change with new products and markets. Organisations always seek to improve financial performance through downsizing, restructuring or incentives.
There are also different approaches to change: developmental, transitional or transformational. Some bring the gap across business standards for enhancements, others involve abandoning old ways and implementing a new ways of functioning through new technology, programs and processes. Transformational change often brings drastic change in vision and structure.
People react differently to change. The reaction stages can vary from anger and denial to acceptance, excitement and motivation. People often stubbornly resit new ways and get stuck. Many people need to overcome denial and have optimism on what is happening for their future.
Studies suggest that approx. 70% of change efforts fail. It is affected by confidence, individual risk tolerance, openness to new tolerances and internal locus of control. Changes often increase stress and frustration. Resistance to change is often the major factor for failure. People deny that change is needed, feasible, cost effective or cause losses. Sometimes people will argue that changes are inconsistent with values and leadership cannot be trusted. This can result in ignorance and inflexibility among people.
When implementing change, leaders need to be clear about what to change. The outcome will depend on what is being changed, how, when, who participate in the process and how much influence they have. Managers need to understand the system dynamics and complex relationships within the organisation.
Often change in one system will affect other parts and decisions made too quickly may have negative consequences and make things even worse. Changes, therefore, require "system thinking" . It is important to understand on how the different parts of organisation are interrelated when making decisions and resolving problems. Even if the immediate issue addresses one small challenge, leaders still need to consider the likely consequences for other performance detrimentals.
To management and leaders therefore, should be involved in major change initiatives. Major transformation in the business often also requires changes in management team. It is impossible to make a detailed plan on how major changes should be conducted. It is much better to prepare senior and middle management to prepare their own units. Top management should provide encouragement, support and resources. Often the key to success is to engage as many people as possible into the initiative. We often need to approach and combat the "silent killers". These can be done through regular meetings, one-to-one conversations to give direction.
Some researches prefer rapid approach to change to avoid resistance and some suggest gradual transformation. However, major changes are proven to be more successful when implemented slowly to ensure it was a serious and long-lasting. It gives a time to establish trust and use collaborative problem solving to issues arising from the change process. Sometimes an example of successful change performed in one part will motivate others. If change in one part is successful, there is always the likelihood that the rest will be successful also. Sometimes, informal teams are created to change organisational structures and it requires leadership skills.
Some of the skills of leaders are related to political and administrative aspects. People will need support to sustain the enthusiasm. Major changes are always hard for people as they bring disruption and dislocation.
There are however, some guidances we can follow to help with the process.
Create a sense of urgency about the need for change
Communicate clear vision of the benefits and gains
Identify supporters, opponents and reasons for resistance
Built a broad coalition to support the change
Fill key positions with competent people
Use task forces to guide implementation of change
Empower competent people to implement
Make dramatic changes that affect their work
Prepare people for change by explaining on how it will affect them
Help people to deal with stress and difficulties of change
Provide opportunities for early successes and built confidence
Monitor progress of change and make adjustments
Keep people informed about the progress
Demonstrate optimism and commitment
Leadership vision will highly influence change. Leaders need to be skilled in communicating the benefits and gain commitment. They need to possess to justify the hardship is worth it. The vision provides hope for better future. It should be simple and idealistic and not a complex plan with detailed steps. It should address basic assumptions to guide decisions and actions. To develop vision we need to involve main stakeholders, identify shared values, ideas, strategic objectives, relevant elements in the old ideology, link the vision to core competencies and achievements and finally, continually assess the refine the vision.
Process of managing change is one of the hardest responsibilities of today's leaders. Major change may require a development of different objectives, roles, technology, strategy as well as the appropriate leadership styles used in different situations. Understanding processes and dynamics if the business, teams and their own style will help to guide through the process. It is important for leaders to influence and create conditions for change to be successful.
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