7 leadership styles and when to use them

When we talk about a leadership style we refer to behaviors Characteristics of a leader when directing, motivating, guiding and managing groups of people. Great leaders can inspire political movements and social changes. They can also motivate others to perform, create and innovate.

Throughout the years, researchers have developed different theories and frames that allow us to identify and better understand the different leadership styles.

The following are just some of the most outstanding frames and leadership styles that have been identified.

Content

• Lewin leadership styles
  • 1. Authoritarian or autocratic leadership
  • 2. Laissez-Faire leadership (let do)
  • 3. Democratic or participatory leadership
• Other styles and leadership models
  • 1. Transformational leadership style
  • 2. Transactional leadership style
• Situational leadership styles
  • 1. Situational leadership style of Hershey and Blanchard
  • 2. Situational Leadership Styles II (SLII) by Blanchard
• When to use the different leadership styles

Lewin leadership styles

In 1939, a group of researchers led by psychologist Kurt Lewin set out to identify the different leadership styles. Although more different types of leadership have been identified, this initial study was very influential and established three main leadership styles.

In the study, several school groups were assigned to one of the three leadership styles: Authoritarian, Democratic and Laissez-Faire. The children carried out an art project, while the researchers observed the behavior of the children in response to the different leadership styles. The researchers discovered that Democratic leadership tended to be the most effective in inspiring followers to do well.

Let's take a look at the three styles identified by Lewin:

1. Authoritarian or autocratic leadership

Authoritarian leaders, also known as autocratic leaders, They provide clear expectations of what needs to be done, when it should be done and how it should be done. This leadership style is strongly focused for both the control of followers.

A clear division is established between the leader and its members. Authoritarian leaders make decisions independently with little or no contribution from the rest of the group.

The researchers saw that decision -making was much less creative under authoritarian leadership. Lewin also concluded that It is more difficult to move from an authoritarian style to a democratic style that vice versa. The abuse of this method is usually considered a controller, bossy and dictatorial.

Authoritarian leadership is better applied to situations in which there is little time for group decision making or when the leader is the most knowledgeable member of the group. The autocratic approach can be a good thing when the situation requires rapid decisions and decisive actions. However, it tends to create dysfunctional and even hostile environments, often facing followers against the dominating leader.

2. Laissez-Faire leadership (let do)

The researchers found that the children under Laissez-Fair leadership were the least productive of the three groups. Children in this group also made more demands in the leader, demonstrated little cooperation and were unable to work independently.

Negative leaders offer little or no guide to the group members and leave the group members the decision -making. While this style can be useful in situations that involve highly qualified experts, often leads to poorly defined roles and a lack of motivation.

Lewin said that the leadership of Laissez-Faire tended to give rise to groups that lacked direction where members blamed each other for errors, refused to accept the responsibility of personality and produced a lack of progress and work.

3. Democratic or participatory leadership

Lewin's study revealed that participatory leadership, also known as democratic leadership, is the most effective leadership style.

Democratic leaders offer guidance to group members, but also participate in the group and allow the collaboration of other group members. In Lewin's study, the children of this group were less productive than the members of the authoritarian group, but their contributions were of higher quality.

Democratic leaders encourage group members to participate, But they retain the final word in the decision -making process. Group members feel committed to the process and are more motivated and creative. Participatory leaders tend to make followers feel that they are an important part of the team, which helps promote commitment to the objectives of the group.

Other styles and leadership models

In addition to the three styles identified by Lewin and his colleagues, many other characteristic leadership patterns have been described.

The following are just some of the best known:

1. Transformational leadership style

Transformational leadership is often identified as the most effective style. This style was first described in the late 1970s and later expanded by researcher Bernard M. Bass. Some of the key characteristics of your leadership style are the skills to motivate and inspire followers and to direct positive changes in the groups.

Transformational leaders tend to be emotionally intelligent, energetic and passionate. Not only do they commit to helping the organization to reach their goals, but also to help group members fulfill their potential.

Research has revealed that this leadership style has a higher performance and feeling of satisfaction in the group than other leadership styles. A study also found that transformational leadership leads to improving well -being among group members.

2. Transactional leadership style

Transactional leadership style considers the leading-secondary relationship as a transaction. By accepting a position as a member of the group, the individual has agreed to obey the leader. In most situations, this implies the employer-employed relationship, and the transaction focuses on which the follower completes its tasks thanks to monetary compensation.

One of the main advantages of this leadership style is that Create clearly defined roles. People know what is required and what they will receive in exchange for completing these tasks. It also allows leaders to offer a lot of supervision and direction if necessary. Group members may also be motivated to exercise good performance to receive rewards. One of the greatest disadvantages is that the transactional style is that it tends to drown creativity and divergent thinking.

Situational leadership styles

The situational theories of leaders highlight the significant influence of the environment and the situation in leadership.

1. Situational leadership style of Hershey and Blanchard

The situational leadership model of Hershey and Blanchard is one of the best known theories. First published in 1969, this model describes Four main leadership styles.

1. He leader who orders It is characterized by telling people what to do.
2. He leader who persuades It implies leaders to convince followers to buy in their ideas and messages.
3. He leader who participates It is marked by allowing group members to take a more active role in the decision -making process.
4. He Leader that delegates It implies adopting a practical leadership approach and allowing group members to make most decisions.

2. Situational Leadership Styles II (SLII) by Blanchard

Subsequently, Blanchard extended the original model of Hershey and Blanchard to emphasize how The level of development and ability of students/workers influences the style that leaders should use. Blanchard also described four different learning styles.

1. He management style It implies giving orders and waiting obedience, but offers little in terms of guide and assistance.
2. He Coaching style It also means giving orders, but leaders do offer their support to subordinates.
3. He Support style, On the other hand, it is an approach that offers a lot of help, but very little address.
4. He Delegation style It has a low profile both in the direction and support and help.

When to use the different leadership styles

Good leaders use several styles depending on the situation. For example:

You can use a authoritarian leadership style When group members lack knowledge about a certain procedure.

Uses a Democratic style With the group members who understand the objectives and their role in the task.

Use a Laissez-Fair style If the group members know more than you about the task to be carried out.

Test: What is your leadership style?