Different Leadership Styles and Their Advantages and Disadvantages

When it comes to the workplace, the manager may not be the only person in a
leadership role. A leader can be anyone with significant talent, experience and capability
to rise above and lead based on his or her strengths, not a position title. Usually,
managers will allow different leaders to come forward and inspire the rest of the
employees to advance to the next level. However, different situations call for different
leadership styles. This is important to keep in mind as some styles may not be as
effective as others depending on the circumstances.

While there are several variations of different leadership styles, they stem from three
basic approaches: Authoritarian, Laissez-faire and Participative. As mentioned before,
each of these leadership styles may be effective depending on the situation. A true
leader will be able to recognize when to use each style in order to drive the best results.

Authoritarian Leadership
The authoritarian leadership style, also referred to as autocratic leadership, is a style in
which the leader ultimately holds all the power. Autocratic leaders have individual control
over any decisions with little or no input from others. These leaders tell others what to
do, how to do it and when it should be done. Though it’s not preferred, this leadership
style can be beneficial at times. For example, when the team needs a new vision, when
deadlines are tight, or when decisions need to be made quickly. Especially if a lot of
people are involved in the project and there is little or no time for everyone to discuss the
matter and try to come to an agreement. Some projects and situations require strong
leadership in order to get things accomplished effectively and on time. While this
leadership style can be effective at times, for the most part is it is not favored and can be
problematic. Many times this leadership style can make the leader come off as bossy,
controlling, dictatorial or even abusive. It can cause people to feel bullied or resentful,
which can hinder the way the team operates as a whole. This leadership style also will
not work well if the rest of the group is as experienced or more knowledgeable than the
leader.

Laissez-Faire Leadership
On the opposite end of the spectrum is the laissez-faire leadership style, which is more
of a hands-off approach. A laissez-faire leader provides others with the proper tools and
resources needed, and then backs off, giving little guidance and direction, allowing
members to have the freedom to make decisions. This leadership approach can be
effective when the group members are highly skilled, experienced, motivated and
capable of working on their own. Although this style is not ideal in most situations,
especially if the group does not have the proper experience or knowledge needed to
complete the tasks or make decisions. Not to mention, some people are just not as good
at setting their own deadlines or managing their own projects as others. Some people in
the group may also lack the motivation needed to get certain tasks done on time and
without that extra push from the leader, deadlines may be missed.
Participative Leadership
The participative leadership style meets somewhere in the middle between the
authoritarian and laissez-faire approaches. A participative leader allows others to
contribute to the decision-making process, allowing them to give their input and share
their ideas. However, the leader ultimately has the final say. This leadership style also
boosts employees’ morale because their creativity is encouraged and rewarded, and
they are able to contribute in the decision-making process, which can make them feel
more valued and important to the company. This leadership approach can be effective
and beneficial as it helps employees feel more involved and committed to their work and
projects, which can make them more motivated to go above and beyond. It can also lead
to higher productivity among employees as well. While this leadership style usually the
most effective, it does have some potential downsides. For example, in some instances,
group members may not have the necessary knowledge or expertise to make a quality
decision or contribution to the decision-making process. For the most part, however, this
is the most favorable type of leadership style. This approach works the absolute best
when group members are skilled, have at least some experience and are eager to give
their input.

Evaluate the Circumstances

One important thing to remember, however, is it’s best to utilize different aspects of
different styles depending on the current situation at hand rather than sticking to just one
leadership style all the time. The best leaders will be able to evaluate the situation, the
employees and their capabilities and apply whichever leadership style will work best with
the given circumstances. - See more at:
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