Leadership Styles

Styles of Leadership

There is more than one, acknowledged style of leadership that has been observed and studied by numerous researchers.

I will describe some of the more familiar types for your information, but remember, that the most effective people are recognised as being so, when they are 'being themselves'.

If you go out of your way to put on an act and be something you are not - people, your followers, will dismiss you for being fake or inauthentic and you will not inspire them to their best performance.

I will describe the following styles:

* Situational

* Transactional

* Transformational

* Servant

* Charismatic

Situational Leadership

This type or style means that the individual is able
to adopt a flexible approach and reponds to whatever
the situation demands.

When a decision is needed, she does not just fall into a single preferred style, such as using transactional or transformational behaviours, but is sensitive to a variety of influences and can shape her behaviour to accommodate the situational variables.

The variety of factors that affect situational decisions can include, for example, the motivation and the capability of followers. This, in turn, is affected by the special demands of the particular situation.

The relationship between followers and leader may be another factor that affects her behavior - as much as it does follower behavior.

Her perception of the follower and of the situation is likely to affect what she will do in any given situation rather than just the objective factors presented by that situation.

Added to this mix, could be her self-perception as well as current stress levels and emotional mood - all of which could affect behavior.

A researcher, called Yukl (1989) sought to combine these other factors relevant to the situational style and identified six influential variables:

Subordinate effort the motivation and actual effort expended by the followers at any given time.

Subordinate ability and role clarity followers knowing what to do and how to do it - again, at any given point.

Organization of the work the structure of the work and utilization of resources.

Cooperation and cohesiveness of the group in working together.

Resources and support the availability of tools, materials, people, etc.

External coordination the need to collaborate with other groups.

In the factors described by Yukl, the main role of the leader
is to organise elements such as external relationships, the acquisition of resources, managing the often conflicting demands on the group and managing the structures and culture of the group/organisation.

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