Effectiveness of Different Leadership Styles Research (Essay Sample)

Effectiveness of Different Leadership Styles
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Effectiveness of Different Leadership Styles
Leadership is one of the most challenging issues that affect the performance of most firms in the world. In fact, leadership is one of the key internal factors that strengthen a company (William, 2016). Moreover, a company that applies the best leadership styles enjoys the benefits of gaining competency in the market. The aptitude determines the sustainability of the enterprise in the market in the future (Sethuramam & Suresh, 2014). Companies have realized the importance of the different styles of leadership and endeavor to apply the best that fits their system. There exist different leadership styles which include directive leadership, supportive leadership, participative leadership, achievement oriented leadership, transformational leadership, transactional leadership, authoritarian leadership, benevolent leadership, charismatic leadership, and team leadership (William, 2016). The various leadership styles have varying advantages and disadvantages. Additionally, the effectiveness of these leadership styles also varies from one style to another (William, 2016). This paper focuses on the effectiveness of directive, supportive, participative, achievement oriented leadership styles.
Directive Leadership Style
According to the path-goal theory, this style of leadership involves leader activities that guide and structure the actions of group members (Kunshalappas & Pakkeerappa, 2014). The leader allows the employees know what gets expected out of them. The employees are given guidelines for undertaking tasks, scheduling their activities, setting the standards for their performance and ensuring that all other employees adhere to the set standard rules and regulations within the organization (Nanjundeswaraswamy & Swamy, 2014). The directive leadership has different behavior that affects the effectiveness of the style. The leadership involves motivating and conveying expertise as well as monitoring and following up on assignments (Kunshalappas & Pakkeerappa, 2014).
Other factors that determine the effectiveness of Directive leadership apart from the behavior include self-confidence, assertiveness, quality communication skills; technical and professional competence, legitimate power, expert power and the resource /connection power (William, 2016). The leader should be confident while assigning duties, making follow-ups on assignments and scheduling. The leader should also make concrete decisions that are stand still (Nanjundeswaraswamy & Swamy, 2014). The leader should also possess the necessary skills required in the field which make him/her competent in the position. Ineffective leadership can get avoided through provision of appropriate context and other essential information, proper timing and prior feedback (Kunshalappas & Pakkeerappa, 2014). Feedback is important in directive leadership because some tasks require structure and guidance during the goal setting stage.
Other duties need clarification and performance feedback during execution (Sethuramam & Suresh, 2014). Additionally, feedback is crucial because some jobs require explanation and performance response during execution. Moreover, some followers need guidance to relate their work to that of other employees (Sethuramam & Suresh, 2014). Directive leadership is effective in that it leads to role clarity, clear expectations, satisfaction with organization and supervisor, satisfaction with the organization and lower stress (Nanjundeswaraswamy & Swamy, 2014). The team also benefits from the leadership through ways such as increased cohesiveness and harmony, great relationships among group participants, decreases of plans to resign, group provocation focused on accomplishing organizational goals and improved efficiency (Kunshalappas & Pakkeerappa, 2014). Situation factors that increase the effectiveness of Directive leadership are small group size, expertise, supportive leader, bureaucratic organization, less stressful tasks, desire for clarity, the high need of expectations, task interdependence, and great structured work (William, 2016).
Supportive Leadership
This leadership style gets attributed to having concern for the status, well-being, and needs of followers (William, 2016). The leader demonstrates a kind, considerate and understanding attitude regarding member’s problems and fostering the professional development of the employees (Kunshalappas & Pakkeerappa, 2014). The main aim of this leadership style is to maintain an enabling climate within the organization for smooth operations of the employees. The most crucial benefit emanating from the supportive leadership is job satisfaction between the employer and the employee (Williams, 2016). Types of supportive leadership behavior include being friendly and informative, helping employees develop abilities, showing trust and respect, being sympathetic to other’s problems and encouraging the employees in all their endeavors (Nanjundeswaraswamy & Swamy, 2014).
The characteristic of a supportive leadership includes problem oriented, descriptive, words and actions consistent, supporting accurate and interactive (Kunshalappas & Pakkeerappa, 2014). Supportive leadership effectiveness emanates from excellent communication skills, interpersonal skills, technical and professional competence, reward power, referent and expert power. The leader awards the best-performing employees with an aim of motivating them accordingly (William, 2016). Moreover, the head refers the employees to other departments for promotion and training. The leadership also ensures the welfare of employees get upheld and maintained (Sethuramam & Suresh, 2014). Employee situational factors that enhance supportive leadership are low self-confidence, low self-esteem, insecurity, expectations that the leader will be supportive, and high growth needs (Nanjundeswaraswamy & Swamy, 2014).
Situational task factors that increase the effectiveness of supportive leadership are dissatisfying task, stressful task, highly structured task, requires creativity and requires learning (Kunshalappas & Pakkeerappa, 2014). Organization factors include external conflict, newly formed group, cohesive group with shared belief in a frontrunner, official plans, objectives and processes, mission emphasizing human services and authoritarian superior. However, supportive leadership can get corrupted by situational factors such as dogmatic employees, the vast size of the group, broad task scope, and high-level job (Kunshalappas & Pakkeerappa, 2014). The leader has the obligation of alleviating stressors, insecurities, and conflicts facing the followers so that the supportive leadership can become useful. Furthermore, the front-runner should modify follower’s situation to increase intrinsic satisfaction and task feedback (Sethuramam & Suresh, 2014). The leader should also possess the ability to manipulate the reward system to improve follower’s attitudes and performance.
Participative Leadership
The participative leadership entails incorporating the employees or the followers in the process of decision making (Nanjundeswaraswamy & Swamy, 2014). The leader describes the decision or the idea to the followers/staff and requests their input on the possible implications of the decision to the organization (Kunshalappas & Pakkeerappa, 2014). Furthermore, the employees are welcomed to give another available alternative to the solutions that are already developed by the leader (William, 2016). The leader also conducts informal conversations with the employees with an aim of obtaining ideas and facts (Sethuramam & Suresh, 2014). The leader should help the followers fully understand the primary goals of the organization and should clarify the existing paths to the accomplishment of the decisions before making a concrete decision (Nanjundeswaraswamy & Swamy, 2014). The behaviors of participative leadership are consulting with groups, consulting with individuals, asking for opinions about alternatives, obtaining information from followers, joint decision making with followers and delegation (Kunshalappas & Pakkeerappa, 2014). The degrees of participation in participative leadership are tyrannical decision, consultation, consensus, and delegation. The level used depends on the leader. In the case of entrustment, the leader should understand the authority and responsibility clearly communicate performance expectations, make followers responsible for results (Sethuramam & Suresh, 2014). Furthermore, the leader should delegate challenging responsibilities, show confidence in follower’s ability to perform and reward accomplishments so as the participative leadership becomes effective (Nanjundeswaraswamy & Swamy, 2014). The skills and traits that serve as sources of effective participative leadership are self-monitoring skills, listening skills, conflict management skills, assertiveness skills, legitimate power, expert power, and resource power (Kunshalappas & Pakkeerappa, 2014).
The effectiveness of participative leadership emanates different behaviors of the participants. Follower characteristics enhancing the efficiency of participative leadership are job competency, need for independence and growth, internal locus of control and expect participation (William, 2016). Task characteristics affecting efficiency are important tasks, requires followers’ commitment and uncertainty (Sethuramam & Suresh, 2014). Leader characteristics include group harmony, trust in leader, and good leader skills in conflict management (Nanjundeswaraswamy & Swamy, 2014). However, the effectiveness can get undermined b...