Leadership types, importance and 12 tips to be a good leader

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Updated on: Educator Review By: Michelle Connolly

The act of guiding a team or organization is known as leadership. Taking chances and questioning the existing system is, in a nutshell, what leadership means. Leaders inspire followers to accomplish something more significant and innovative. It’s interesting to note that leaders pursue innovation instead of doing so out of necessity. Success is determined by examining the accomplishments and knowledge gained by the team.

In an organization, leaders are usually those with less significant positions. They are individuals, though, who are known for their morals and work ethics. A leader is enthusiastic about their work, and they can accomplish their objectives by inspiring their coworkers. Consider enrolling in a leadership course or a training Programme if you need more skills.

Types of Leadership

Each leader has a distinctive style that makes them distinguish themselves from others. Therefore, knowing about these many leadership philosophies will enable you to choose the kind of leader you want to be. 

Autocratic Leadership

An autocratic leader has complete control over his staff. They never give in to pressure to violate their values or norms. Likewise, none of the corporate choices are made with their staff in mind. The group is also expected to follow the leader’s example.

This old style of leadership only draws a small number of followers due to its reluctance to change. And modern leaders are redefining leadership and altering its meaning with their innovative decisions.

While the “Don’t question my commands” approach and autocratic leadership may not sound like fun, there are times when these leadership philosophies can be appropriate and effective, such as in urgent or chaotic situations that call for someone to control the team and make a quick and effective decision.

But because all orders originate from one person at the top, employees who work for an autocratic leader may feel supervised and lose their independence when making decisions for the company.

Laissez-Fair Leadership

The phrase “laissez-faire” comes from the French verb “let to do.” Non-interference is defined as “the practice of not influencing the activities of others, particularly over individual’s performance or freedom of action” by dictionary.com. With this style of leadership, team members are free to carry out their responsibilities as they see fit. When performing work for the organization, they are free to use their insight and expertise.

Because employees don’t have to get permission from superiors, the laissez-faire strategy frequently results in quicker decision-making. Additionally, it works particularly well in situations where individuals or groups are already trained and competent to complete the task. These employees are capable and don’t need supervision, and when they are given the freedom to work independently by a laissez-faire leader, they may feel more accomplished.

However, hands-off leadership can be troublesome when your staff is unfamiliar with the mission. Furthermore, laissez-faire managers may discover that with supervision and guidance, staff members produce less or nothing at all. Therefore, you must have complete faith in your staff members’ ability to finish a task with supervision to use this technique.

Democratic Leadership

In this leadership style, team members and leaders work together to achieve organizational objectives. Additionally, they support one another in reaching their individual goals by encouraging one another—the workplace benefits from this leadership style.

When the group feels like it is contributing to the solution, a democratic leadership style produces favorable outcomes. This encourages more original thinking and frequently boosts employee morale.

The democratic method is not successful for every leader. Workers will always feel excluded because their suggestions or proposals are rejected. Furthermore, relying on the group to propose ideas can be problematic if the group lacks the necessary expertise or training.

Transformational Leadership

The transformational leadership process entails creating a high vision and organizing your team around it. This approach encourages the team to grow personally and professionally to accomplish the overall objective. Groups working under a transformational leader are united for a single goal and ready to devote their effort, time, and energy to the business when the company and its employees align.

Transformational leadership enables employees to understand the organization’s vision and goals clearly, and as a result, employees remain devoted and productive as they work to fulfil their mission. In addition, since everyone collaborates and there is constant communication between the staff and the leadership, transformational leadership fosters peace in the workplace.

Though every leader aspires to lead a completely devoted and engaged team, transformational leadership has been known to cause stress in workers who consistently strive to meet objectives. The employees must constantly communicate with the leadership and provide input; if those channels are broken, the latter may feel included in the overall vision.

Leadership

Importance in workplace

1. Better communication

Facilitating communication inside the workplace is one of a leader’s most crucial responsibilities. Any team’s ability to perform effectively depends on having clear and straightforward communication. Effective leaders will prioritize maintaining open lines of communication at all times and foster an environment where everyone feels free to express their opinions. A leader can promote a work environment where new ideas are welcomed, and misunderstandings are avoided by ensuring employees have a venue to communicate their issues and opinions.

2. Better working environment

Leaders have a significant impact on the workplace as a whole. They build an environment of mutual respect and trust, encouraging innovation and teamwork. In workplaces with solid management, employee morale is also higher, which increases motivation.

3. Higher productivity

The effectiveness of a team’s leader is crucial to its success. Employee productivity is higher when they feel appreciated and driven. A bad leader, on the other hand, can distract workers from their jobs. Therefore, an excellent leadership style will increase a team’s performance, effectiveness, and overall success.

4. Higher Efficiency

By getting the most out of their team, an effective leader may contribute to greater efficiency. By ensuring everyone is working towards the same objective and doing what they do best, leaders may increase productivity. To make the most of everyone’s strengths, they can offer direction and guidance and assign duties.

5. Lower mistakes

Every organization that wants to operate smoothly and without mistakes requires a strong leader. This is especially true in high-stress situations where mistakes can have catastrophic consequences. To prevent costly errors, a leader must be able to spot possible issues early on and address them.

6. Employee’s motivation

Influential leaders can inspire their teams. They know that everyone is unique and that what works for one person might not be suitable for another. They spend time getting to know their team members and learning what makes them tick. Additionally, they foster an environment at work where workers are valued and appreciated. Employees are more likely to be engaged and motivated when they feel they are valuable team members.

7. An example for others

A competent leader knows that one of the finest ways to motivate people is by leading by example. But unfortunately, people are more prone to imitate someone they perceive to be a role model. For this reason, it’s so essential for leaders to set an example. They can demonstrate to others what it means to be a dedicated and influential team member by acting in a way that reflects their group’s or organization’s values and objectives.

8. Hard work motivation

A great leader can give their team a feeling of direction. People are more likely to be willing to put in the hard work necessary to achieve something when they feel they are working towards something greater than themselves. A good leader understands how to access this sense of purpose and transform it into productive activity.

9. Strong vision creation 

A good leader knows the value of having a clear vision and how to develop one that will steer their team towards a prosperous future. A good vision entails a distinct understanding of the organization’s direction and goals. It also involves expressing this vision in a way that encourages and inspires others to join you. Maintaining pace or progressing towards long-term goals can only be accessed with a clear vision. A leader with a clear vision may provide a feeling of purpose and direction, which can motivate and focus the entire team.

10. Assistance for being on track.

Once the company’s vision has been clearly stated and understood, effective leadership is crucial to maintaining employees’ focus on achieving that goal. As progress is made and changes are made, this includes clearly outlining the company’s vision and objectives and then supplying the required resources and support. Keep staff on track with an organization’s broad mission by keeping lines of communication open throughout projects, being optimistic, and ensuring they have the assistance they need to do their duties.

12 Tips to be a Good Leader

  1. Honesty and Integrity: Integrity and honesty are essential to leaders. They have supporters who support them and their goals.
  2. Inspiration: Since they are driven by their own interests, leaders are effective influencers. They provide their fans with helpful inspiration. They assist others in comprehending the larger context of their assigned task.
  3. Communication abilities: Effective communicators are leaders. They are open and honest with their team, sharing their accomplishments and disappointments.
  4. Vision: Leaders are skilled at achieving their goals. Leaders that are effective communicators can successfully convey their vision to the team.
  5. A spirit of never giving up: Leaders question the current system. They, therefore, don’t give up easily. Also, they address issues in different manners.
  6. Intuitive: According to leadership consultant Hortense le Gentil, leaders should rely on intuition when making difficult choices. This is mainly because intuition primarily draws on one’s prior knowledge and life experiences, making it more beneficial in challenging circumstances.
  7. Empathy: A leader should possess emotional intelligence and empathy because these qualities will enable them to build close bonds with their team. These characteristics will also aid a leader in responding to his team’s issues, grievances, and goals.
  8. Goal: Although empathy is a crucial trait a leader must possess, it is not advisable to let emotions get in the way of making important business decisions. Consequently, a successful leader needs to be unbiased.
  9. Intelligence: A successful leader must possess the intellect necessary to find real answers to complex issues. When deciding on something, a leader should be analytical and consider the benefits and risks. With the help of an all-encompassing leadership development Programme, this trait can be strengthened.
  10. Creativity and open-mindedness: A successful leader is receptive to fresh concepts, options, and viewpoints. They understand that no one correct method to do something makes you an excellent leader. A successful leader is, therefore, constantly prepared to listen, observe, and be open to change. They encourage their teams to think creatively and untraditionally as well.
  11. Patience: An intelligent leader knows it takes time for a business strategy to materialize and provide benefits. They also think that success comes from “constant progress and patience.”
  12. Adaptable: Since leaders are familiar with the idea of “continuous development,” they are also aware that this quality will help them succeed. Nothing goes as expected. Therefore, being adaptable and intuitive aids a manager in maintaining control in challenging circumstances.

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