Leadership types
Depending on the environment, the situation and the organization, the leadership style varies. According to the psychologist Kurt Lewin, there are three (03) different leadership styles: (i) participative leadership; (ii) delegative leadership and (iii) autocratic leadership (psychology.about.com/od/leadership/a/leadstyles.htm).
- Participative Leadership (Democratic): In this case, the leader involves subordinates in most of the decision-making process. The manager still maintains control but he/she motivates and empowers employees to make decisions and take action. Confident of their strengths and skills, subordinates become proactive. Consequently, their performance level improves. In this type of leadership, it is crucial, however, that the leader delegates wisely. It is also important that he/she remains focused and keeps his/her position of leader in order to reassure the group. He/she should never look indecisive.
- Delegative Leadership (Laissez-faire): In this type of leadership, team members are independent. They deal with the issues they face on their own as long as they perform and deliver. The leader remains available for advice but has given up most of his/her control to his/her team. This method is effective only if the team is skilled and motivated.
- Autocratic Leadership: The manager makes all the decisions and dominates team members. This approach is often found in developing countries in Africa where continual pressure and direction from the leader is often required in order for employees to perform (Brown, 2001). Unfortunately, this approach is not an constructive way to get the best performance from subordinates since they are simply executants and do not really take any responsibility.
Nevertheless, this style can be time-saving in case of urgency. The Importance of Being a Leader in One’s Professional Life Being a leader in one’s professional life is important for several reasons since it can lead to many benefits.
At the professional level, being a leader enables people to constantly take their career to a higher level. It empowers them to tackle challenges more easily, to face and handle conflicts in a positive way and to have a clearer vision of their professional objectives. They also develop greater awareness about their competencies and acceptance of their weaknesses that they constantly strive to improve. Since leaders usually earn higher incomes than subordinates, being a leader also comes with financial reward and greater financial freedom.
At the personal level, being a leader results in personal fulfillment, satisfaction, stronger self-confidence, recognition, valorisation and further motivation to achieve one’s goals. The financial rewards offer more opportunities to undertake enriching social and cultural activities such as entertaining, sports and travel.