Leaders’ styles encompass how they relate to others within and outside the organization, how they view themselves and their position, and—to a large extent—whether or not they are successful as leaders.
Why pay attention to leadership style?
Because the style of an organization’s leadership is reflected in both the nature of that organization and its relationship with the community.
Conceptions of Leadership:
Exercising power.
Gaining and exercising the privileges of high status.
Autocratic leaders insist on doing it all themselves. They have all the power, make all the decisions, and don't often tell anyone else about what they're doing.
2. Managerial:
The leader who sees herself as a manager is concerned primarily with the running of the organization.
3. Democratic
A democratic leader looks at his and others' positions in terms of responsibilities rather than status, and often consults in decision-making.
4. Collaborative:
A collaborative leader tries to involve everyone in the organization in leadership, initiates discussions, pinpoint problems, and keep track of the organization as a whole.
Another way of looking at leadership style:
Transactional leadership: Views leadership as based on transactions between leader and followers.
Transformational leadership: It sees a true leader as one who can distill the values and hopes and needs of followers into a vision.
How do you determine what is an appropriate style?
Good leaders usually have a style that they consciously use most of the time, but they're not rigid. They change as necessary to deal with whatever comes up.
Be consistent with what people in the organization expect.
Your style needs to be consistent with the goals, mission, and philosophy of your organization.
How do you choose and develop a leadership style?
Start with yourself.
Think about the needs of the organization or initiative.
