Leadership and Management Styles

Motivation is the ultimate weapon, Carlos Ghosn

Leadership is defined as the use of coercive or non-coercive influence to direct and coordinate the activities of a group toward accomplishing a goal. The leadership style is related to the people themselves. To achieve their purposes, those leaders may use different styles of leaderships, and these can be:

A. Charismatic style: This leadership style is related to the leader himself in having good personality, inspirational qualities, aura, achievement-oriented, and this leader is a calculated risk taker or good communicator. For example, Buddha is considered as a charismatic leader, and he uses his charismatic style in managing and making people believe him.

B. Non-charismatic style: This leadership style is always used by people. The leader uses what is called “know how” to manage and lead other people to reach his/her purpose. It is the authority that the leader uses over the persons who are known by him/her, and his or her main character is related to quiet confidence, or using the analytical concepts to deal with the problem.

C. Autocratic style: This leadership style is so popular in the past, but it is judged as barbarous in the present situation. This style is related to using the position to impose the decision. The leader uses power from his/her own position to command or impose the others to follow so that he/she can accomplish his/her aim.

D. Democratic style: This leadership style is related to participation, involvement, or encouragement. The leaders as well as the followers join, share ideas and devote their together in working or making the decisions towards achievement.

E. Enabler style: This leadership style is related to empowerment to accomplish the goals. The leaders have good vision of the future, and they empower the followers to work in order to achieve the desired purposes.

F. Controller style: This leadership style is related to manipulation to obtain the compliance. The leaders control and manipulate all kinds of activities whereas the followers just wait to get the command and then do as suggested.

G. Transactional style: This leadership style is related to contingent reward, passive management by exception, active management by exception, and laissez-fair leadership. The leaders employ trade money and job security for their compliance.

H. Transformational style: This leadership style is related to idealized influence, individualized consideration, intellectual stimulation, and inspirational motivation. The leaders use motivation to strive for higher level goals.

Sam Aun (Andy)