Leadership
What is Leadership?
Leadership is the ability to inspire and guide people to work towards a common goal.
Leaders exist in many areas: business, politics, religion, and sports.
In business, effective leadership helps motivate employees and improve performance.
Main Styles of Leadership
1. Autocratic Leadership
Meaning
Leader makes all decisions alone
Expects orders to be followed without discussion
Communication is top-down only
Advantages
Fast decision-making
Useful in emergencies or crises
Disadvantages
Employees feel ignored
Can reduce motivation and morale
2. Democratic Leadership
Meaning
Employees are involved in decision-making
Ideas and opinions are discussed
Communication flows both ways (top-down and bottom-up)
Advantages
Better-quality decisions
Employees feel valued and motivated
Disadvantages
Decision-making can be slow
Difficult for unpopular decisions (e.g. redundancies)
3. Laissez-Faire Leadership
Meaning
Leader sets overall goals but gives employees freedom
Employees organise their own work
Very little supervision
Advantages
Encourages creativity and responsibility
Suitable for skilled and experienced workers
Disadvantages
Lack of direction
Not suitable where clear rules and consistency are needed
Choosing the Right Leadership Style
No single style is best in all situations
A good leader:
Adapts leadership style to the situation
Considers employees and the problem
Effective leadership depends on flexibility