Leadership style and theories - Essay Example

Leadership style and theories Scholars in leadership have identified many leadership styles that leaders in the world of business use. Although some of the leaders stick to a given style of leadership, others adjust their styles in line with the situation at hand. This article will discuss delegative leadership style and why I prefer it as the best leadership style. The paper will also discuss the following theories that support delegative style of leadership: behavioral, participatory and charismatic theories. Finally, I will examine the leadership style of a software guru Bill Gates, and why I admire his leadership style. I am a firm believer of delegative leadership style. The delegation of duties is among the most critical management skills for any leader as the benefits are enormous for all the concerned parties. The delegate leadership style works well when the followers are ready to assume responsibilities and have the expertise to accomplish the required tasks.  As a delegating leader, my role is to provide guidance in the process of making decisions. The followers will complete the tasks on their own (Martínez Méndez et al., 2013). As the delegating leader, I must allow the followers to make decisions and solve any problem that may arise. The followers will then decide whether the leader will participate in the process of completing the task. Delegating duties has not always been easy. It is critical that if a leader has any reservations concerning delegating some projects, he/she must consider the problems involved when not sharing responsibilities. It is required of leaders to support and develop their followers as it will go a long way to building their confidence as they perform roles that are traditionally for leaders. As a leader, I must determine what to delegate and what not to delegate. The leader must be specific and list responsibilities that require delegation. When what needs to be accomplished is clear, it is more likely that it will be communicated to the other employees. I also determine which tasks would be best to particular employees as I understand my juniors very well. There is always a need to match responsibilities to the strengths of every person. Giving person roles that are new to him/her will be a recipe for chaos. As a leader, I must ensure that I give individuals projects that they will be more enthusiastic to do. Many modern day organizations use participatory leadership as their management style. Delegating leadership style relates to participatory leadership because decisions are made with the participation of people affected by the decisions. Just like delegating leadership style, participatory leadership style adds a democratic dimension in leadership. Participative leadership ensures that it consults other people, especially the employees in the process of making decisions (Martínez Méndez et al., 2013). Although participative leaders may eventually make decisions on their own, consulting other people demonstrates consideration and respect for other people. This approach of leadership is appreciated by followers who reciprocate by showing their loyalty and commitment. Just like delegating leadership style, participative leadership leads to the development of employees and builds support for the vision of the organization. Participative leaders empower other people to make decisions and take actions that are within defined boundaries. I believe that all leaders are made, not born. Behavioral theory largely connects management with leadership and holds that leaders are made (Martínez Méndez et al., 2013). The different approaches that employ the behavioral model of leadership adhere to a participatory approach to management; employees are included when important decisions are made to offer direction to the organization. It takes what the leader believes in to delegate duties to junior employees. A leader does not need to have inborn traits to recognize that delegating duties to junior employees will help boost their morale. When followers are given the opportunity to perform some of he tasks that their bosses do, they develop a sense of worthiness in the face of their leaders. Training and education play a critical role in shaping the behavior of leaders as they perform their duties. When a leader decides to conduct research on leadership, he/she will realize that it always bear fruit to involve everyone in the organization in the process of making decisions and performing some roles. The charismatic theory of leadership is a very powerful approach to leadership, and it does not require bureaucracy. Charismatic leaders offer transformational leadership as people follow them out of love or respect. Followers can complete tasks because the charismatic presence of the leader motivates them to work to meet their goals and objectives (Martínez Méndez et al., 2013). Leaders who delegate duties can also be termed as charismatic as they influence their juniors to perform tasks that other leaders may not give them that opportunity. When a leader gives a junior employee an opportunity to perform a certain task, he/she ensures that they complete it in the right way under specific directions. Leaders who delegate duties have to be charismatic in a way that motivates the junior staff to achieve a goal within a given time. The charismatic theory of leadership agrees with the idea that employees perform well in their duties when they receive motivation from their leaders. One of the world business leaders that I admire is Bill Gates, a co-founder of Microsoft, one of the biggest software companies in this world. I admire him because of the leadership style that he uses in his businesses. Bill Gates combines two types of leadership as he performs his roles. Besides using a participative style of leadership, he also uses elements of the delegative style to inspire his juniors. Gates is a type of a leader that takes full advantage of his employees and trusts them to make even important decisions in his absence. The inventor and entrepreneur pay close attention when recruiting employees and retains only the best that the software industry can offer. Bill Gates believes that the hiring of talented software gurus was one of the reasons that made his company succeed in the software industry. Gates will then delegate authority to them and allow them to manage their departments independently. There are many similarities between the leadership of Bill Gates and my leadership style. One of the things that I consider when recruiting employees is that I go for the best. An employee needs to show the ability that he/she can perform responsibilities with minimum supervision. Since I believe in delegative leadership style, an employee must exhibit that he or she can be trusted to carry out some tasks without being supervised or given direction every time. In making decisions for my organization, I always involve my juniors. I give employees an opportunity to air their opinions concerning what should be in respect to a given matter. When people bring their minds together, there are always solutions to the current problems that may be facing an organization. Involving every person in making important decisions for the organization motivates employees as they will feel that the leader values them. There are various styles of leadership that leaders can use in managing an organization. Delegative style is one way in which a leader can decide to use to run an organization. Delegation of duties implies that the leader is confident enough that the junior employees are up to the task. This style of leadership boosts the morale of employees as they feel that they can be trusted even to perform critical roles in the organization. It is important that leaders develop faith in their followers to solve problems even in their absence. References Martínez Méndez, R., Muñoz, V., Serafín, J. G., Muñoz, V., & Monserrat, M. A. (2013). Leadership Styles and Organizational Effectiveness in Small Construction Businesses in Puebla, Mexico. Global Journal of Business Research, 7(5), 47-56. Read More