Leadership Style Theories

There are several different leadership styles that can be used by effective managers, as well as several theories on how leadership styles are determined. The leadership style that is most effective for a particular manager will depend on the manager's personal preference, the type of work performed by employees, and the knowledge, skill, and motivation of the employees. The appropriate style to use will also depend on the type of company and the culture of the organization (Wertheim).

There are three main leadership styles: authoritarian, participative, and delegative. Good managers will incorporate all three styles by choosing the appropriate style based upon the situation.

Authoritarian Leadership Style

The authoritarian leadership style is used by mangers that want or need to have full power in decision-making. This style is often expressed by the manager telling employees specifically what to do and how to do it, and is most often necessary when time is of the essence.

This style should not be used too frequently, because it could lead to the perception of bossiness on the manager's part, which could lead to reduced employee motivation and reduced dedication (Clark).

Participative Leadership Style

The participative leadership style is used by managers who want or need to include employees when making decisions. When this style is used, the manager encourages or expects employees to provide input that will help the manager make the final decision. This style is most often used when the manager has some of the information and employees have some of the information that is needed to make a decision (Clark).

The participative leadership style promotes employee commitment and increases employee morale, because employees have an active part in the decision-making process, which gives them a feeling of importance and worth. This style can also improve employee-management relations. For these reasons, it is good to implement this style as often as practical.

Delegative Leadership Style

The delegative leadership style is used by managers who want or need to allow employees to make the final decision. However, the manager "is still responsible for the decisions that are made" (Clark). A good manager will realize that there are times when he or she can not or should not spend the time necessary to do the research needed in order to make a decision, particularly when there are knowledgeable and perfectly capable employees who could be given that task. This style shows employees that the manager trusts them, which will improve morale.

The effective manager will use the delegative leadership style when the situation is right, but will not use this style excessively. Over use of the delegative style can make it appear that the manager is lazy, and can cause high stress levels in the employees who are making all the decisions (Clark).

Determination of Leadership Style

There are many theories on how leadership styles are determined. The two theories that I believe to be the strongest are the cognitive choice theory and the personality theory. The cognitive choice theory states that the manager actively chooses the leadership style that will be most effective in increasing employee performance, while the personality theory states that the leadership style happens naturally based on the manager's individual personality (Scholl).

Conclusion

I believe that the most effective managers use leadership styles that are determined by a combination of the cognitive choice theory and the personality theory. Intentionally choosing the appropriate leadership style based on the situation, combined with using the leadership style that is most comfortable for the manager due to his or her individual personality, can lead to very effective leadership. As has been shown, it is best to use a combination of leadership styles. Therefore, using both theories to determine which style or styles to use at a given time will result in good leadership.

References

Clark, D. "Leadership Styles." Performance, Learning, Leadership, & Knowledge website. URL: http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadstl.html

Scholl, R. W. "Determinants of Leadership Style." Class Notes website. URL: http://www.cba.uri.edu/scholl/Notes/Leadership_Determinants.html

Wertheim, E. G. "Leadership: An Overview." Northeastern College of Business Administration website. URL: http://web.cba.neu.edu/~ewertheim/leader/leader.htm#trans