1.

Different types of Leadership Styles and their Pros and Cons

What are the different leadership styles and their advantages and disadvantages? These leadership styles have found to be most popular in a political as well as organizational setting. The Charismatic Leader A charismatic leader is perceived as someone who has a magical ability to lead a group of people and transform any situation in their favor. A charismatic leader is proven to be more effective because of the power he wields as a result of his charm and grace. It is also easier for him to develop trust among people by ensuring their involvement in the process of growth and development. He is someone who can clearly visualize the future. Thus, people almost attribute to him a God-like quality, and generally, follow him to the last word. The charismatic leader can, thus, also be described as the visionary leader. The major advantage of this leadership style is that it can prove excellent to achieve positive changes and results. On the other hand, it can also be misused for personal gains. With his personal charm and charisma, John F Kennedy, once the president of America, was undoubtedly the most prominent charismatic leader. Other examples of a charismatic leader are Bill Clinton, also once the president of America, Saddam Hussein, the leader of Iraq, and Rajiv Gandhi, once the prime minister of India. The Transformational Leader A transformational leader is someone who is so passionate, as to rub off his vision and passion on his followers. A transformational leader cares about the growth of his people, and ensures the same by convincing his people to comply with his vision. He is enthusiastic, and committed towards achieving the goal, which may or may not be clear. Even so, he will readily participate in exploring different possibilities that will lead to the goal. Even if the vision is unclear, the direction will always be clear with a transformational leader. Therefore, he may be similar to a participative or democratic leader, who involves his followers in the decision-making process. He will gather large groups of people through various ceremonies to pump them up with the same level of enthusiasm he feels. The most important characteristic of a transformational leader is the deep level of commitment he has toward attaining his goal. Martin Luther King is the best example of a transformational leader. He appealed to a large audience and led to a revolution in the way black people were perceived. A transformational leader is one who will attain a goal with his belief in his people, as opposed to the charismatic leader who believes himself to be the reason for goal attainment. The major disadvantage of a transformational leader is that sometimes his level of enthusiasm can wear out his followers, in case goal attainment is delayed. In such a case, he will be seen as someone who is always as charged up, however, with no assurance of results. The Transactional Leader A sharp contrast to the charismatic and transformational leader, the transactional leader functions on the simple logic, that rewards and punishment will stimulate his people to perform better. A transactional leader will define clear rules and framework to function by and will expect his subordinates to be completely responsible for the work delegated to them. As such, their performance will determine whether they will be rewarded or punished. This kind of leadership is generally followed in large organizations, and in some ways is an effective tool of corporate leadership. Here, employees are not involved in the process of decision-making. They are just means to the end of goal attainment. The primary advantage of this method of leadership is the reinforcements used to promote performance. On the other hand, it ignores other factors such as emotional and social values that contribute to the performance of an employee. As such, this may not be as effective a leadership style as transformational leadership.

Good Leadership Qualities Irrespective of whether it is the corporate world or politics, possessing good leadership qualities can work wonders for you. Continue reading to know more about these leadership qualities and their

importance. Leadership is a broad concept, wherein you are expected to use your behavioral skills to inspire the people around you, and win their trust and respect. Leadership is different from management, as the latter relies more on management skills, while the former includes management skills as well as a range of other qualities. When we talk about good leadership qualities, we tend to refer to the basic human traits, such as honesty, courage, sincerity and determination, all of which make up the characteristics of a good leader. 2desirable Good Leadership Qualities When it comes to leadership, a range of characteristic traits make the person stand out in a crowd. As a leader, the person is expected to inspire, motivate and lead people, and to do this, he needs to have all of the good leadership skills given below. He should have a clean character: This is by far the most important quality of a good leader. The leader is a person who is looked upon as an inspiration by the followers. In such a scenario, bad impression would be the last thing one would like to set as a leader. More importantly, the leadership qualities of a tainted person are bound to be questioned by everybody. He should posses good communication skills: Possessing good communication skills comes next in the list of good leadership qualities. One has to make a note of the fact that, the communication skills are not just restricted to oratory skills, but also includes other aspects of communication, such as listening and writing. Read on effective communication skills. He should be a visionary: Yet another attribute of the list of most effective leadership qualities, vision helps the leader to make it big by anticipating the future. A leader without vision is no better than a handicapped commander. The vision of the leader also inculcates foresightedness in people working under him or people following him. He should possess good decision making abilities: In the journey to the top, a leader has to take many crucial decisions on the behalf of his team and followers. At this point of time, his decision making and analytical skills would be tested, as the decision he takes will decide the fate of the team as a whole. He should be responsible: Success and failures are part of the life. As the leader, one should be ready to take the responsibility of the same. Hogging the limelight during success, and blaming the other members in the team during failures are the worst things a leader can possibly do. He should be a team player: A leader has a team working under him, and the success of the team as a whole depends on the bonding between its members, including the leader. A leader should have the ability to motivate the entire team to work as a single unit. It is the responsibility of the leader to inculcate the team spirit in his team. He should have a good sense of humor: Among various leadership qualities, this one can save you, as well as people working under you, some embarrassing moments. Nothing can help in easing tension as much as a perfectly timed joke can. After all, laughter, as they say, is the best medicine. For a leader, positive attitude is a must: The last, but one of the most important leadership qualities,

is ability to think positively. An optimist leader can spearhead his team towards success with ease, while a pessimist leader is bound to falter at every single step. However, one has to also take a note of the fact that there is a thin line of difference between optimism and over-optimism, and the later can create even more harm than pessimism. Read more on qualities of a leader.

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Concepts of Leadership

I used to think that running an organization was equivalent to conducting a symphony orchestra. But I don't think that's quite it; it's more like jazz. There is more improvisation. Warren Bennis Good leaders are made not born. If you have the desire and willpower, you can become an effective leader. Good leaders develop through a never ending process of self-study, education, training, and experience (Jago, 1982). This guide will help you through that process. To inspire your workers into higher levels of teamwork, there are certain things you must be, know, and, do. These do not come naturally, but are acquired through continual work and study. Good leaders are continually working and studying to improve their leadership skills; they are NOT resting on their laurels. 3. Leadership can exist in both formal and informal groups. In a formal setting, such as within a large corporation, the leader of the group is usually someone who has been appointed to a high position of authority. In an informal setting, such as a group of friends, the leader is someone with personal traits that simply tend to inspire respect. Regardless of the exact circumstances of a particular group, people in a leadership positions generally share the same basic character traits. They are charismatic, dedicated, and committed to the goals of the organization. They are optimistic and work well with others. In a professional setting, leaders must also have a high level of knowledge and technical skill related to the task at hand. Although leadership is often associated with people in management positions, it should be noted that the two are not necessarily synonymous. A manager is someone who plans and administers a groups activities. Managers often focus on the bottom line of an organization, relying on control to accomplish his/her goals. In comparison, a leader is someone demonstrates originality and a long term perspective. Effective leaders focus on building strong relationships with others and maintain their positions by inspiring trust and confidence in other members of the group. The question of whether or not leadership skills can be learned presents an interesting dilemma for researchers. Throughout history, some of the most notable leaders have simply been people with strong personalities and good instincts that help them relate well to others. However, many people who struggle to maintain their authority claim that formalized instruction has helped them to better understand the psychological principles of effective leadership. 4.