Autocratic or Authoritarian
In this type of leadership, there is a
complete centralization of authority in the leader, i.e., authority is centered
in the leader himself. He has all the powers to make decisions. He uses
coercive measures and adopts, negative method of motivation. He wants immediate
obedience of his orders and instructions. Any negligence on the part of
subordinates results in punishment. There is no participation from the
subordinates in decision-making. A leader thinks that he is the only competent
person in the organization. According to Edwin B. Filippo, there are following
three types of leaders in autocratic:
1.
Hard Boiled or Strict Autocrat: Leader, under such type uses negative
influence and expects that the employees should obey his orders immediately.
Non-compliance of his orders results in punishment. He makes all decisions and
does not disclose anything to anyone. He is quite rigid on performance.
2.
Benevolent Autocrat: Benevolent autocrat leader uses
positive influences and develops effective human relations. He is known as
paternalistic leader. He praises his employees if they follow his orders and
invites them to get the solutions of the problems from him. He feels happy in
controlling all the actions of his subordinates.
3. Manipulative Autocrat: Leader, under such type is manipulative in nature. He creates a feeling in the minds of his subordinates and workers that they are participating in decision-making processes. But he makes all decisions by himself. Non-compliance of his orders also results jn punishment.
Democratic
or Participative
Democratic or Participative leadership
is also known as group centered or consultative leadership. In this type of leadership,
leaders consult their groups and consider their opinion in the decision-making
process. Leaders encourage discussion among the group members on the problem
under consideration and arrive at a decision depending on their consent.
Participation or involvement of the employees in the decision-making process is
also rewarded. Exchange of ideas among subordinates and with the leader is
given encouragement. Leaders give more freedom to their group members, who feel
that, their opinions arc honored and they are given importance. It develops a
sense of confidence among subordinates and they derive job satisfaction. It
improves quality of decision as it is taken after due consideration of valued
opinions of the talented group members.
The demerit of this type of leadership is that it takes more time to arrive at a decision, as a lot of time is wasted while taking the views from the employee. It is, therefore, very time consuming.
Laissez-faire
or Free Rein
In this type of leadership, there is virtual absence of direct leadership. It is, therefore, known as "no leadership at all". There is complete delegation of authority to subordinates so that they can make decisions by themselves. Absence of leadership may have both positive and negative effects. Free rein leadership may be effective if members of the group are highly committed to their work. The negative aspect shows that the leader is not competent enough to lead his group effectively. Members may feel insecure and develop frustration for lack of decision-making authority.
Bureaucratic
This type of leadership emphasizes the rules and regulations of an organization. The behavior of a leader is determined by the rules, regulations and procedure to be followed under his leadership. The leader and the subordinates both follow these rules and regulations. Therefore, there is no difference between the management and the administration in this type of leadership. The employees, themselves cannot do anything in this regard. It is the rules that determine their performance.
Manipulative
This type of leadership manipulates the employees to attain their assigned tasks. A manipulative leader is quite selfish and exploits the aspirations of the employees for his gains. He knows very well the needs and desires of the employees but he does very little to fulfill them. Due to such attitude, he has to face the hatred of the employees at times.
Paternalistic
The paternalistic leadership believes in the concept that the happy employees work better and harder. It maintains that the fatherly altitude is the right one for better relationship between the manager and the employees. Everyone within the organization should work together like a family.
Expert
Leadership
The expert leadership emerged as a
result of complex structure of modern organizations. This type of leadership is
based on the ability, knowledge and competence of the leaders. He handles the
situation skillfully with his talent. The employees feel relieved as they are
working under a person who is expert and can handle the situation without any
problem.