Broadly defined, a leader is someone who sets a direction for a company.

This vision needs to be

created and then fiercely believed and upheld. The leader must inspire others to work toward the
vision.

To do this well, a leader has to first be followed, trusted, and respected by their

subordinates.

Typically leaders have this vision because they also have a strong aspiration to make their mark on
things. They arent happy with the way things are and believe they can make a substantial change.
These characteristics may seem to make a person egotistical and arrogant but a good leader is still
able to admit to and learn from faults or mistakes.

What is Bill Gates leadership style?

Bill Gates was great at setting direction for the company. He had a vision of the world and
successfully moved Microsoft in that direction. That vision was a computer on every desk and in
every home. Gates started the first major software company at a time when personal computing
hardly existed a radical change that has helped lead us into the Information Era. Gates believes,
it will affect the world seismically, rocking us in the same way the discovery of the scientific
method, the invention of printing did.

This is the first mark of a transformational leader. He had a major commitment to a huge goal and
backed it with his own values and beliefs. In his book, Business the Bill Gates Way, Des Dearlove
writes, Bill Gates is a modern business phenomenon: the greatest of the cyber-tycoons. His is not

simply a story of technical brilliance and enormous wealth; it is one of remarkable business vision
and an obsessive desire to win. It is also about a leadership style that is radically different to
anything the business world has seen before.

He not only wanted his company to make an

impact on the world, but he wanted to be driving the bus that did it.

He did this with a combination of leadership styles. Gates is directive in terms of what he wants
and the strategy of the company. He has accepted that his major role is to be the visionary. He
likes confrontation in a sense that he wants things out in the open so they can be dealt with and
resolved. He had the ability to respond to market changes by quickly reinventing the company.

He is also, however, participative and consultative. He does seek advice from subordinates but
makes his own decisions. During his reign he considered the input of all employees and in most
cases even responded to their emails within 24 hours. Gates also participated in what Microsoft
calls Think Week. Think Week is where Gates is the sole reader of over 100 documents written
by employees pertaining to company issues and future technology. Decentralizing the process of
gathering information led to a stronger company and helped stay away from the bureaucracy that
Gates did not want.

This also helps him gain the trust of his employees. It shows them that Gates cares about their
opinions and wants their advice in running the business. Being a programmer himself also enables
him to interact with employees on a common ground. He isnt just another MBA or manager, hes
one of them.

This makes him a border-line craftsmen in terms of leadership, however he did a

good job over the years in becoming interested and on top of other aspects of the business. It was

this ability to handle both the business and technical sides of the company that made Microsoft so
successful.

Being a transformational leader also makes him charismatic yet humble. He is hard working and
motivates people. After all, he did get Steve Ballmer to drop out of Stanford to come and work
with Microsoft. Successful ventures are defended heartily keeping employees inspired to do more.
He also gives credit to competition when they have a great product. In the video, Bill Gates
Praising Apple Computers, Gates praises Apple for their standard setting products. He really cares
about the evolution of technology and not just his own personal development.

What is Steve Ballmers leadership style?

Steve Ballmers leadership style is much less defined. He is not very big on radical change and
does not seem to have the same bold vision that Gates had. Im not quite sure what his greater
goal is. They have already achieved Gates goal so now what is Ballmers? Ballmer once said the
focus was no longer Windows or web developers, Not any more baby, it's advertising,
advertising, advertising! (Microsofts Ballmer and his brother Bill Gates) Hes staying true to
his business background but that isnt what Microsoft is all about.

This does however open up a few doors for Microsoft. It is believed by Louis Carter, CEO of the
Best Practice Institute, that one of Ballmers strengths is that he understands the industrys market.
Ballmer allows for a huge pipeline of information around him, says Carter. He is willing to
stand up and hear the feedback. And he closely monitors the needs of his audience - market

demands, perceived competitors, customers and employees - to immediately change his position at
any given moment.

As Ballmer comes from the business side, he is more financially and task oriented. There is no
technical confrontation with him as he is not a technical person and probably doesnt know how to
interact with programmers or designers in the same way Gates did. In spite of this perceived
downfall, he does believe that talent is crucial to reaching technical goals. According to Ballmer,
Microsoft must maintain a corporate culture that nurtures and rewards innovation in order to tap
the full potential of technologies... (Ballmer Foresees Growth in Information Management
Technology)

As will be discussed shortly, his focus does seem to be more on beating the competition and
raising values and revenues.

This seems to make him more transactional leader than

transformational. However, charisma is a defining characteristic of Ballmer and he is able to

inspire people. He even classifies himself as more bubbly than other leaders. Even so, his
emotional and charismatic antics are not sufficient for a leadership role as suggested in the lecture.
Perhaps these antics are more of a publicity stunt than feelings backed by values and a true belief
in the company.

If that is the case, he may not be a leader in the full sense of the word. Maybe a gamesman would
be a more accurate depiction? He seems to believe in something but will still do anything to win
and can disguise moves with crazy behavior. Of course its impossible to determine ones true
thought and beliefs so this is purely hypothetical speculation. At least he says he realizes that

some adjustments need to be made regarding his leadership style. This shift to CEO has forced
these changes, and also changes to his personality as described by some executives he works
closely with.

These changes have not subdued his blatant arrogance. In the video Microsoft CEO Ballmer
laughs at Apple iPhone, he actually laughs at the idea of the iPhone and believes Microsofts
strategy is clearly better. He almost seems confused and insulted when then interviewer asks him
How do you compete with that? He does go on to mention that the iPod is in the lead for music
but quickly goes on to say the Zune is gaining ground. I wonder how he feels about that interview
now

The same arrogance is displayed in regards to Google. In The CEO Must Steer the Corporate
Culture, Says Steve Ballmer, Ballmer notes that Googles success is not a threat to Microsoft but
that their business built on search technology is very good. He went on to say everything else [it
produces] is sort of cute. And he disagrees with Googles tactic of letting employees work on
their own projects by saying pet projects aren't paying for me to come down to Stanford
Business School.

He can never compliment a competitive business without subsequently

mentioning that Microsoft is better in his opinion.

This could be in part due to his philosophy on partnerships. He wants to pass a stable vision of
Microsoft onto its partners and customers to convince them that even with all of the hype
surrounding Google and iPhones, Microsoft is still not only in the game, but a leader in the
industry. I have learned about business partners that business partners are your partners because

they make money with you, they succeed with you. And if you don't succeed, eventually you don't
have any partners.

(Steve Ballmer speaks passionately about Microsoft, Leadership and

Passion)

What effect did Gates have on Microsoft?

James Collins, co-author of the book Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies,
said, To my mind, Microsoft has never been a company. It's a single remarkable individual,
Gates, with thousands of the smartest, best-paid people anywhere helping that individual. It's
basically like a big wheel, with Gates at the hub. (Leadership the Bill Gates Way)

He was a very smart, hardworking, goal driven individual who had the ability to inspire people to
follow him. That was his biggest contribution to the company as a leader. Once the vision was
clear, the company could speak for itself. He reinvented and refocused it frequently, always with a
great degree of confidence. Although he enjoyed beating the competition he typically did not cast
an arrogant or vindictive vibe and praised competitors for products he felt were superior.

When asked about competition by Peter Jennings in an ABC interview, Gates said, Well,
competition is always a fantastic thing, and the computer industry is intensely competitive.
Whether it's Google or Apple or free software, we've got some fantastic competitors and it keeps
us on our toes.

Gates also had the greatest talents hand selected for him. He liked to work closely with his
employees as much as he could and greatly considered their feedback. A great deal of effort was
put into retaining these employees that Gates considered invaluable to Microsofts success. The
culture reflected the importance of these employees and Microsoft set a high standard for how
technology companies should treat their employees. There was a big focus on career development
and healthcare. Early on, all employees could email him directly with comments, suggestions, or
complaints. He also created a campus that employees never had to leave. They were offered free
drinks and health club memberships, laundry and grocery services, and even counseling. Bill
Gates understood the value in paying well, giving great perks, and investing in his employees
future.

He has probably made more people wealthy than any other CEO alive. He also

understands what it takes to motivate his employees so they were engaged and excited about their
work. (7 Awesome Lessons from Bill Gates Love Him or Hate Him, He is a Genius)

It also was a culture that nurtured employees in conjunction with the innovations and products
they were working on. Gates put a great emphasis on innovation and believes, In fact, the way
software works -- so long as you are using your existing software -- you don't pay us anything at
all. So we're only paid for breakthroughs. We have to make a new version of Windows or Office
that you think is worth going out and buying. (One-on-One with Bill Gates) As a result, Gates
tried to meet with every product team for a Bill Review. As described by Chris Caposela, a
senior Vice President in the Business Division, Bill Reviews were famous for the intense
barrage of questions Gates would fire at product teams. Those are sort of legendary for teams to
get a big morale boost from how that product review went. [They] got a lot of mileage out of the
feedback that he would provide. (Ballmer focusing on next big thing for Microsoft). This kept

him in direct contact with all of the companys offerings, as well provided as a visible, involved,
and enthusiastic leader to employees.

What effect did Ballmer have on Microsoft?

While Bill Gates liked to focus the majority of his time on technology and production, Steve
Ballmer focuses more on the business aspects of the company. He reorganized the business into
units and tried to expand on core products as a new strategy. Ballmer has also tried to make
efforts to remedy customer and partner relationships.

Its not clear if his business oriented approach to these problems is actually helping or not but its a
step in the right direction. It is also not clear if he has the same overall vision and tenacity for
technology as Gates. He says his focus is on the long-term and wants to work on markets until
they are competitive. Rather than accomplishing this by focusing on maintaining loyal customers
with useful and meaningful new product offerings and updates, he instead half-heartedly focuses
on catching up to and beating the competition, no matter what the market might be.

For example, Microsoft originally had two main offerings operating systems and Office. They
recently added the Web and Software as a Service to that list. So why bother with the Zune music
player? Its an obvious reaction to the iPod/iPhone which Ballmer publicly scoffed at. This is
nasty spin on the once positive embrace and extend mantra at Microsoft. Combined with
Ballmers flagrant attitude, it leaves those loyal customers wondering why Microsoft has not

released a decent product under his reign. And furthermore, why he isnt doing anything to
improve the products he does have.

As of late, Ballmer has realized some of his faults and actively tried to change his style. He has
transformed himself and the business. As a person, he is more reserved in appearance and portrays
his attitude as passionate and energetic. His entrance into seemingly random markets is now
portrayed as a base for future growth. He is also working to save Microsofts reputation as a
mature and trust worthy company.

Internally, Ballmer is trying to make some changes for the better. He created Vision Version 2
which is supposed to energize employees and help them focus on customers. He wants to improve
current service and support while still staying/becoming the industry leader. To help accomplish
this he is giving more authority to employees and running with some of their ideas. This will
streamline some of the recent bureaucracy so that research and development is not slowed. In
some ways this might be a combination of his lack of technical expertise and his financial
management skills. The new vision saves money and allows a Microsoft without Bill Gates
micromanaging projects to succeed.

Still a lingering concern for many, Ballmer is pushing forcefully for expansion beyond Windows.
Moving into these areas may be the riskiest part of Microsoft's strategy under Ballmer. It
involves a tricky balancing act that pits Microsoft's growth aspirations against its pledge to be a
better partner and leader in the industry. (Microsoft CEO wants company to broaden its reach,
burnish its reputation) Part of the maturation plan will have to be learning to play nicely with

these competitors and partners. The other part of the plan will be getting the employees and
customers on board. Ballmer says When you are not the first guy in the market, you have two
choices: Get in or don't get in. ... Are you a company that is afraid to get into something where
there is a clear market leader? We put our hands up and said, 'No, we're not going to be afraid of
that.' (Steve Ballmer speaks passionately about Microsoft, Leadership and Passion)

If

Ballmer can get these two key parts nailed down he will have a really great chance to do
something big with the company.

7 Key Lessons from a Greatest Leader of all times - Bill Gates

June 27, 2008

28th June, 2008 saw the end of an era in Business, Technology and
Greatness. Founder of Microsoft, William Henry Gates III, presently the 3 rd richest person in the
world, decided to hang his boots and start living a life with bigger purpose. My idol for a long
time, Bill Gates has been a name to reckon with at every single home, at every single
corporation. His career spanning over 33 long years provided a great sense of achievement for
himself and the rest of the computer industry. He quoted If GM had kept up with technology
like the computer industry has, we would all be driving $25 cars that got 1000 MPG. This is the
kind of influence he had after founding Microsoft Corporation the big giant in the IT industry. I
want to write here some of the great learnings of mine from this genius.

Success comes with a Great Vision

Every business and household must have a computer and must run Microsoft software,
was the basic guiding vision of Bill Gates. When everyone in the world were not even aware of
the software industrys future here was a man who trusted on his gut feel and passion decided to
take the vision the farthest possible way. He was almost there achieving his vision. This clear
vision of him won him several laurels and went to be the richest person in the world for 13
continuous long years.
Do what you are Passionate about, the rest will Follow Praveen Sherman
This is something that I learnt from Bill Gates even as an young lad. I grew up seeing the success

of Bill Gates and I was for a long time

under the impression that he

was just making lots of money by luck. But what Bill Gates proved was different. There is no
one who could write software code as he could. When as a student at the Harvard university,
every single student would have wanted to be part of the great institute and graduate to be
successful, Bill Gates decided to stop studying and pursue his dream of writing softwares for
every computer in the world. Just started the agreement between IBM and Microsoft, Gates
along with friend Paul Allen was to write an interpreter for the IBM PC. He was not ready on the
date that was announced for the installation and the good news for Gates was that the party at the
other end too were not ready. This got the fire in him to write that piece of software and bundle

with every IBM computer in the world. He was just passionate about software, coding and
technology that incidentally also made him the richest man in the world
Intellectual property has the shelf life of a banana says Bill Gates that has made him a great
innovator too. Focusing on taking the computer to every single house hold made him an
household name too.
Failures are learning lessons:-Perseverance
Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning. - Bill Gates

Bill Gates was never afraid of losing and went on to win a lot of deals because of
this. While the Microsoft windows operating system is the widely used in the world, there are a
good number of criticisms and unhappiness about the software among the users. While many of
them used to get bugged using Microsoft products, Bill Gates did not easily give up. He took all
those as nice lesson and is improving every single day. When critics were talking about
infringement of laws by Bill Gates, he struck on and was giving the best the employees and the
users of Microsoft Software products.
Its fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure. - Bill
Gates
Higher the Self Esteem the better it gets
When you start achieving something big, there will be people who would want to make fun of
your efforts, pull you down and so on. The stronger you stand the bolder you get the faster these
negatives wither.

When IBM pulled out of the contract for the operating system to be bundled with the IBM Clone
PCs, Bill Gates stayed on and started focusing on the creating Windows amidst lots of hiccups
that will hamper the company. Inventing the MS Access database system, was a relevant owing
to the failure of the Omega Database with IBM. He saw an opportunity at every single place that
helped him to achieve greatest heights. He did not allow others to deter him by inventing many
thins to the public and still reaching his top most Goals and vision.
Whether its Google or Apple or free software, weve got some fantastic competitors and it
keeps us on our toes Bill Gates
Opportunity knocks once:
Bill Gates took up the responsibility of being the Chief Software Architect, Bill Gates was
nurturing Microsoft by building a broad range of products. This was not just capitalize on the
knowledge but provide the best by understanding the need of the people. He did not sit back and
wait for people to ask what they wanted and instead made a revolution of creating an opportunity
for himself and his company by innovating. He did not sit and do something that anyone could,
but he took the reins into his hands to almost single handedly take Microsoft to this great heights.
I believe that if you show people the problems and you show them the solutions they will
be moved to act. Bill Gates
Action Speaks Louder

This is one never mentioned secret of success. Action is the key word.
When logic never drives us its emotions. We must have that emotional strength in us to take

action. Bill Gates as a small young boy never had anything to lose which he kept telling his good
friend Paul Allen. When he had several odds again him such as the American Law and several
cases against him, he still consistently took action by developing more software which the people
wanted. This made him a super star overnight. If not for Bill Gates, Microsoft would have not
seen the light today of what it gets. This was because of his constant delivery of ideas to his
Goals and vision.
He was a drop out from one of the worlds best universities the Harvard and not everyone from
there went to achieve great heights like Bill Gates did, which proves the basic fact that education
is just a tool for success and does not define success itself. During the convocation address at the
Harvard university, Bill Gates mentioned that good he came when they were graduating and not
when during the time when they joined the university else they would have changed their mind.
We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and
underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten. Dont let yourself be lulled into
inaction. Bill Gates
Trust- An unwritten rule for great leadership wisdom
Right from day 1 at Microsoft, Bill Gates was very open to the ideas. This he also proved later
when Steve Balmer stepped into the shoes of Bill Gates and became the CEO of the company.
He always believed that there is no end to learning from people, from books and so on. I really
had a lot of dreams when I was a kid, and I think a great deal of that grew out of the fact that I
had a chance to read a lot, says Bill Gates ready for more ideas to float around which will make
sure that the same culture of innovation continues in Microsoft even without his presence.
At Microsoft there are lots of brilliant ideas but the image is that they all come from the
top - Im afraid thats not quite right. Bill Gates

Success must never get on to the head

This is by far the best lesson what we learn from Bill Gates. At a
tender age of 21, Bill Gates had achieved many a things including having money and fame. This
did not allow him to stop achieving and always had the drive to achieve great heights. If Id had
some set idea of a finish line, dont you think I would have crossed it years ago? quote Bill
Gates with utmost passion and determination.
Microsoft is not about greed. Its about Innovation and Fairness. Bill Gates
Never stop learning was the Mantra of Bill Gates which he follow till date. This empowers him
to be a Great Leader of our times. He will always be remembers as an Icon and even without his
presence in Microsoft he would still be regarded as a great inventor and a real genius in every
regard of Business, Technology and Entrepreneurship.

Bill Gates: Entrepreneur, Manager, and Leader

9:02 AM Friday June 27, 2008 | Comments ( 22View)

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Today marks the last working day for Bill Gates at Microsoft. So much has been written and
spoken about him that another column appears redundant. Some people may even feel a tinge of
happiness that they no longer have to contend with the ruthless businessman that Gates has been
portrayed as. The purpose of this post is to analyze what can be learned by young people from
perhaps the most successful entrepreneur of our times.
Focus: Bill Gates has demonstrated over nearly thirty years the importance of clarity of thought
and execution. Unlike many of his contemporaries, he did not move away from the domain he
understood better than anything else - software. He has pursued the objective of dominance in
software in general and operating systems in particular that has few parallels. Venturing into
unfamiliar territory may be fashionable but carries a high degree of risk. If ever a need arises for
an absolute example for what Peters and Waterman called "Stick to the Knitting" and Hamel and
Prahalad termed core competence, one needs to look no further than Bill Gates and Microsoft.
Focus also means the ability to pursue one's goals whatever the obstacles may be. Such a degree
of perseverance is hard to come by.
Thinking big: Along with focus, the ability to dream big and pursue that with single-minded
determination sets Gates apart from other entrepreneurs. This is particularly true of entrepreneurs
from emerging economies like India where an ultra-conservative attitude has stifled growth.
Entrepreneurs need to develop confidence in themselves and their team that they can take on the
world and come out winners.

 Passion: Simply put, if anything is worth doing, it is worth doing well. From a simple thank
you note to a complex proposal, it is critical to place the stamp of excellence on whatever one
undertakes. Equally important is the need to constantly innovate. Change is the only constant and
the more agile and adaptive we are to change, the more successful we can be.
Learning as a life-long process: Though dropping out of college to his dreams, Bill Gates has
probably read and written more than most of us ever will. In the process, he has shown the limits
of formal education. Important as formal education is, perhaps it is more important to realize that
learning is a life-long process. Knowledge is infinite. Even if we keep assimilating it without a
break throughout a lifetime, we would not have scratched the surface. Knowledge should lead to
humility and wisdom - not arrogance and one-upmanship.
Giving back to society: The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has provided a new dimension
to philanthropy by addressing issues that are global in nature - malaria, cancer, AIDS. Feeling
good by doing good may appear old-fashioned but this may yet be the best way forward in
combating diseases that kill or maim millions of people every year. With friend and legendary
investor Warren Buffet also joining hands, a formidable combination has been forged. Bill Gates
has shown a remarkable degree of consistency both in his business goals and in his goals in
philanthropy - he is a global citizen.
Although some Indian entrepreneurs have indeed espoused similar causes - Infosys Foundation,
Azim Premji Foundation, and the House of Tata come to mind, a lot more can be done by
successful Indian entrepreneurs. In fact, just 5% of the wealth of the 200 richest people can
eradicate some of the most pressing problems that we face. Wealth should not be merely in terms

of building the most flamboyant homes but in pursuing a higher calling. Where is the collective
conscience of the rich who hav made it big due to the society that they are a part of?
As with any successful or great person, there will always be controversies. In an age where the
distinction between means and ends is increasingly blurred, taking extreme positions hardly
helps. One may not agree with Gates' means for achieving what he has, but one would find it
difficult to ignore his contributions to the IT industry. However, history and posterity will
probably recognize him more for what he has decided to do - at a relatively young age - for the
rest of his life. Combating hunger, fighting disease and educating the poor are truly lofty goals
worth emulating by anyone who cares for humanity and for the quality of life on this planet. On
this count, there cannot be many role models better than Bill Gates. The last thirty years have
seen the emergence of an entrepreneur par excellence. The next thirty years will probably see the
emergence of the greatest individual philanthropist - not necessarily in monetary terms - but in
terms of the global issues addressed with dedication.
Since this is a discussion forum, two questions to readers:
How do you get the next Bill Gates, or better, without inviting the kind of controversy that
his success has spawned?
Why can't governments spend 1% less on defense and use the money to improve living
conditions for the poorest of the poor?

LEADERSHIP STYLE OF BILL GATES

AUTHORITATIVE
Authoritative leaders were first described by Daniel Goleman in connection with the six
leadership styles he defined. As described by Goleman, authoritative leaders can be
summarized as being experts in their field of work that are able to clearly articulate a vision and
the path to success.
The trademark of this type of leader is their ability to mobilize people towards a vision. This
leadership style is most effective when a new vision is needed or when the path to that vision is
not always clear. One of the interesting aspects of this style is that even though the leader is
considered an authority, they allow the followers to figure out the best way to accomplish their
goals.
We're starting out with Bill Gates because this style exemplifies his leadership abilities. As is
the case with many CEOs, Bill Gates was able to successfully move Microsoft in the direction he
saw the industry going.
Even though Mr. Gates has removed himself from some of the daily operations of Microsoft, he
is still thought of as an industry visionary - an authority. The personal computer is playing a
greater role in America and Bill Gates has done much to further its advancement. He had a
vision, he told the world, and he aligned the resources of Microsoft with that vision.
PARTICIPATIVE

Bill

Gates

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DELEGATIVE
http://www.scribd.com/doc/16315025/Leadership-Style-of-Billgates

believed dat recruiting of talented software engg- extr crucial

looked for a bundle of attributes in his recruits
best talent wud nvr apply directly
HR managers hunt for recruits
Not innovative- reformed existing products instead of inventing new ones
Any extent to best his opponentsBill gates not only wants to win, but to kill

competition. He wants to bury the wounded

Been in & out of the courtroom several times fighting legal battles

TRANSFORMATIONAL

transformational

One

leader

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who

can

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Bill

see

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big

picture

Gates.

His role was of Chief Architect at Microsoft placing a huge burden on his shoulders
Some might say that Bill Gates has not only shaped the computer industry through his leadership
at Microsoft but also he has provided countless opportunities to other individuals who have
themselves

started

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of

their

own

to

bring

innovation

to

market

Interestingly, today companies not thought as innovative actually had someone who could see the
big picture leading the company
DIFFERENT

1]

Authoritarian

STYLES

OF

Autocratic

LEADERSHIP

[applicable]

An autocratic leader is the one who believes in taking all the important decisions himself. It is
the leader who decides how the work has to be done and by whom. Once the decision has been
made, there is no scope of any change. The subordinates simply carry on with the works assigned
to them. They are not allowed to give any input regarding how they should do their work or
conduct daily activities. Every detail is pre-decided by the leader himself. In case some changes
in the work schedule have to be made, they are made by the leader without consulting any one
else.

Autocratic leadership style works well if the leader is competent and knowledgeable enough to
decide about each and every thing. Authoritative is considered one of the most effective
leadership styles in case there is some emergency situation and quick decisions need to be taken.
If there is no time left for discussion or weighing various options, then this type of leadership

style gives the best results. Authoritarian leadership styles examples can be found in the real
world in people like Bill Gates and John F Kennedy. Bill Gates followed the authoritarian
leadership style and steered Microsoft towards unbelievable success. According to Bill Gates, he
had a vision when he took reins of the company and then used all the resources available to make
that vision a reality. His success can be judged from the way personal computers industry has
advanced in America today.
Under the autocratic leadership style, all decision-making powers are centralized in the leader, as
with dictator leaders.
They do not entertain any suggestions or initiatives from subordinates. The autocratic
management has been successful as it provides strong motivation to the manager. It permits
quick decision-making, as only one person decides for the whole group and keeps each decision
to himself until he feels it is needed to be shared with the rest of the group.

2]

Participative

democratic

Participative leadership style involves the leader taking into consideration the opinions of some
of his employees before arriving at the final decision. This leadership style earns the leader
immense respect and loyalty among his subordinates, as they feel that their opinions matter too.
This leadership style is useful for the leader as he gets to see a given situation from all directions,
before deciding on the final course of action. This leadership style works really well in situations
when the leader does not know everything and he relies on his subordinate's knowledge for

taking decisions. The biggest advantage of this leadership and management style is, that it helps
in ascertaining and identifying future leaders among the subordinates. Also, it keeps a team's
spirit and morale high, as the team members feel that their opinions are valued by their leader.

Here's a participative leadership styles examples - An advertising manager approaches his team
members on how to promote a particular product of a company. The team members brain storm
over the issue, some suggest print media, others suggest direct mails to the prospective clients.
The participative leader takes all these suggestions, weighs their pros and cons and then takes the
final

decision

after

considering

his

team

members'

3]

opinions.

Delegative

A delegative leadership style is very rarely followed in modern organizations today. This
leadership style gives full freedom to the subordinates while decision making or doing the tasks
at hand, in any given manner they find suitable. This leadership style is mostly followed when
the leader places immense faith in each and every member of his team and if he is sure that the
team members are capable enough to run things themselves. This style of leadership should
however be used very wisely, because if the team members lack decision making or analyzing
skills,

it

can

back

fire

very

badly.

Here's a Delegative leadership styles examples - A manager has newly joined a firm. He is still
learning how various things function in the organization. In such a situation, he relies on the
suggestions and opinions of his team members and lets them do the things the way they are used
to, till the time he is able to gain sufficient knowledge and can suggest some more feasible

changes.

Here's hoping that these leadership styles examples will help you to understand the different
styles of leadership in a better way. A true leader is the one who makes use of each of these
leadership styles, depending upon the demands of the situation.
4] Laissez-faire or free rein style
A free rein leader does not lead, but leaves the group entirely to itself as shown; such a leader
allows maximum freedom to subordinates, i.e., they are given a free hand in deciding their own
policies and methods.

5] Bureaucratic leadership
Bureaucratic leaders work "by the book." They follow rules rigorously, and ensure that their staff
follows procedures precisely. This is a very appropriate style for work involving serious safety
risks (such as working with machinery, with toxic substances, or at dangerous heights) or where
large sums of money are involved (such as handling cash).
6] Transformational leadership [ quite applicable]
As we discussed earlier, people with this leadership style are true leaders who inspire their teams
constantly with a shared vision of the future. While this leader's enthusiasm is often passed onto
the team, he or she can need to be supported by "detail people." That's why, in many

organizations, both transactional and transformational leadership are needed. The transactional
leaders (or managers) ensure that routine work is done reliably, while the transformational
leaders look after initiatives that add value.
7]Transactional leadership [applicable]
This style of leadership starts with the idea that team members agree to obey their leader totally
when they accept a job. The "transaction" is usually the organization paying the team members in
return for their effort and compliance. The leader has a right to "punish" team members if their
work doesn't meet the pre-determined standard.
Team members can do little to improve their job satisfaction under transactional leadership. The
leader could give team members some control of their income/reward by using incentives that
encourage even higher standards or greater productivity. Alternatively, a transactional leader
could practice "management by exception" rather than rewarding better work, the leader could
take corrective action if the required standards are not met.
Transactional leadership is really a type of management, not a true leadership style, because the
focus is on short-term tasks. It has serious limitations for knowledge-based or creative work.
8] Charismatic leadership
A charismatic leadership style can seem similar to transformational leadership, because these
leaders inspire lots of enthusiasm in their teams and are very energetic in driving others forward.
However, charismatic leaders can tend to believe more in themselves than in their teams, and this
creates a risk that a project, or even an entire organization, might collapse if the leader leaves. In

the eyes of the followers, success is directly connected to the presence of the charismatic leader.
As such, charismatic leadership carries great responsibility, and it needs a long-term commitment
from the leader.

9] People-oriented leadership or relations-oriented leadership [ type of participative]

This is the opposite of task-oriented leadership. With people-oriented leadership, leaders are
totally focused on organizing, supporting, and developing the people in their teams. It's a
participative style, and it tends to encourage good teamwork and creative collaboration.
In practice, most leaders use both task-oriented and people-oriented styles of leadership.
10] Task-Oriented leadership [applicable]
Highly task-oriented leaders focus only on getting the job done, and they can be quite autocratic.
They actively define the work and the roles required, put structures in place, plan, organize, and
monitor. However, because task-oriented leaders don't tend to think much about the well-being of
their teams, this approach can suffer many of the flaws of autocratic leadership, with difficulties
in motivating and retaining staff.
11] Servant leadership[ type of participative]

This term, created by Robert Greenleaf in the 1970s, describes a leader who is often not formally
recognized as such. When someone, at any level within an organization, leads simply by meeting
the needs of the team, he or she is described as a "servant leader."
In many ways, servant leadership is a form of democratic leadership, because the whole team
tends to be involved in decision making.
Supporters of the servant leadership model suggest that it's an important way to move ahead in a
world where values are increasingly important, and where servant leaders achieve power on the
basis of their values and ideals. Others believe that in competitive leadership situations, people
who practice servant leadership can find themselves left behind by leaders using other leadership
styles.

Pics source
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bHgDA&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CDYQsAQwAw&biw=136
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