Aysha A

Essay about:

Leadership Styles

Done by: Aysha A

ID Number:

Due Date: 16/9/2017

Aysha A

Introduction:
Recently, with global competitive environment, effective leadership style is important due to influence
the group in a desired manner to attain the goal of the society or organizations. We define leadership as
social influence process by which a person influences others toward the achievement of group or
organization goals. However, it deals with the influences which include planning, staffing, organizing,
directing and controlling.

There are several types of leaders exhibiting different leadership characteristics. It is therefore a first
step to understand leadership development by exposing the various styles of leadership and their effect
on different components of quality of work life. In this essay we will view one effective leadership and
mentioned three styles.

First of all, we selected Mahatma Gandhi as an effective leadership; he tells us a tale of how a person
can make a difference. He studied law at the university College London. After his studying he returned
to India and started his own law practice, but unfortunately that was not successful. So he went to
South Africa and began his activism as an Indian immigrant. At the time of British territory, he began
working directly in politics, his goal was to make Indian independent and without controlling from
British or any other foreign government. He organized non-violent civil disobedience campaigns. Also,
he fought for civil rights and liberties among Indian people. His special leading affected the Indian
people, and inspiring people of all nations with his ethical and ideological legacy.

His leading style following the transformational style, as mentioned by Spahr, transformational style
means to inspiring people to achieve unexpected or remarkable results. Also to give specialists self-rule
for employees, as well as the authority to make decision since they have been trained. Gandhi
demonstrated transformational style.
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Gandhi as contextual understanding of the style:

Type of Meaning Example

transformational
style
Idealized The leader showing a positive
influence role model for followers,
stimulate strong followers
emotions and identification with
him. He is admired by the
followers, because he setting as
an example of courage and
dedication, and what he said is
done.
Intellectual The leader challenges and
stimulation increases follower awareness of
problems and influencing them
to have higher level of
performance. Hence, challenge
them to be creative and
innovation.
Individual Demonstrate personal genuine
consideration communicating with followers,
hence, providing support, look
at their needs, encouragement
and coaching.
Inspirational Having the ability to inspire,
motivation motivate, empowering
followers. However, it lead them
to accept challenging goals and
mission.
During the national movement, he gave a
lot of sacrificing such as, being a way from
family and fasting for long period.
Also, he spread the awareness about the
trust and loves between Muslim and
Hindu in India, in order to stop the British
territory through his non-violence civil
disobedience.
Another example that when British gave
him insults, sent him to jail many times he
never budge from his path of truth and
non-violence.
Most of his followers were women so he
considered them as equal and free. Also,
he held several meeting to talk about the
issues that people faced in India. He has a
power to make his followers fight for the
country independence.
Gandhi involved with everyone, spoke to
them and knew what was happening in
their lives. He made them feel important
by giving them support whenever
possible.
Gandhi influenced his followers through
his belief and thought. Some of his
followers sent to jail because they
inspired by him.

1. Autocratic leader

Its a controlling of one person in making all the decision, and a little input from the group member. So
he dictates policies and procedure, decides what goals are to be achieved. Some organizations and
companies demand error-free outcomes in a way that exhibiting this style in these environments is
necessary. Typically, autocratic leadership rarely accept advice from followers, hence his choices based
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on his idea, and judgment. As I was in teaching practicum, I worked with autocratic principle. When the
teacher tries to use new style of teaching, changing the design of the class, making activities rather than
using book, the principle stopped and forced them to follow her ideas and thought. Even though, when
my MCT came to evaluating she didnt allow me to make group work, and applied what I learnt in
college. The short answer for the workers in her school was my way or the highway.

As a result, teacher came to work without giving any value to their work. I think the principle should be
balanced and practice democratic style in order to increase teacher job satisfaction; hence they give
their full effort in their work. There are some disadvantages of this leadership which are:

1- Followers abused from this style because they see it as bossy, cold, and a director.
2- The relationship is not strong, it builds resentment and feeling of festering and frustrating,
whereby followers dont have a chance to develop. Hence, discourage their creativity and feel
disappointed and undervalued.
3- There is no creative solving problem, because leader makes decisions and controls the group.

2. Laissez fair leader

The key success for this style is trust, it occurs when the leader builds a strong team, and then leaves
the responsibility for the followers to complete it in a manner they choose without any strike procedure
or role to follow up. So there is a little guidance from the leader. It means each one h as a freedom of
choice and action and responsible for identifying issues and fix it. There are some advantages of this
style which are:

1- The leader challenge the experts to take the responsibility for their achievements and failure in
a manner that lead them to be productively.
2- Give a freedom for the followers to make correct decision, which that is not acceptable in some
structured environment.
3- Encourage the followers to perform optimally.
4- Create creative environment that attract higher retention of experts to innovate, by reinforcing
successful performance.

In contrast, there are disadvantages which are:

1- The leader has lack of accountability for followers, and that lead to fail in achieving goals.
2- Ineffective time management by followers, and so missed deadline and a way to ambiguous
objective.

When my sister starts her business in designing cake, she started with her friends who trust in them. She
gave them money and resources they need. She motivated them, encouraging them to work well to gain
benefits and make customer satisfy from the service. Unfortunately, my sister doesnt monitor her
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friends, and so they misbehave with costumer, and they not used their time wisely. Each one was
working on his way without any organizing.

I think this kind of leadership could be successful when the leader be close to the followers, and monitor
their performance. Insure that the followers who work with him are educated, with highly skill in order
to achieve the goals, and dont miss the deadline.

3. Democratic :

Its known as participative leadership in a manner that based on mutual respect. Collaboration is vital
between the leader and the followers in order to give a more chance to participate in making decision
and so distributing responsibility, and empowering them. These well lead the followers to have strong
hand in managing organizations. According to Gastil, who define this style as behavior that influences
people in a manner consistent with and/ or conducive to basic democratic principles and processes,
such as self-determination, inclusiveness, equal participation, and deliberation. (1994)

There are some advantages with this style which are:

- Leader and followers plan a head and establish clear objectives in order to achieve the goal and
having effective performance.
- The leader provide good working conditions, through convincing that the work is challenging,
and offer opportunities for growth, achievement, responsibility, innovation, and advancement.
- Open participative in the work environment,
- The leader maintains a close but objective relationship with followers.

In contrast, this style will not went successfully if the role are unclear or time is of the essence, and
some time if the group dont collaborate or dont have the knowledge they may not have the quality in
decisions making. Leader can fix that through guiding the follower to communicate, and sometime
educating them to have quality in making decisions.

When I worked with school council, the teacher used this style with our group. My friends come up with
creative idea and we established clear objective to achieve by the end of the year which is to make
students aware about the obesity. And so we were productive through making activities, satisfaction
because of the mutual respect between each other, collaborate, and commitment to achieve the goal.
This style develops skilled people who are keening to give their best, communicate openly, and seek
responsibility.
Aysha A

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