Leadership CHARACTERSTICS OF LEADERSHIP Style of Leadership: A)AUTOCRATIC LEADERSHIP STYLE(Directional): ADVANTAGES, LIMITATION B)CONSULTATIVE(Participative or Democratic) LEADERSHIP STYLE: ADVANTAGES, LIMITATION C)FREE REIN(Laissez Faire) LEADERSHIP: ADVANTAGES, LIMITATIONS - QUALITIES FOR LEADERSHIP, Likert's 4 system of leadership

1. Leadership: leadership is influencing people to follow in the
achievement of common goal. A leader is a person who guides &
directs others, called followers. He gives focus to the efforts of
his followers. The manager, as a leader, influences his
subordinates to indulge in such activities as are vital for the
accomplishment of the enterprise goal. Leadership is a force that
binds a group together & motivates it towards the desired goals.
CHARACTERSTICS OF LEADERSHIP:
1)Continuous Process: Leadership is a continuous process. The
presence of a leader is always necessary in an organization. The
subordinates need to be guided, influenced, controlled & induced to
work continuously for the attainment of the organizational goal.
2)Acceptance of Leadership: It requires the confidence of
followers/subordinates. To be accepted as a leader, the manager
must gain the confidence of his subordinates. For this, he must be
very knowledgeable, sincere & committed to his work. He must be a
role model for his subordinates. He must have certain beliefs &
values.
3)Followers or Subordinates: There cannot be a great leader
without followers. Thus leadership is co-existent with followership.
There should be person who must obey the orders of the leader.
4)Exemplary Conduct: The leader must be role model before the
followers by his conduct. A leader must present himself in a way
that he wants from his sub- ordinates bcz the followers act in a
way that he learns from his leader. If a leader wants the
subordinates to finish the task on time, then he must also be
punctual in his work.
5)Working Relationship: There is a working relationship b/w
leader & followers. The leader works along with followers shows
them how to work & get their co-operation in return. The leader is an
active participant as he takes people with him & get the work done.
6)Common Objectives: A leader directs the efforts of his
followers in the direction of achieving a common objective. He
brings to their knowledge the common objective, clarifies & strives
to remove obstacles in their path, so that the objective is achieved.
7)Situational: Leadership develops in a particular situation. The
qualities of leadership required in different situations is different.
It depends upon the level of education, training, & experience of the
members of the group which the leader leads.
8)Harmony of Interest: There is a unity of interest for both
leader & followers. If they work for different purposes there
cannot be effective leadership. The leader tries to reconcile
differences & bring about a compromise b/w the two goals. He must
convince the followers that in the protection of company's goals
lies their interest of the followers. Technique or
Style of Leadership:
A)AUTOCRATIC LEADERSHIP STYLE(Directional): In this style of
leadership, a leader has complete command & hold over their
employees/team. The team cannot put forward their views even if they
are best for the team’s or organizational interests. They cannot

2. criticize or question the leader’s way of getting things done. The
leader himself gets the things done. The advantage of this style is
that it leads to speedy decision-making & greater productivity under
leader’s supervision. Drawbacks of this leadership style are that it
leads to greater employee absenteeism & turnover. This leadership
style works only when the leader is the best in performing or when
the job is monotonous, unskilled & routine in nature. Features:
i)Retention of power in hands of Manager ii)Reliance upon commands
or orders in which specific & minute instructions are given iii)Close
Supervision
ADVANTAGES OF AUTOCRATIC LEADERSHIP STYLE:
1)Effective in Emergency Situations: The authoritarian leadership
works positively during emergency & stressful situations. During
such times, having an autocratic leader will be great as he will take
the reins in his own hands & direct the workers or employees to
move forward.
2)Effective for Group Projects: In situation where the
authoritarian leadership style proves effective is while doing group
projects. Such situations demand the need of an authoritative
leader who can make decisions for the group. The leader should
determine the ways in which the project should be done, divide the
job among the members, & also set a deadline for the completion of
the project.
3)Quick Implementation: As the instructions of the leader are
carried out in this type of a leadership, their implementation is quick
& without any ambiguity. As one person takes faster decisions, the
task gets completed within the stipulated time limit.
4)Reduces Errors: As the decision-making power rests with one
single accountable authority, the frequency of trial & error is
reduced at the middle management or junior management level.
5)Reduces Information Leak: Many times, competitors are
looking for information leak in an organization. However, since the
information is not easily passed on to the employees, the
probability of gaining access to the classified information is
reduced.
6)Smooth Management: As the absolute management of the
organization practically rests in the hands of one person, all the
functions of business are dealt smoothly.
LIMITATION OF AUTOCRATIC LEADERSHIP STYLE:
1)Exploitation: In autocratic leadership, there is a possibility that
the leader may exploit his employees. Oftentimes, autocrats are
driven by their egos. There have been cases where an authoritative
employer has fired employees bcz they showed the courage of
disagreeing with him.
2)Discourages Employees: Having an authoritative leader hinders
workplace communication & socialization. It is very important to have
a cordial work environment, where everyone is friendly.
Disagreements & conflicts can also crop up, if a group or company
is led by an autocratic leader. It can also lead to the
demoralization of subordinates in an organization.

3. 3)Difficult to Handle: An autocratic leader may at times render
severe punishments for small mistakes to influence the employees.
In order to set an example he may even resort to threats, severe
actions or termination of services of an employee. An autocrat is
capable of undertaking drastic measures to prove his point.
4)One Man Army: An autocrat does not trust his co-workers
easily. He has complete confidence in himself & many times believes in
taking the decisions based on his own understanding. This leaves no
room for other's inputs & suggestions.
5)Fear & Resentment: The employees who work under the
supervision of an autocratic leader often harbor the feelings of
fear & resentment. It demoralizes the employees & discourages
innovation.
6)One-Way Communication: In case of an autocratic style of
leadership, the communication often moves in a unilateral top-to-
bottom movement. This often results in lack of awareness &
knowledge about the decisions of the organization among the
employees.
B)CONSULTATIVE(Participative or Democratic) LEADERSHIP
STYLE: Participative leader enables the employees to play a major
part in any decision-making process, which makes employee
performance better. Therefore, instead of the leader just throwing
direct, stringent orders to the employees, he acts like a guide & a
mentor to the employees, helping them in achieving their goals. So, it
is like 'let us do.' rather than 'I want you to do... '. This style creates
& maintains healthy relationships between the employees & the
leader. This is probably the best type of corporate leadership style,
that necessarily allows employees to give suggestions & take some
of the crucial decisions, along with their manager. However, the final
decision rests on the manager. The participative leadership style is
considered to be the most balanced one. It increases manpower
productivity, while giving the freedom of expression at the same time.
ADVANTAGES OF CONSULTATIVE LEADERSHIP STYLE:
1)The team members are encouraged to share their thoughts &
participate in making critical decisions.
2)This increase in participation of the employees, makes them feel
more driven to work, thus increasing the company's output.
3)The main advantage is that this technique promotes the
development of potential leaders, amongst the team members.
4)There are many minds involved in the decision-making process, &
hence the decision is certainly well-thought upon from all angles,
ruling out the possibilities of taking a wrong decision.
5)With the involvement of so many people, a lot of alternative ideas
can be generated. These ideas may prove to be beneficial in
increasing the output efficiency.
6)The creativity aspect of the employees' personalities is also
tapped, thus increasing the quality of ideas that are put forth by
them.

4. 7) It gives the employees more than one reason to stay back in the
firm, thus increasing the retention rate.
LIMITATION OF CONSULTATIVE LEADERSHIP STYLE:
1)The theory of collective decision-making might slow down the
process of achieving targets. It requires time for the brainstorming
sessions to take place. Also, the participants of the sessions also
need time to deliberate & come to an unanimous decision.
2)Secrecy of the information that is shared & the decision that is
taken cannot be guaranteed. If the project is of utmost importance
to the company & the related information needs to be safeguarded,
this style of leadership might not work in the favour of the
company.
3)This leadership style might not work for companies that have huge
manpower. To involve so many people in the decision-making process,
is not practically possible.
4) If the project requires extensive knowledge in a particular area,
the involvement of employees with no/less knowledge in the field
will be of no use for the company. Instead, the entire decision-
making process will be further delayed.
5)This technique is based on the assumption that the employees have
a real interest in organisation. The individuals goals &
organisational goals are in harmony. This is not true in all cases.
6)Many of the managers become uneasy with this approach thinking
that they will lose control over employees.
C)FREE REIN(Laissez Faire) LEADERSHIP: Here, the leader totally
trusts their employees/team to perform the job themselves. He just
concentrates on the intellectual/rational aspect of his work &
does not focus on the management aspect of his work. The
team/employees are welcomed to share their views & provide
suggestions which are best for organizational interests. This
leadership style works only when the employees are skilled, loyal,
experienced & intellectual.
ADVANTAGES OF FREE REIN LEADERSHP STYLE:
1)It creates environment of freedom.
2)It develops the latent abilities of subordinates
3)It is the only suitable method when people are highly educated
motivated & goal oriented.
4)As the free & informal atmosphere prevails it becomes more
creative.
LIMITATIONS OF FREE REIN LEADERSHIP STYLE:
1)Some members try to butter their own bread, instead of achieving
the goals.
2)Sometimes this technique results into disorganised management,
which leads to inefficiency.
3)A sense of insecurity & frustration develops due to lack of
decision making authority & guidance from superior.

5. 4)The team spirit is affected due to non-cooperation from some of
the subordinates.
QUALITIES FOR LEADERSHIP:
1)Good communication skills: Communication is the key to be a
great leader. The reason for this is simple: if one possesses all the
other qualities, but fails to communicate well, one has a little
chance of being a good leader. Communication helps in passing on
valuable information, motivation, healthy criticism, & above all a
clear idea on what the team is aspiring to do.
2)Honesty: The most valuable asset of a leader is honesty. He must
be honest with both his followers. This quality is closely related
to integrity. Once a leader compromises his or her integrity, it is
lost. That is perhaps the reason integrity is considered the most
admirable trait. The leaders therefore must keep it "above all else."
3)Visionary outlook: Leadership qualities are different for
different position. For example, a CEO must be able to anticipate the
future trends in the industry & how it will affect his business. A
leader has to look beyond where his business is today, & know
where it is going. He has to use his vision to move the company
forward. Being able to do this is a rare skill indeed.
4)Ability to take decisions: Although, there are a lot of advisors
& analysts who help a leader with some valuable inputs on what
action needs to be taken, the sails are always in the skipper's hands.
The leader has to decide whether he wants to go for or against a
plan. The call is his, & he has to accept appreciation or brickbats,
whatever come his way after the decision is made.
5)Ability to motivate people: A good leader must always keep
motivating his teammates for good work & strive towards maintaining
a healthy environment. In a crisis situation, the morale & spirit takes
a hard-hit, & it is the leader who has to motivate his team to fight
against all odds.
6)Consistency: Leadership effectiveness is impossible without
consistency. Every leader has an approach that is unique to them.
Don't change your personal style radically after all; it got you in a
leadership position. Modify the rough spots but take care not to
confound your staff by displaying inconsistency. Your expectations,
though subject to modification based on ever-changing business
needs, should remain as constant as possible.
7)Ability to bear criticism: As the success rate increases your
critics multiply & become louder. Come to peace with the fact that
you will always have a camp of people who critique every decision
you make. They are generally the ones who are excellent problem-
identifiers rather than problem-solvers. Develop your skills of
repelling such critics so that they do not diminish your confidence
or enthusiasm. On the other hand, it is essential that you take in
constructive feedback, & work on it, as maybe there are some areas
in which you need definite improvement.
Likert's 4 system of leadership: This model divides the
leadership styles in four different types depending on the level of
the leaders’ authority use:

6. System1-Autocratic Leadership: autocratic, strongly arbitrary
and organizes and strictly controls everything that occurs inside
the organization, threats and punishments are used, the
communication is rare and group work is inexistent. The main negative
consequences of this type of leadership are submission,
dependency, inhibition and discouragement. It can have some positive
consequences mainly at the fastness of decision making level. It’s
generally verified in organizations of intensive manpower and not
specialized and with few technology.
System2-Benevolent Autocratic: authoritarian and authoritative
but more compliant and less strict then the System I; in this system
already exists come consulting and delegating and, along with the
threats, also exist rewards. The consequences are similar to the
ones of the Coercive Authoritarian System, however less intense. It
happens in industrial organizations with some technology and more
specialized manpower.
System3-Consultative Leadership: more participative and less
organizational arbitrariness; goals and tasks are previously
discussed, there is some communication from below to the top and
exists some encouragement to group work. Allows some collective
safety and employees motivation, becoming, however, slower than
the ones before. Usually use4d in services companies and in some
areas of more organized industrial companies.
System4-Participative Leadership: democratic, where all
participate democratically in the decisions taking; there is a good
communication at all levels and achieves a good motivation level.
From the main consequences stand out the feeling of collective
safety and interdependence and a higher motivation, being able,
however, that the decision process takes longer. Found in companies
of high technology and specialized personnel, where the
professionals develop complex activities.