Leadership style can be defined as the technique and approach of providing direction, implementing

plans, and method of motivating people. An effective leader is not just aware that there are different
leadership styles but also mixes and matches them to influence followers in a desired manner to achieve
desired results.

 Autocratic or Authoritarian Leadership

In this type of extreme leadership style, the leader possesses total authority and exercises complete power
over the people.

Positives Negatives
 enables leaders to impose their will and  does not take others inputs into
perspective on others consideration

   
 this style is considered good for getting routine  no one is allowed to make suggestions
jobs done by employees who require close or to question the decisions and
supervision or in situations where decisions instructions of autocratic leaders, even
need to be made quickly. if it's in the best interest

 most creative people resent being

  people who like order, and set rules and
treated this way.
instructions thrive under this kind of leadership
 

This leadership style is usually employed by military commanders. North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un
exemplifies this leadership style.

 Bureaucratic Leadership

Bureaucratic leaders work upon official rules fixed as duties by higher authorities and go strictly by the
book to apply rules for management and taking decisions.

Positives Negatives
 a serious drawback of bureaucratic
 such leaders work rigorously to ensure that the
leadership is that it has no scope for
procedures are being followed precisely by
creativity and flexibility.
those under them.
 
 this leadership style helps fortify operational
policies and work processes of the organisation.  
This leadership style is mostly noticed in organisations where employees are involved in high-risk routine
tasks such as in a manufacturing plant. Bureaucratic leadership is also employed at various levels in
government agencies. In India, civil servants are a good example of bureaucratic leaders.

 Charismatic Leadership

Charismatic leaders create a self-image so powerful that people are naturally drawn to them.

Positives Negatives
 one major drawback of charismatic
 such leaders influence others by projecting the
leaders is that they are more focused on
strengths of their personality
themselves than their team

  can create the impression that a project

 they are energetic, full of passion and believe would fail or an organisation would
in motivating others to move forward. collapse if the leader abandons the team.

 
 can be useful in boosting
the organisations standing in the marketplace
and in raising the morale of the team members  
at organisations

The Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, is often regarded as one of India’s most charismatic leaders.
His party fought the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections in 2017 under his tutelage - highlighting his
personal appeal to voters and recorded the greatest win for any party ever.

  Laissez- Faire Leadership

Laissez- faire leadership is based on trust. The leader is available to provide guidance and furnish the
necessary resources only if the need arises.
 Positives Negatives
  the leaders delegate the   people who prefer supervision, careful monitoring,
responsibility to take decisions to and clear instructions are often not comfortable
group members working under the laissez- faire leadership style

 allows people to work at their own

pace and provides maximum scope
 
for innovation and flexibility

  most effective with self- motivated

employees  

Mahatma Gandhi was a laissez- faire leader. Gandhi believed that people should lead by example and be
the change that they wish to see in the world so that others can follow.

  Participative or Democratic Leadership

Participative or democratic leaders give importance to the opinion of the team members and engage them
in the decision- making process. This is normally used when you have part of the information, and your
employees have other parts.

Positives Negatives
  boosts the morale of the team members as
  the leaders reserve the right to take final
when the leader considers their inputs, it
decisions
makes them feel valued and satisfied

  makes employees  more willing to accept

  slows down the decision- making and
changes as they consider themselves a part of
can even affect efficiency
the decision-making process

 also marred by the likelihood that team

members may not have adequate
 
expertise to provide high-quality input

Carlos Ghosn, the chairman, and CEO of Renault believes that change in the organisation’s culture should
not be forced by the top management but should come from the bottom level. He believes in empowering
employees to take decisions and is quite reasonable when dealing with the subordinates
  Relationship- oriented Leadership

Such leadership is focused on skilled interaction with people. Relationship oriented leaders inspire and
motivate subordinates to achieve the team’s or organisation’s targets

Positives Negatives
  leaders assist subordinates in feeling   sometimes relationship oriented leaders may
positive about their career prospects and get carried away and put too much emphasis
in navigating career opportunities through on the development of their team members
the quality of their work than the project itself

  they are approachable, friendly,

   these leaders are dependent on the
understand the needs of the employees
subordinates and seek their loyalty
and try to fulfil their expectations

 people usually like working under such

leadership and their productivity is also
higher, as these leaders make the people  
want to be a part of the team

A good example of relationship-oriented leadership is Indian cricket team’s ex- captain, Mahendra Singh
Dhoni who is known for encouraging players and has led the team to many unbelievable victories.

 Servant Leadership

Servant leaders lead by example and work behind the stage. Servant leadership is best suited for people
who provide their services to non- governmental charity organisations or community
development programmes.

Positives Negatives
 this type of leadership style is
  they are generous, have high integrity and work hard to
considered unfit for competitive
fulfil all the requirements of their team
tournaments.

  they also involve the whole team in the decision-  servant leaders hesitate to take
making process and give equal credits to all team credits and recognition for their
members for goals that are successfully achieved work

  servant leaders are said to have strong ethics and

values  
Mother Teresa is the perfect example of a servant leader. She invested her entire life to the service of
people and her motives behind her desire to help others is unquestionable. She acquired mass- scale
popularity over time, but she never strived to achieve personal recognition.

 Transformational Leadership

It is usually considered the best leadership style to be used in business scenarios.  They employ empathy
and rapport to engage followers.

Positives Negatives
  may lack managerial skills at the
 these leaders not only expect the best from their
practical level and require assistance
teams but also work hard to be the best at
from the staff.
everything that they do
 
 known for taking new initiatives and promoting
the flow of innovative ideas  

 good at increasing team engagement and inspiring

subordinates to become more productive in their
 
work

Steve Jobs is widely regarded as an iconic transformational leader. He worked hard and always
challenged his employees to think bigger and better and inspired them to create extraordinarily successful
products.

 Task- Oriented Leadership

Task – oriented leadership is a behavioural approach that revolves around the proficiency of getting tasks
done within set deadlines.

Positives Negatives
  task- oriented leaders are so strongly
   they always aspire to set high standards with focused on increasing work efficiency and
utmost efficiency achieving goals that they often overlook
their team’s well- being
 Positives Negatives
 they look for efficiency in their subordinates
  may even exhibit autocratic leadership
and provide clear instructions about the
traits
requirements and schedule

 subordinates who work best with easy to

follow work structure and have a knack for
method and management appreciate such  
leadership

Lenin, the Russian political leader and ideological figurehead behind Marxism- Leninism is viewed by
supporters as a task- oriented leader who championed socialism and the working class.

 Transactional Leadership

Transactional leadership is interchangeably called managerial leadership. It is based on the idea of a

transaction between the leader and the team members.

Positives Negatives
 team members are punished by the
  the leader provides supervision, evaluates
leader for not meeting an appropriate
performance and sets goals
standard

      team members are shown appreciation for

   self- motivated people consider this
their good work and consistent efforts in terms of
as interference
rewards

     people who admire external rewards are often

motivated to improve the quality of their work  

Bill Gates is a transactional leader who aims at inspiring positive changes in his followers. He is
dedicated to his work, has a remarkable business vision. He expects the best from his subordinates and
incorporates the reward- punishment motivation strategy
Source: https://www.career2nextorbit.com/article/300/10-leadership-styles-with-examples