Basic leadership styles in organizations

Management- activities aimed at setting tasks, coordinating the work of the team, analyzing and finding ways to improve labor efficiency.

Supervisor- a formal, but not always actual leader. His managerial functions are conditional on appointment to a position or voluntary assumption of responsibilities subject to ownership of the company.

The formation of a leadership style is determined by the type of team, the urgency of the tasks, and the conditions of implementation. The accumulated experience, personal qualities, temperament, and type of nervous system are of great importance. The choice is influenced by specific situations, professional training of employees, and level of motivation.

Team leadership styles are divided into three main types:

The team style is characterized by sole decision-making and strict administration. Such a leader does not need the opinion of his subordinates; he imposes his will and exerts psychological pressure. He uses threats, does not perceive emotions, his tone is harsh and does not tolerate objections. He keeps a distance from his subordinates and is afraid of qualified workers expressing their opinions.

2. Democratic(contractual, economic).

The collegial style is distinguished by the joint development of an action plan and its implementation. A manager who uses cooperative management listens to the opinions of employees and maintains a friendly atmosphere in the team.

Conflict situations are resolved through negotiations and compromises. A democratic leadership style presupposes the desire of a group of employees to complete a given task and the distribution of responsibilities in accordance with abilities. The manager does not control the production process; he is interested in the end result.

Such management increases the interest of employees in completing assigned tasks, stimulates them to show initiative and creativity, development, and advanced training.

3. Liberal(permissive, anarchic).

This type of leadership is characterized by delegating tasks and part of the responsibility to other team members. An anarchic manager sets tasks, creates conditions for work, and determines time frames. Subsequent work consists of third-party observation, expert recommendations and evaluation of the final product of collective work.

A permissive leadership style leads to the seizure of actual power by deputies and department heads. The manager is gentle in communication, makes contact at the employee’s initiative, and is not concerned about maintaining strict discipline. He often makes persuasion, does not keep promises, and cannot say a firm “no.”

Despite all the negative qualities, the liberal recognizes the level of professional training of each employee and assigns feasible tasks. This gives positive results.

Employees think that only their creativity and independent decision-making ensure the final result. In fact, the outcome is predetermined by competent organization and distribution of responsibilities by the leader.

The analysis showed that the choice of authoritarian, democratic or liberal leadership style does not affect performance. Each type has its pros and cons. The validity of the style is determined by the specific state of affairs in the organization.

In difficult production situations that require making tough decisions and taking full sole responsibility, an authoritarian leadership style is acceptable. And if production is stable and well-established, then employees will prefer a democratic leader.

A liberal leadership style is acceptable in a team of highly qualified specialists who do not need control or guardianship. There, everyone does their own thing and is responsible for the final result of the assigned tasks.

The replacement of outdated production with new technologies, a changing labor market, and an increased level of professional training dictate the need to increase the effectiveness of leadership style.

Successful European and Asian companies practice innovative-analytical style. A top-level manager must generate ideas, analyze them, implement them into production, maintain good relationships with the team, and respond adequately to failures.

Other style - complicit, or participative, implies openness of relationships, involvement of subordinates in planning, making joint important decisions, and holding regular meetings. The leader creates groups with the right to make independent decisions. It is used in innovative scientific organizations, where all employees are highly qualified and have a creative approach to work.

The choice of management style is directly related to the personality of the manager. Thus, according to the nature of their actions, managers are divided into passive and active. Passive managers are liberals. In relation to the use of power they are divided into unitarians and pluralists. The first type concentrates power in their own hands and uses an authoritarian leadership style. The second one combines one’s own opinion with that of others to achieve a goal, and practices a democratic style.

The characteristics of the styles indicate that in practice they are not applicable in their pure form. Leaders behave differently in each specific situation.

Throughout a managerial career, techniques of all styles anddepending on the circumstancesto complete tasks on timethe most effective ones are selected.

“Management Grid” by R. Blake and M. Mouton

• 1. (1;1.) Primitive management or “rest at work” (unified management)

Permissive leadership style. The manager does not delve into the essence of projects and is cold with employees. He will not strive to develop the company, and if difficulties arise, he will turn to his superior for help.

• 2. (1;9.) Social leadership (country club management)

Managers are kind of attentive to employees, but mediocre in production matters. Such a leader cares about the needs of his subordinates. But at the same time, production processes suffer. It is worth noting that in such a team, employees are less likely to quit.

• 3. (9;1) Authoritarian leadership (power - submission)

Managers of this type are more interested in solving production issues and less interested in the atmosphere in the team.

Such a leader will not allow familiarity. Discipline in the team is what is important for such a manager.

• 4. (5;5) Production - social management (organizational management)

A leader of this type tries to find a middle ground between effective organization of the work process and a trusting atmosphere in the team. The final decision remains his, but he will certainly ask the opinion of his subordinates.

• 5. (9;9) Team leadership or face-to-face leadership (group management)

This position characterizes a type of leader who treats both people and the production he heads equally. This type of manager strives to make every effort, both in the field of social policy and in production itself. They believe that the best way to increase productivity and improve the quality of products and services is to actively involve subordinates in the decision-making process. This makes it possible to increase job satisfaction for all workers and take into account changes that affect production efficiency.

Strengths and weaknesses of each leadership style

To properly manage a team, you need to analyze the pros and cons of each management style. Based on this knowledge and personal qualities, choose for yourself the most acceptable option suitable for a specific situation.

Advantages and disadvantages of management styles

After analyzing the table, we can conclude that the manual is divided into 2 types according to orientation:

• to solve problems;
• to the team.

Often, a manager intuitively chooses methods that are closer to him in terms of his perception of the world, manner of communication, and upbringing.

Leadership style and psychological climate in the organization

The manager’s task is to create a healthy psychological environment in the team. Effective, constructive work of employees is possible if everyone is interested in the final result of work and demonstrates business, professional qualities and abilities. This is achieved by developing criteria for assessing the effectiveness and quality of work, psychological and material motivation.

Scientists have discovered that labor productivity is directly related to the interaction and compatibility of individuals in a work group.

Outside the team, motivation, despite the initial interest, gradually decreases, since there is no competitive moment.

The psychological climate includes three main components:

• perception of the leader, participation in management;
• cohesion of team members, ways to resolve possible conflicts;
• satisfaction with the contribution to the common cause.

The manager makes decisions alone, does not welcome initiative, uses threats and disciplinary sanctions. When giving orders, he expects unquestioning execution of orders and conveys a minimum of information to employees. Strict control is exercised, imposing one's will.

These factors create an unfavorable environment in the team. The staff is under constant emotional stress, performing monotonous work, fearing penalties or a reprimand. An unhealthy psychological climate leads to conflicts and staff turnover.

Competent selection of employees helps smooth out the situation with an authoritarian management style. Teams mixed by gender have a more cultural level; the presence of workers of different ages implies an exchange of experience and a reduction in adaptation time.

A democratic leadership style looks much more attractive to job seekers. With it, employees are involved in management and voluntarily take responsibility. Everyone is informed about the reward system. The employee freely expresses his opinion, conflicts are discussed collectively. The leader accepts criticism and, under pressure from arguments, is able to abandon his decision. Asks for the final result, does not control over small details, loves to negotiate.

Partnership relationships, not imposing one’s will, and building pride in completing assigned tasks motivates staff, creates a favorable environment, and stimulates them to work productively.

With a permissive style, interference in the affairs of the manager's employees is minimal. The liberal does not consider it necessary to control at intermediate stages, does not participate in solving important issues, and is indifferent to criticism. Incentives are random and unsystematic. When treated politely and tactfully, the staff feels the manager’s indifference towards them.

The psychological climate in the team with this management style is unfavorable, since employees do not have the motivation to increase their productivity.

How to identify your leadership style

A candidate's management style can be identified at the interview stage. For this purpose, express tests and case interviews are used. When conducting surveys, they take notes about speech, demeanor, and communication style, which can tell a lot about a person.

Leader identification tasks

Test 1

Determines the presence and confidence in the correctness of one’s opinion. They offer to calculate the cost of a product based on unrealistic data or propose a plausible condition of the problem, but dispute the correct answer. A true leader will not doubt the correctness of the decision and will try to firmly defend his opinion.

Test 2

They ask the candidate to convey to the interviewer the story they have told about the company. Observe the style of presentation. The leader will not repeat word for word, but will convey information from his point of view. In addition to listing the facts, the leader will express his thoughts on what he heard.

Test 3

They suggest that the applicant do something extraordinary that disrupts the flow of the interview. For example, tell a joke, sing. Based on the reaction to the proposal, they conclude that they are prepared for an unexpected turn of events, a critical situation.

Companies with a high corporate culture conduct case interviews.

More often, the candidate is given tasks to find a solution to get out of a problem situation. The answers determine creativity, conflict tolerance, and stress resistance. Is the applicant able to take responsibility or will he redirect the search for a solution to another person.

Knowing the characteristics of leadership styles, it is not difficult to determine who the future leader is - a unitarist who concentrates individual power, a democrat who solves problems together with the team, or a liberal who shifts responsibility to the staff.

The answers to the questions of the self-diagnosis test help to identify the managerial leadership style. Select one of the three proposed options and check the box.

Questions

1. When making decisions, you: a) consult with subordinates; b) try to shift the decision to others; c) take responsibility.
2. When resolving organizational issues: a) reserve only general control; b) do not interfere, leaving the solution to the problem to the team; c) determine the actions of employees at each stage.
3. How do you exercise control over your subordinates: a) rely on self-control; b) you think that control is not needed; c) monitor the actions of each employee.
4. In a situation requiring urgent decisions: a) consult with the staff; b) shift responsibility to the actual leaders of the team; c) you make decisions alone.
5. Relationships with the team: a) help subordinates; b) communicate freely; c) communicate only at the initiative of employees.
6. Attitude to criticism: a) take it into account; b) don’t react at all; c) do not allow comments.
7. Maintaining discipline: a) rely on self-discipline; b) do not put pressure on the team; c) demand complete obedience.
8. If you have difficulty making decisions: a) seek advice; b) shift the decision to subordinates; c) you decide alone.
9. When leading a team: a) use requests; b) you cannot order; c) give orders and expect unquestioning execution.
10. Assessing yourself as a leader: a) demanding, but fair; b) undemanding; c) strict, picky.

Where: a) - democratic style; b) - liberal; c) - directive.

Count the number of checkmarks corresponding to each answer option. Pure leadership styles are rare. More often they are mixed, with a tendency towards democracy. For example, if the test result is: a) - 6; b) -3; c) - 1, then your style is democratic-liberal.

German psychologist Michael Eichberger developed types of leaders by which management style is determined. The theory divides managers by gender, attitude to business and team:

1. The Iron Lady.

2. Despot.

An authoritarian leader who hides his complexes behind a mask of rigidity and intransigence. Can publicly reprimand for a minor offense. When communicating with him, it is not recommended to show emotions when responding to comments.

3. Patriarch.

Makes decisions independently, without consulting anyone. Despite the authoritarian management style, he is respected by the team for his professionalism and care for people.

4. Older sister.

Loves meetings, discussions and teamwork. He selects a strong team and provides patronage to his subordinates. Welcomes innovative ideas and suggestions. Adhering to a democratic leadership style, he does not accept the shifting of responsibility from one employee to another.

5. Single wrestler.

The liberal manager is reluctant to convey information to the working group. Doesn't like to be bothered with little things. He prefers to handle current affairs through his secretary.

A. Zhuravlev’s test, consisting of 27 characteristics of a leader, each of which contains 5 options, helps to determine the prevailing leadership style. The technique is used for self-diagnosis and expert assessment. The second option involves passing the test by an equal number (1–5 people) of lower, higher and equal managers. After receiving the results, the answers are compared.

Psychologist, family therapist, career coach. Member of the Federation of Consulting Psychologists of Russia and member of the Professional Guild of Psychotherapy and Training.

Leadership style- this is a qualitative characteristic of the leader’s activities, the ways of his influence on performers. These methods depend on the following factors:

• 1) the dominant political regime (totalitarian, democratic, liberal), which leaves its mark on all aspects of life not only of society, but also of its individual subjects, including firms;
• 2) the size of the organization, the nature of its activities and its divisions, the existing order of business in them, the prevailing value system and type of culture;
• 3) the position of the manager on the hierarchical ladder;
• 4) positions of senior administration;
• 5) psychological characteristics of the team, relationships within it;
• 6) individual qualities of a leader, which precisely define him personal style (individual behavior);
• 7) personal qualities of subordinates, their level of qualifications, maturity, readiness to cooperate, the nature of the reaction to influence from the manager;
• 8) features of the situation;
• 9) one or another combination of the listed factors.

Basic leadership styles

Historically, the first and still, apparently, the most common leadership style in practice is authoritarian. It is considered universal, especially among top officials. Its characteristic features:

• 1) centralization of all power in the hands of the leader and his adoption of individual decisions, which are subsequently imposed on the performers;
• 2) distancing the manager from his subordinates and the predominance of official relations between them;
• 3) issuing orders to performers in the form of an order without explaining their connection with the general goals and objectives of the organization;
• 4) widespread use of administration and punishment.

We can talk about two types of authoritarian style. "Autocratic" variety assumes that the features of the style are expressed as clearly as possible. The manager views his subordinates as “talking instruments,” holds them “with a tight grip,” punishes them for any offense, ignores the problems of his subordinates and themselves as individuals.

At " paternalistic" Varieties of these extremes are largely smoothed out. The organization is viewed as one family, and the leader is its head. He cares about his subordinates, is interested in their opinions, provides them with some independence, but under strict control on his part, and they must show unquestioning submission, gratitude and devotion towards him.

The authoritarian style, by concentrating all power in the hands of the leader, ensures maximum productivity when performing simple activities and allows you to quickly stabilize a difficult situation. But it does not create the internal interest of performers in work, because excessive disciplinary measures cause fear and anger in a person and suppress initiative.

This style of leadership is effective if subordinates are completely in the power of the leader (for example, in military service) or trust him unlimitedly (like actors in a director or athletes in a coach). And he is sure that they are not able to act correctly on their own.

Authoritarian style leadership is summarized in the book “Theory X” by Douglas McGregor, which sets out F. Taylor’s views on the worker of the industrial era. According to these views, the average person has an aversion to work and a desire to avoid it at the first opportunity. Most employees do not strive for anything, avoid taking responsibility and prefer to be led.

Therefore, people need to be forced (mainly through punishment) to fulfill their assigned duties and their actions must be continuously monitored. However, McGregor clarifies that such behavior is determined not so much by the properties of human nature, but by the external conditions in which people have to live and work.

And they until the middle of the 20th century. were very far from ideal even in the most developed countries: hard, unskilled physical labor predominated in enterprises, and the length of the working week far exceeded 40 hours, so it was difficult to expect a different attitude of people towards work.

In his book “Theory Υ,” McGregor argues that most people have sufficient imagination, ingenuity, and creativity that can be successfully applied in the interests of the organization.

McGregor believes that a normal person under normal conditions is not only ready to take responsibility, but also seeks it. Avoidance of responsibility, lack of ambition, concern for personal safety are only a consequence of external influences and do not reflect the specifics of human nature.

As a result of scientific and technological progress, most types of physical labor and routine operations related to mental labor are beginning to be performed by machines under the control of the machines themselves. This inevitably leads to a change in the nature of work and, accordingly, people’s attitude towards their work. Today, according to McGregor, even an ordinary person should not feel disgust towards her. Under appropriate conditions, work can and should serve as a source of pleasure, and not at all a punishment that people would try to avoid.

Voluntary performance of one's duties makes coercion and external control unnecessary. A person can manage his activities independently, directing them towards achieving a set goal, which in itself becomes a reward for the efforts made.

"Theory Υ" describes the democratic leadership style that dominates modern firms. It is characterized by a high degree of decentralization of management, active participation of employees in decision-making, including group decisions, free exchange of information between managers and performers, mutual trust between them, and attention of the administration to personnel development. Under these conditions, fulfilling official duties turns out to be attractive, and success serves as a reward that satisfies higher needs.

Democratic style, also called cooperative , are used by self-confident managers who trust their subordinates and control not them, but the results. There are two types (forms) of democratic leadership style: consultative and participatory.

Advisory the form involves the involvement of many people as consultants in setting goals and monitoring their implementation.

Participative the form assumes that managers completely trust their subordinates in all matters (and then they respond in kind), always listen to them, use all constructive suggestions, involve subordinates in setting goals and monitoring their implementation.

Typically, a democratic leadership style is used in cases where the performers have a good, sometimes better understanding of the intricacies of the work than the manager and can make highly qualified decisions themselves. However, due to the difficulties of coordinating the work of performers, decisions are made slowly.

Research has shown that under conditions of an authoritarian leadership style, it is possible to accomplish twice as much work as under democratic conditions, but its quality, originality, novelty, and the presence of elements of creativity will be the same order of magnitude lower.

Where it is necessary to stimulate the creative approach of performers to solving assigned tasks, it is most preferable liberal (conniving ) leadership style. Its essence is that the leader sets a task for his subordinate, creates the conditions necessary to solve it, defines the framework of independence, and maintains a favorable moral and psychological climate. Subordinates independently make decisions based on discussion and look for ways to implement them. The manager performs the functions of a consultant, arbiter, expert, evaluates the results obtained, and rewards for success.

All this allows employees to express themselves, brings satisfaction, generates mutual trust and creates a favorable moral and psychological climate in the team.

The liberal leadership style is becoming widespread due to the growing scale of scientific research and development, which is carried out by highly qualified specialists who do not accept pressure, petty supervision, etc.

At the same time, this style can easily be transformed into bureaucratic, when the manager completely withdraws from affairs, transferring them into the hands of “promotes”. The latter manage the team on his behalf, using authoritarian methods. At the same time, he himself only pretends that power is in his hands, but in reality he becomes more and more dependent on his voluntary assistants (Table 11.3).

Table 11.3

Comparison table of main leadership styles

"One-dimensionality" and "multidimensionality" of leadership. It must be borne in mind that in each specific case there is a certain balance between authoritarian, democratic and liberal (permissive) styles, and an increase in the proportion of elements of one of them will lead to a decrease in the proportion of others. They themselves smoothly transform into one another.

The idea of ​​the management continuum was detailed in the leadership model Tannenbaum And Schmidt, which assumes that, depending on the degree of independence provided to the performers, the manager chooses one of the following seven options for action.

• 1. Individual actions within the freedom zone.
• 2. Delegation of authority to the group.
• 3. Statement of the problem and waiting for proposals to solve it.
• 4. Making decisions with possible adjustments on the advice of performers.
• 5. Putting forward ideas and discussing them in a group.
• 6. Convincing subordinates of the correctness of the decisions made.
• 7. Sole decision-making and informing employees about it.

According to F. Fiedler, A manager, as a rule, is not able to change his management style, so it is necessary, based on the situation and the task at hand, to place him in those conditions where he can best express himself.

When the tasks are clearly formulated, the manager’s official powers are significant, and his relations with subordinates are favorable and the latter are easy to influence (as well as in the opposite case, when everything is bad), it is better for the manager to be an autocrat, to use instrumental Style, give simple instructions, relegating the establishment of human relationships to the background. This ensures efficiency in making and implementing decisions and reliability of control.

maintaining human relationships, most suitable in situations that are moderately favorable for the leader, when he does not have sufficient power. If the interaction with subordinates is good, the latter will mostly do what is required, and the leader's influence will gradually increase. Orientation towards the organizational side of the matter under these conditions can cause conflict.

Another model describing the dependence of leadership style on the situation was proposed by T. Mitchell And R. House. Since performers will strive to achieve the goals of the organization if they receive some personal benefit from it, the main task of management is to:

• – explain what benefits await them if they do good work;
• – eliminate obstacles to its implementation;
• – provide the necessary support, give advice, direct actions along the right path.

Depending on the situation, the preferences and personal qualities of the performers, the degree of their confidence in their abilities and the ability to influence the situation, this model proposes four leadership styles.

If employees have a great need for self-esteem and belonging to a team, then it is preferable support style, similar to the human relations-oriented style.

When employees strive for autonomy and independence, it is better to use instrumental style. This is explained by the fact that subordinates, especially when nothing depends on them, wanting to complete the task as quickly as possible, prefer to be told what and how to do, and to create the necessary working conditions.

Where subordinates strive for high results and are confident that they can achieve them, it is used achievement-oriented style. The manager sets feasible tasks for them and provides the necessary working conditions. Performers, to the extent possible, decide on their own.

Leadership style focused on participation of subordinates in decision making, most corresponds to the situation when subordinates strive to realize themselves in management. At the same time, the leader must share information with them and widely use their ideas.

Used in ambiguous situations instrumental Style, since the leader better sees the state of affairs as a whole and his instructions can serve as a good guide for performers.

In accordance with situational concept P. Hursley And K. Blanchard the use of one or another leadership style depends on the degree of maturity of the performers, their ability to be responsible for their behavior, on education and experience in solving specific problems, on the internal desire to achieve their goals. This concept allows us to formulate four main leadership styles.

• 1. The essence of the simplest thing is issuing instructions immature, incapable and unwilling employees to be responsible for their work about what and how to do. In this case, they first of all focus on solving organizational and technical problems, and then on establishing human relations and creating a team.
• 2. For employees with an average level of maturity who already want to take responsibility, but do not have the necessary skills for this, the manager must simultaneously give instructions and help to work independently.
• 3. When employees have the necessary training, but do not show initiative, the most successful style is considered to be one that involves them participation in decision making. In the process of working together, the leader is faced with the task of awakening in them a sense of involvement in the matter and a desire to prove themselves.
• 4. At a high degree of maturity, when people are willing and able to take responsibility and work independently, it is recommended delegate authority and create conditions for collective management.

According to V. Vrooma And F. Yetton, Depending on the situation, the characteristics of the team and the characteristics of the problem itself, five management styles are possible.

• 1. Leader myself makes decisions based on available information.
• 2. The manager tells his subordinates the essence of the problem, listens to their opinions and makes a decision.
• 3. The manager presents the problem to his subordinates, summarizes their opinions and taking them into account makes his own decision.
• 4. Leader discusses with subordinates problem and as a result a common opinion is developed.
• 5. Leader constantly works with the group, which either develops a collective decision or makes the best one, regardless of who its author is.

When choosing a style, managers use the following main criteria:

• – availability of sufficient information and experience among subordinates;
• – level of requirements for the solution;
• – clarity and structure of the problem;
• – the degree of involvement of subordinates in the affairs of the organization and the need to coordinate decisions with them;
• – the likelihood that the manager’s decision will receive the support of subordinates;
• – interest of performers in achieving goals;
• – the degree of likelihood of internal conflicts arising as a result of decision-making.

Depending on these criteria, the manager uses the five management styles listed above.

Many successful managers believe that the main task for a manager at any level is to combine successful personal work with the productive activities of the department. In other words, the area you manage, with your help, should become a team of creative and executive people who harmoniously, conflict-free and successfully carry out the tasks assigned to them. Your career growth, authority, and the number of people who support you depend on how you succeed. And importantly, the number of people who treat you negatively decreases. To dream that they will not exist at all is, at least, naive. There are many obstacles along the career path. Some of them are of an objective nature, and it seems extremely difficult to overcome them. It is entirely within your power to cope with others. Let's list at least some of them. If you are an uncommunicative and closed person, you will have a hard time. Develop your communication skills, become an extrovert, stop focusing only on yourself and your work, see how beautiful the world is, and share your discoveries with others. You yourself will be surprised how much easier and freer it will become for you to communicate with colleagues and, first of all, with your boss.

• Cm.: Vesnin V. R. Management: textbook. M.: TK Velby; Prospect, 2004.
• URL: delovoymir.biz/ru/biznes_statyi/tag/stili-rukovodstva/.

Leadership style- a method, a system of methods of influence of a leader on subordinates. One of the most important factors for the effective operation of an organization, the full realization of the potential capabilities of people and teams. Most researchers identify the following leadership styles:

• Directive style (authoritarian);
• Democratic style (collegial);
• Liberal style (permissive or anarchic).

Directive management style characterized by high centralization of leadership and dominance of unity of command. The manager demands that all matters be reported to him and makes decisions alone or cancels them. He does not listen to the opinion of the team; he decides everything for the team himself. The predominant management methods are orders, punishments, remarks, reprimands, and deprivation of various benefits. Control is very strict, detailed, depriving subordinates of initiative. The interests of the business are placed significantly above the interests of people, harshness and rudeness predominate in communication.

Democratic management style characterized by the distribution of powers, initiative and responsibility between the manager and deputies, the manager and subordinates. A leader of a democratic style always finds out the team’s opinion on important production issues and makes collegial decisions. Team members are informed regularly and in a timely manner on issues that are important to them. Communication with subordinates takes place in the form of requests, wishes, recommendations, advice, rewards for high-quality and efficient work, in a friendly and polite manner; orders are applied as necessary. The leader stimulates a favorable psychological climate in the team and defends the interests of subordinates.

Liberal management style characterized by the lack of active participation of the manager in team management. Such a leader “goes with the flow,” waits or requires instructions from above, or falls under the influence of the team. He prefers not to take risks, “keep his head down,” avoids resolving urgent conflicts, and strives to reduce his personal responsibility. He lets his work take its course and rarely controls it. This leadership style is preferable in creative teams where employees are independent and creative.

There are no “bad” or “good” management styles. The specific situation, type of activity, personal characteristics of subordinates and other factors determine the optimal balance of each style and the prevailing leadership style. A study of the practice of leading organizations shows that each of the three leadership styles is present to varying degrees in the work of an effective leader.

Contrary to popular stereotypes, the prevailing leadership style is largely independent of gender. (There is a misconception that female managers are softer and focused primarily on maintaining good relationships with business partners, while male managers are more aggressive and results-oriented). The reasons for the separation of leadership styles may be more likely to be personality traits and temperament, rather than gender characteristics.

Successful top managers - both men and women - do not follow only one style. As a rule, they intuitively or quite consciously combine different leadership strategies.

The democratic leadership style has nine characteristic features:

1. Mutual influence between the manager and employees, which involves the manager’s refusal to exercise some of his rights and responsibilities for decision-making and transferring them to group members, as well as not only the active participation of group members in decision-making, but also their extensive daily cooperation.
2. Functional differentiation of roles, taking into account the competence of group members. The cooperative style tries to combine the desire of everyone to accomplish a common task with a rational distribution of functions depending on the abilities of workers.
3. Multilateral information and communication relations. A wide network of vertical, horizontal and diagonal information flows is designed to facilitate the competent performance of organizational tasks, as well as the development of interpersonal relationships.
4. Conflict resolution through negotiation, bargaining and compromise. In conflict situations, a leader who adheres to a cooperative style uses precisely these methods and refuses unilateral authoritarian decisions.
5. Group orientation. The leader's focus on the team and people allows employees to exercise increasing influence on management processes and thereby increase satisfaction with work and being in the group.
6. Trust as the basis of cooperation. An atmosphere of mutual trust between members of the organization is an indispensable condition for a cooperative leadership style.
7. Satisfying the needs of employees and managers. This trait has the peculiarity that the leader who possesses it pays special attention to the implementation of the personal and professional interests of the members of the organization, which is not directly dependent only on the economic efficiency of the enterprise.
8. Focus on goals and results. Contradictions between the individual goals of employees and the goal of the organization are not camouflaged, which is the case with authoritarian-bureaucratic leadership, but are resolved on the basis of their integration with the active participation of all interested parties. This allows for real support for the overall focus on achieving excellence in the organization.
9. Focus on the development of personnel and the entire organization.

Organizations dominated by a democratic leadership style are characterized by a high degree of decentralization of authority, active participation of employees in decision-making, the creation of conditions in which the performance of official duties is attractive to them, and the reward for staff is a sense of involvement in achieving success.

Types of democratic leadership style:

- “consultative” leadership style;
- “participative” leadership style.

The “consultative” style implies that the leader largely trusts his subordinates, consults with them, and strives to use the best of what they offer. Among incentive measures, encouragement predominates, and punishments are used only in exceptional cases. Employees are generally satisfied with such a management system, despite the fact that most decisions are suggested to them from above, and usually try to provide such a manager with all possible assistance and moral support in necessary cases.

The “participatory” style implies that the manager completely trusts his subordinates in all matters, always listens to them and uses all constructive suggestions, organizes a wide exchange of comprehensive information, and involves subordinates in setting goals and monitoring their implementation.

Qualities required for a leader to effectively use a democratic leadership style:

Openness;
- trust in employees;
- renunciation of personal privileges;
- ability and desire to delegate authority;
- non-interference in the implementation of current tasks, control through official authorities (through relevant managers and channels);
- control based on results;
- justification to employees of the facts of sole decision-making.

In a democratic style, employees are viewed as nothing more than partners who can handle day-to-day tasks largely on their own. They are typically characterized by a high level of professional training, knowledge and experience.

Qualities required by employees to effectively use a democratic leadership style:

High level of professional training;
- desire to take responsibility;
- expressed need for independence;
- willingness and ability to take responsibility for one’s actions;
- desire for creativity and personal growth;
- interest in work;
- orientation towards long-term life and organizational goals;
- high importance of colleagues’ opinions about them;
- high level of self-control;
- availability of control rights, desire and ability to use them.

Advantages of a democratic leadership style:

Qualification of decisions made;
- high level of employee motivation;
- unloading of the manager.

Disadvantages of democratic leadership style:

Difficulty in ensuring the conditions for its effectiveness;
- slowing down the decision-making process.

Modern researchers, noting the scientific and methodological value of early developments in the issue of leadership styles, reject a simplified approach to classifying the entire diversity of leadership behavior and dividing them into only three specified styles. In relation to practice - even two, since the conniving style is generally not effective and cannot be cultivated consciously.

The ideal-typical nature of the styles under consideration means that they all represent extreme, ideal examples of behavior, the exact correspondence of which is very difficult to find in life.

The behavior of the vast majority of leaders usually combines various elements inherent in each of these styles, so more precise research tools are needed to characterize leadership styles.

“Every broom sweeps differently” - hidden in this popular saying is the idea of ​​the diversity of personality types of leaders and their management styles. By carefully observing the work of several managers in a team, you can notice the difference in the formation of working relationships. management directly influences the company's performance. This fact may explain why some companies close down, while others survive and thrive even in times of crisis.

The personality of the leader, management styles and company results - these things are closely related. By combining several methods of guidance, you can get closer to the ideal result. After all, the style of a leader and the effectiveness of management are inseparable things. If you are a boss, then it is important for you to understand what kind of person you really are. This way you will understand your strengths and weaknesses, and you will be able to achieve better results.

Brief description of leadership styles

Management style is a complex of relationships between management and subordinates and methods of influencing these two groups on each other. The performance of subordinates, the atmosphere in the team and its ability to achieve its goals and objectives depend on the quality of these relationships. Manager styles in team management can be of five types.

The famous American-German psychologist and writer in the 30s of the last century published and identified three leadership styles, which later became classics. A little later, inconsistent and situational were added to them. After studying the table with a brief description of the manager, you can find yourself and immediately move on to reading the desired section. It’s better to read all the material - in life you will have to deal with different people, and it’s better to be prepared. What are the different leadership styles?

Authoritarian

(from Lat. auctoritas - power, influence) - imperious, does not like to discuss, to be objected to, much less resisted. If the boss is this type of person, then the manager’s management style is authoritarian. This type belongs to one of the three classic ones.

Manager characteristics

This management style of a leader - authoritarian - is justified in stressful situations: wars, crises, epidemics, and so on, because such a person acts quickly and takes responsibility. In conversations he is tough and irreconcilable. Authoritarian leaders rise to the highest levels of power and successfully maintain their position. This leadership style is more common in Russia than others. This may be quite justified in large companies, factories, creative teams and the army. Negotiations on purchases or approvals are carried out in a tough mode, in an atmosphere that is heated to the limit.

An authoritarian leader collects all power in his hands and does not allow anyone to even encroach on part of it. Subordinates are under strict control and constantly undergo various checks. But the authoritarian style is divided into two more models: exploitative and benevolent.

“Exploitor” fully lives up to its name, it’s just “Pablo Escobar” in the company. Such a manager squeezes all the juice out of his subordinates, does not consider people’s interests, and is not interested in anyone’s opinion at all. It can stimulate workers with threats, blackmail, fines and other persecution.

Never allows even the slightest independence in making decisions or performing tasks. Everything must be done exactly as the “exploiter” said. Any authoritarian leader constantly issues orders, decrees and other regulations. Everything is certified with seals, paintings and dates. When it comes to completing tasks, he is extremely demanding and impatient, although he is capable of making concessions if he is not under emotion. If the leader is not in a good mood, then he can say and do anything, and then there is no need to expect an apology. At the same time, this behavior should not be confused with manipulative techniques, when all emotions are just “theater” - authoritarian leaders love to use this. Subordinates are deprived of the opportunity to take initiative.

A leader’s “benevolent” management style creates a more welcoming atmosphere, if you can call it that. Such a leader is already interested in the opinions of his subordinates, but can act in his own way, even if the opinion was expressed correctly. In general, such a boss communicates with his subordinates condescendingly, “in a fatherly way”, he may sympathize, but dryly and literally for a second, and then he will immediately remind him that the subordinate is now at work, and no one is interested in his experiences. You should not think that the second model is very different from the first - for all its benevolence, this is still an authoritarian leader: tough, domineering and demanding.

Any of these types love letters, signs, seals, paintings, abbreviations and abbreviations. All this should be big, sweeping, imperial. Such leaders become people with a paranoid personality pattern - power-hungry, distrustful and unprincipled. As a rule, they are workaholics who do not know how to rest, who are loving and capable of imposing their opinions and will on others.

Relations with subordinates

If in relations with subordinates a “benevolent” leader builds a distance that no one should cross, then for an “exploiter” this distance becomes intergalactic. The conversation is conducted in a commanding, rude manner. Employees are depressed and unmotivated, and there is a high risk of conflicts developing in the company. Criticism, even constructive criticism, is absent as a concept.

Not everyone has the courage to ask such a leader about personal matters, and this is justified - “Pablo Escobar” does not want to know anything about his subordinates, much less think about the difficulties of his employees. The possibility of getting something even for an enterprise is almost zero, if the autocrat himself did not talk about it. And if he spoke earlier, then he himself will decide when, who and what to receive. It is useless to argue with such a type - he has excellent training in tough negotiations, and his subordinate cannot talk him down. If the subordinate continues to insist, he will quickly receive a fine or reprimand, and will still have to follow the instructions. It is useless to show emotions in front of such a leader - he will look at the person as if he were a carpet. Zero empathy.

A “benevolent” type can listen to a subordinate, but he will have to immediately get to the point and not drag his feet, otherwise, “your time is up,” and you can only get to him with your question in the next life. It happens that the manager can even give advice. A “benevolent” person can provide vacation, departure on urgent business, or receiving more than what is due - but for this you need to “defend” your plan to him, how to sell him the idea of ​​why he should do this for you. But even if everything is done brilliantly, there is a big risk that the manager will do it his own way, and it is impossible to find out the reasons for the decision.

Problem solving

For the “exploiter” and the “benevolent”, everything is simple - everyone must work without rest or interruption and lay down their lives for the benefit of the enterprise. Those who disagree with this are declared “enemies of the people” and must leave the company.

Subordinates are obliged to carry out decrees without question. The faster and better the duties are performed, the more successful the enterprise achieves. And the more new tasks the autocrat will place on the shoulders of his subordinates. In solving problems, authoritarian leaders have no principles - the end justifies the means. This should be remembered, because the greater the level of influence of the autocrat, the tougher he will act.

Method of communication

There is no point in fussing and showing duplicity with such managers - they will figure it out in no time. Maybe not today, but tomorrow, and then it won’t be good. The autocrat knows how to weave intrigues better than anyone, so there is no point in competing in this direction either. By the way, about competition - this is the strong point of an authoritarian (and paranoid too) person, it is better not to get in his way. Why? Because there are no principles, and to achieve the goal, the autocrat justifies any means. Attempts at suggestion will fail - autocrats have zero suggestion. The best approach is collaboration. This will make things easier, and career opportunities will appear on the horizon. Examples of leaders: Donald Trump, Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler.

Democratic

The work and management style of a democratic leader is completely different from an authoritarian one. This style of work implies an equal distribution of duties and responsibilities among company employees. A democratic leader gathers around himself a team of subordinates who can be relied upon. Such a team that solves problems and launches even complex projects, and for this there is no need to coerce or intimidate employees. At the same time, there will still be responsibility, because a democrat is not a liberal-permissive person, but a leader aimed at a specific result.

Democratic managers also achieve great heights in business and politics, just like authoritarian ones. Only they create a more benevolent atmosphere than autocrats.

Manager characteristics

People with strong expressions, but at the same time not putting their Ego first, gravitate towards the democratic style. A democratic leader is a peaceful warrior: he is not the first to start a war, but if he is attacked, he will have to answer to the fullest extent of the law. This management style of the manager creates a friendly atmosphere in the team and helps to motivate the staff to solve problems with a certain amount of creativity. Such a manager can, without any complaints, consider taking time off, helping, or purchasing new equipment for the company. If you provide your ideas or requests with an evidence base, then the manager can be persuaded to make a positive decision on your issue.

Relations with subordinates

Friendly and business relationships develop that can turn into friendships, although this is rare. Whatever the management style of a leader, do not forget that he is a leader, and there is no need to cross boundaries. A democratic leader uses a humane approach to his subordinates, understands their position to a certain extent, and easily organizes motivational competitions or gifts for exceeding plans.

People with this management style feel best in mid-level positions, for example, head of a department or head of a city district. Even in companies with an authoritarian management style, departments with a democratic leader develop their own “atmosphere” - and the authority of the department head is higher than that of the head of the organization.

Among the disadvantages, the following can be noted: a democrat can play “friend”, and then disputes and conflict situations will arise more and more often, instead of work. Shifting the focus from achieving goals to increased attention to employees does not bring the team closer to achieving goals. In this case, a democratic leader loses his authority and level of influence on the team, but he will still have a bonus up his sleeve in the form of a fine or an order, although such bosses rarely use it.

Problem solving

Solving problems comes down to first developing a plan of action through collective efforts. After this, performers are selected taking into account their skills and abilities. Without any resistance, such a leader invites an outside expert to the team and listens to his opinion. By the way, none of the subordinates is prohibited from expressing their opinion, because the manager is concerned about achieving results and is aware that he risks missing out on something important.

When planning deadlines, a reserve of time is included in the plan, because it takes into account the likelihood of errors by staff, and time is still needed to correct them. If difficulties arise during the course of work or an opportunity arises to do everything differently, then the manager quite easily adapts to the situation, although he does not really welcome this.

Method of communication

A democratic leader chooses a generally accepted style of communication. You can go into his office and “steal” some time. Listens to the opinions of staff, especially if the words are supported by facts and figures - this is worth using. You should not put pressure on such a leader - although he is soft, he bends like bamboo, and if you press hard, he will answer seriously. Whatever the leader, he will have very different management styles and methods. The best way to communicate is cooperation. You need to act within the framework of the assigned task, without missing deadlines. If you can improve or redo the work, you should immediately contact your boss and keep him informed. Examples of personalities: Vladimir Putin, Evgeny Chichvarkin, Lavrenty Beria.

Liberal-anarchist

This management style is similar to the democratic one, but there are differences. It is typical that the manager, having set the task clearly and precisely, setting the deadlines and speed of implementation, fades into the background. Thus, he allows subordinates to act independently, with almost no restrictions on the means and methods of performing tasks.

The liberal style is suitable for management. It is not necessary that this will be a song and dance group; the editorial office of a magazine, a design bureau, and other similar groups will be suitable.

Manager characteristics

The liberal style can be divided into two directions: anarchist and expert. In the first case, the leader is a person of weak character, non-conflict, conformist. He postpones solving important issues until the last moment or tries to completely abdicate responsibility by shifting it onto the shoulders of his deputies or subordinates. Such a manager can sit in his office for days and not go out to his employees - let them work.

The second type is more suitable for the role of an expert or an invited manager for temporary tasks - he gives instructions on how and what to do, in what way and in what time frame. Otherwise, he doesn’t interfere with his work, he doesn’t bother his subordinates, only if the situation is out of control. Authority rests on the level of his expertise, knowledge and skills in the current work.

Relations with subordinates

The liberal expert develops friendly, informal and strong relationships. In such teams, leaders grow up, who then either take power from the liberal or leave for new teams - as practice shows, these are authoritarian leaders.

The liberal leader almost does not interfere with the work of his subordinates, providing the maximum possible freedom of action. Provides subordinates with information, tools, trains and mentors, and reserves the right to make the final decision.

Problem solving

You shouldn’t think that a liberal leader will sit in his “shell” and not show his nose. This happens, but this does not characterize all liberal leaders. On the contrary, in the current situation, the popularity of this method of leading people is growing. This is especially noticeable in scientific, creative or other teams where the level of knowledge, competence and experience is high - a highly qualified specialist does not tolerate a slavish attitude towards himself, as well as excessive guardianship.

In the relationship between leader and organization, liberal management styles are well known. Soft management, trust, collaboration and collaboration are the foundations of a liberal company management style. There is no bad way to manage people, only the wrong way to use the tools in your hands. Determining the management style of a manager should begin as early as possible - this will make it easier to adapt to the situation or quickly find a new place of work.

Method of communication

A liberal manager does not attach much importance to the chosen method of communication, because the influence of this on the result of work is minimal. It is worth communicating with the manager himself, based on the goals of communication and what type of personality the manager has. Management styles can be different - either an anarchist or an expert. Don’t worry too much if you suddenly call your boss on a first name basis - he will correct you, but will not punish you with a fine, like an authoritarian. Examples: Roman Abramovich, Robert Kiyosaki.

Inconsistent

The name speaks for itself - there is no consistency or logic in actions. Such a boss moves from one management style to another, but does this out of inexperience, and this is the difference from the situational style.

Manager characteristics

Today such a manager is an authoritarian leader, and tomorrow he is an anarchist with a developed permissive nature of work. The results of the work of such a team are extremely low, and there is every chance of ruining the work of the enterprise or even destroying it. If a manager has experience in such a position, but adheres to an inconsistent work style, then he can be called a suggestible, weak-willed manager who cannot achieve goals.

Relations with subordinates

The team of an inconsistent leader is dissatisfied with their manager, does not know what to expect from the boss, and, moreover, everyone has little idea of ​​the ultimate goal and their opportunities for growth. Relationships are very tense, all this causes an increase in the negative atmosphere in the team. There is a high probability of omissions, intrigues and scandals.

Problem solving

It is impossible to achieve goals with such a leader, since he has a vague idea of ​​how the team should work. Problem solving is delegated to deputies and subordinates, and then taken upon themselves. Then some tasks are canceled, replaced with new ones, and so on. This management style of a leader creates confusion and anarchy.

Method of communication

It is also ambiguous and depends on the state of affairs in the company and the mood of the boss himself. Today he can tell stories about how he spent the weekend, and tomorrow he can play the role of the authoritarian “Pablo Escobar”. A subordinate with developed leadership and manipulative skills is able to unsettle such a leader for a long time. And then from my own chair. Examples: such people rarely achieve serious heights, but there is still a striking example - Mikhail Gorbachev.

Situational

The management style, in which the policy of relations is adjusted to the current state, is called situational. This is the optimal way to manage people and enterprises - in times of crisis it helps to get together, and during market rises to strengthen competitive advantages.

Do not confuse the situational approach and the duplicity of the leader. In the first case, the boss chooses a communication style based on the behavior of a specific person or group of people, in order to get the job done as efficiently as possible. In the second case, the boss takes different positions based on his own benefit.

Manager characteristics

These are experienced managers with many years of experience who have worked in different areas. In some people, management skills are inherent in nature - these are the so-called managers from God. But talent is replaced by diligence and constant learning. Knowing how to influence a person now comes with experience. This is one of the most acceptable ways to lead a team. With inept attempts to copy a style, there is a danger that the leader will turn into an opportunist who says what is beneficial at the moment.

Relations with subordinates

They develop trustingly, openly and easily - the team always has the feeling that their work is literally burning in their hands, and the manager always knows what needs to be done, how to punish and encourage the team. Due to their extensive practical experience, such leaders really seem to see through their subordinates and have the gift of foresight. Such bosses enjoy authority in the team.

A situational manager knows how best to communicate with a given group of subordinates or a single employee. In some cases, you can remain silent or even connive in something, but it only seems to an inexperienced eye that the leader has given slack.

Problem solving

Disputes, problems and tasks are resolved quickly and professionally. An experienced manager is able to quickly debug most of the work processes, and if force majeure occurs, then people are assigned to correct the situation based on the abilities and experience of the employees, and not personal preferences.

In general, the manager himself is more like a shadow - he hides his personal things and only deals with work. He doesn’t have any favorites, and if he does, one can wonder for a long time who was awarded such a role. It does not show obvious negativity; on the contrary, such a manager tries to find a common language with each problematic employee. Thanks to experience, this is often possible. It seems that such a person does not think about himself at all: where are all the “wants” and other complexes? To this question, the situational manager will only smile and shrug his shoulders.

It is rare that such a manager is not a workaholic.

Method of communication

Like the liberal expert, the situational manager chooses a simple communication style. Despite their high rank, such people are simple and open, and often optimistic and endowed with a sense of humor. They often enter into the position of an employee and can help by going beyond the work relationship. With age, managers become too kind and easy-going, and sometimes they can lose their grip, which unscrupulous workers take advantage of. But the team usually stands up for the leader, and if they see meanness towards their patron, they immediately take action.

Examples: most of the military, directors and managers of factories during the war and post-war times, such as Konstantin Rokossovsky, Ivan Romazan, Abraham Zavenyagin and others.

What style of leader are you?

No matter how a manager behaves, it is worth remembering that a manager’s individual management style is made up of the characteristics of a person’s upbringing and character, so there is no point in labeling them.

Management as the implementation of a leader’s individual style is a complex and multifaceted process, accompanied by a high level of stress, psychological and physical stress. Becoming a leader takes a long time, takes a lot of time and effort, and is associated with high risk. Therefore, support from higher-level managers and ongoing training are necessary.

What to do if you find yourself on this list? Take your strengths and focus on strengthening and developing them. Weaknesses should be given considerable attention - problems are points of growth. The faster you reconsider your attitude towards your negative traits, the faster and better you will develop as a leader.

What to do if you find your manager on the list? Now you know how best to build a relationship with him, and what moments you should avoid.