Bureaucratic leadership relies on a clear chain of command and strict regulations. Bureaucratic leadership style is a very decent style for work involving serious safety risks, such as handling toxic substances, moving large objects. The focus is on compliance with rules and laid down procedures to make sure that the group is doing their job correctly and safely. Learn some advantages and disadvantages of this style and situations in which this style could prove to be effective.
The term bureaucracy is referred to a group of non-elected officials within a government or other institution that implements the rules, laws, ideas, and functions of their institution. The term "bureaucracy" was created from the French word bureau, meaning desk or office. Weber describes six bureaucratic values that are vital in obtaining a functioning and self-sufficient business. These six characteristics include imperial positions, rule-governed decision making, professionalism, a chain of command, defined responsibilities, and bounded authority. Defined responsibility is an important value in bureaucracy and demands that an office or workplace must have fields of specialization in order to diversify the company. Every worker must know the responsibilities of his job in the most intimate detail possible. Further, there must be a stable, defined set of general rules for the employees that they must abide by at all times.
The bureaucratic leader is very structured and follows the procedures in the letter and spirit as they have been established by the organization. Leaders ensure that all the steps had been followed prior to sending it to the next level of authority. A natural bureaucratic leader will create detailed instructions for other members of a group and will expect the members to follow a close set of standards. Everything is done in an exact, specific way, working "by the book", following rules rigorously. The emphasis is on compliance and it is ensured that their people follow procedures precisely. If it isn't covered by the book, the manager refers to the next level above him or her.
It is a style that is diffused among a number of departments or people and there is a strictest of rules. This is a classic style of leadership and is used quite a lot in organizations that don’t encourage innovation and change and by leaders who may be insecure and uncertain in what their role may be. This type of leadership has no space to explore new ways to solve problems and is usually slow-paced to ensure approval of the ladders stated by the company. Leaders that try to speed up the process usually lead to frustration and anxiety in the team. Followers/employees operating within a bureaucracy are given very little choice as to how they play their roles and the vast majority of their day-to-day tasks will be governed by the rule book.
In conclusion, this leadership style is very effective in certain situations that demand this type of approach as this behavior ensures that the team and tasks are very organized and everything is precisely done as specified or planned. The entire team understands their job profile and expectations and ensures good control over the situation. On the flip slide, this style is not suitable for most of the jobs of the 21st Century where the followers are expected to lead and show creativity and innovation. This leadership style is task-focused and is often met with a wince from a management team and is generally disliked by the followers.
Emergent leadership occurs when a group member is not appointed or elected as leader, but rather that person steps up as the leader over time within-group interactions. Have you ever faced challenges in getting accepted into your new role of position as a leader? Groups don't automatically accept a new "boss" as a leader. Emergent leadership is what you must do when taking over a new group. Learn more about emergent leadership.
Narrative leadership is interpreted as the leader who aspires to construct leadership by telling stories. Leadership is a task of persuasion, of winning people’s minds and hearts. Storytelling is thus inherently suited for the task of leadership. Learn about the narrative leadership style and how to use this style to inspire and motivate followers or to manage change.
Participative leadership is one of the most effective styles and creates higher productivity, better contributions from group members, and increased group morale. The democratic leadership style consists of the leader sharing the decision-making abilities with group members by promoting the interests of the group members. Learn more about this leadership style and situations when it is effective.
Authoritarian Leadership Style
Although generally considered as a traditional, outdated, and non-preferred style of leadership, the autocratic style still can be used effectively in certain situations. It is a leadership style characterized by individual absolute control over a group. If you work for an autocratic leader, your job is usually to do what you're told. Learn more about this style and situations where this could be an effective style to use and when to avoid this type of approach. Analyze the characteristics of this style to evaluate if your followers consider you an authoritarian leader!
Adaptive leadership is a style of leadership that emphasizes the importance of each and every person and role within the company. Adaptive leadership views the organization as an ever-changing, living organization, where employees can learn, adapt, and grow. Adaptive leaders mobilize people towards a common goal and also have the courage to experiment with new ideas and approaches. Adaptive leadership is the practice of mobilizing groups of people to tackle tough challenges and thrive. Learn how to adopt this style and how to become an adaptive leader!
We define Lean as the systematic elimination of waste through a continual effort to decrease inefficiency; the lean leader strives to create a more efficient organization. Lean leadership is a philosophy. It is a consistent way of thinking and being in your role as a leader. The focus of this approach is on raising new leaders and help their team embrace a culture of continuous improvement. Learn what we mean by lean leadership style and its principles.
Crisis leadership is a very important part of leading in today's world. The skills a leader needs in order to guide people during a crisis are different from the skills needed to help a group grow. Are you a good crisis leader? What is your leadership style in case of a business crisis situation? A business crisis can test the strongest of leaders, read this article to explore how to ensure you’re ready to take action and weather the storm when one strikes you.
This style is characterized by leaders making decisions for others and expecting followers to follow instructions. The directive leader is adept at giving instructions, setting expectations, and establishing timelines and performance standards. However, it is possible for the same leaders to display both directive and supportive behavior as per the demands of the situation.
There are four characteristics of leadership that help us to understand the character of leadership as a concept. 1. Leadership is a process, 2. Leadership involves influence, 3. Leadership always occurs in a group context and 4. Leadership involves goal attainment. These are the four components that make up the character of the 'leadership' term and help us to define the leadership concept. All of these components of leadership have common characteristics.
Power is the ability to exercise influence or control over others. Leadership involves authority and it is very important for leaders to understand what type of power they're using. The 5 Types of Power in Leadership are Coercive power, expert power, legitimate power, referent power, and reward power. Authority is the right to command and extract obedience from others. It comes from the organization and it allows the leader to use power.
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