BUS603: Managing People

Most behavioral leadership styles fall within two broad categories: task-centered styles and employee-centered styles.

Task-centered styles of leadership focus on giving instructions and directions to group members to reach achievement and accomplishment goals more efficiently and effectively. The focus is on the objective analysis of what needs done and the specific course of actions that should be taken to meet those needs. Employees are seen as resources to be used to accomplish the goals.

Employee-centered styles of leadership focus less on objective actions or plans and more on building the relationships between themselves and their followers. By encouraging and supporting them, the leader hopes to make them more qualified, confident, and productive. His focus is on developing his employees and inspiring them to follow the vision he has provided. Employee-centered styles are also often referred to as people-centered or relationship-centered.

Of course, many leaders would hope to combine qualities from both of these styles, but the tendency is for individual leaders to focus more strongly on one or the other.

Autocratic, Democratic, or Laissez-faire

A leader's style can often be identified by the manner in which he makes decisions, especially the degree to which he involves his employees. This aspect of leadership is often divided into a spectrum with three broad categories: autocratic, democratic, and laissez-faire.

An autocratic leader makes decisions without significant employee involvement in the process. He works from an authoritarian perspective. This approach often corresponds to a task-centered style. This approach can be faster and more efficient than more discursive approaches.

A democratic approach strongly involves the employee team in the decision-making process. This can take a variety of forms. For example, the employees may discuss the issue together as a group, followed by the leader making the final decision. Alternatively, the leader might agree to allow the employees a final vote in the matter. In any case, employees have a significant role to play in the process.

A laissez-faire approach is a very hands-off approach to leadership. Instead, employees make decisions on their own. This approach generally leads to lower productivity, but it may be the best where employees are experts or where creativity is needed.