What Are The Styles Of Leadership?

Leadership style is the manner in which a leader uses his interpersonal behavior to influence the accomplishment of goals of the group.  An effective leadership style is one that best compliments the organizational environment, the task to be accomplished, and the personal characteristics of the people involved.

1. Autocratic style:  This is also known as 'authoritative' or 'directive' style.  An autocratic leader tends to be task oriented, i.e., he is more concerned with task accomplishment than the people who perform the task.  

2. Democratic style:  This is also called 'participative' or 'consultative' style.  A democratic leader is people oriented, focusing on human relations, team work and building of an effective work group.
  
3. Laissez Faire style:  This is also known as 'free rein', or 'permissive' or 'anarchic' style.  This leader has no established policies and deliberately abstains from leading his group.  The general climate is one of permissiveness with no central control.  The leader wants every body to feel good and fosters freedom for every one.  He avoids responsibility and delegates complete authority into the hands of sub ordinates so that they must plan, motivate, and control and otherwise, are responsible for their own actions.

4. Bureaucratic style: In this style, the leader may be apprehensive about his ability to lead and finds security in following established policies.  He is able to use power by fixed rules and allows no variations.

1. Delegated
2. Suggestive
3. Directorial