Management
Leadership theories.
What makes a good leader, some say it’s the ones who can inspire and get the most from their staff but there are many qualities a good leader has. Leaders should be able to think creatively to provide a vision for the company and solve their problems, to be calm under pressure and make clear decisions. Excellent leaders have to possess excellent two-way communication skills and posses an air of authority. A leader should be well informed and knowledgeable about matters relating to the business and the most important factor for a leader is to have maximum desire to achieve great things.
There are three main categories of leadership styles, autocratic, paternalistic and democratic.
Autocratic managers like to make all the important decisions and closely supervise and control workers. Managers do not trust workers and simply give orders (one-way communication) that they expect to be obeyed. This approach derives from the views of Taylor as to how to motivate workers and relates to McGregor’s theory X view of workers. This approach has limitations but it can be effective in certain situations. For example when controlling a large number of low skilled workers and when quick decisions are needed in the company. The disadvantages of autocratic managers are that they create a “them and us” attitude between managers and workers due to no two-way communication which can de-motivate workers.
Paternalistic managers give more attention to the social needs and view of their workers. They are interested in how happy workers feel and in many ways act as a father figure. They consult employees over issues and listen to their feedback or opinions. The manager will make the actual decisions in the best interests of the workers, as they believe the staff still need direction and in this way it is still somewhat of an autocratic approach. This style is linked with Mayo’s human relation view of motivation and also the social needs of Maslow. The disadvantages are
What makes a good leader, some say it’s the ones who can inspire and get the most from their staff but there are many qualities a good leader has. Leaders should be able to think creatively to provide a vision for the company and solve their problems, to be calm under pressure and make clear decisions. Excellent leaders have to possess excellent two-way communication skills and posses an air of authority. A leader should be well informed and knowledgeable about matters relating to the business and the most important factor for a leader is to have maximum desire to achieve great things.
There are three main categories of leadership styles, autocratic, paternalistic and democratic.
Autocratic managers like to make all the important decisions and closely supervise and control workers. Managers do not trust workers and simply give orders (one-way communication) that they expect to be obeyed. This approach derives from the views of Taylor as to how to motivate workers and relates to McGregor’s theory X view of workers. This approach has limitations but it can be effective in certain situations. For example when controlling a large number of low skilled workers and when quick decisions are needed in the company. The disadvantages of autocratic managers are that they create a “them and us” attitude between managers and workers due to no two-way communication which can de-motivate workers.
Paternalistic managers give more attention to the social needs and view of their workers. They are interested in how happy workers feel and in many ways act as a father figure. They consult employees over issues and listen to their feedback or opinions. The manager will make the actual decisions in the best interests of the workers, as they believe the staff still need direction and in this way it is still somewhat of an autocratic approach. This style is linked with Mayo’s human relation view of motivation and also the social needs of Maslow. The disadvantages are