12
EVANS MANYONGA
FORMS OF LEADERSHIP
Autocratic Leadership
Autocratic leadership style is based
on one center of power. This form
of leadership advocates for the
leader to hold all forms of authority
and responsibility. Leaders make
decisions on their own without
consulting subordinates. They reach
decisions, communicate them to
subordinates and expect prompt
implementation. Autocratic work
environment normally have little or
no flexibility. This is essentially the
king and subjects kind of scenario.
Democratic Leadership
This is an inclusive style of leadership.
Subordinates are involved in making
decisions. Unlike autocratic, this
headship is centered on subordinates’
contributions. The democratic leader
holds final responsibility, but he or
she is known to delegate authority
to other people, who determine work
projects.
The most unique feature of this
leadership is that communication
is active upward and downward.
Democratic leadership is one of the
most preferred leadership styles
and has core elements of creativity,
courage, fairness, competence,
accountability, intelligence and
honesty.
Strategic Leadership Style
Strategic leadership is one that
LEAD | January 2018
involves a leader who is essentially
the head of an organisation. The
strategic leader is not limited to
those at the top of the organisation.
It is geared to a wider audience
at all levels who want to create
a high performance life, team or
organisation.
The strategic leader fills the gap
between the need for new possibility
and the need for practicality by
providing a prescriptive set of habits.
An effective strategic leadership
delivers the goods in terms of what an
organisation naturally expects from
its leadership in times of change. 55%
of this leadership normally involves
strategic thinking.
Transformational Leadership
Unlike other leadership styles,
transformational leadership is
all about initiating change in
organisations, groups, oneself and
others.
Transformational leaders motivate
others to do more than they
originally intended and often
even more than they thought
possible. They set more challenging
expectations and typically achieve
higher performance. Statistically,
transformational leadership tends to
have more committed and satisfied
followers.
This is mainly so because
transformational leaders empower
followers.
Team Leadership
Team leadership involves the
creation of a vivid picture of its future,
where it is heading and what it will
stand for. The vision inspires and
provides a strong sense of purpose
and direction.
Team leadership is about working
with the hearts and minds of all those
involved. It also recognises that
teamwork may not always involve
trusting cooperative relationships.
The most challenging aspect of
this leadership is whether or not it
will succeed. According to Harvard
Business Review, team leadership
may fail because of poor leadership
qualities.
Cross-Cultural Leadership
This form of leadership normally
exists where there are various
cultures in the society. This
leadership has also industrialised as
a way to recognise front runners who
work in the contemporary globalised
market.Organisations, particularly
international ones require leaders
who can effectively adjust their
leadership to work in different
environments.
Facilitative Leadership
Facilitative leadership is too
dependent on measurements and
outcomes – not a skill, although
it takes much skill to master. The