This document discusses leadership styles and theories of leadership. It begins by defining leadership style and describing several common styles, including autocratic, bureaucratic, charismatic, participative, transactional, transformational, and laissez-faire. It then discusses theories of leadership such as the Great Man theory, trait theories, behavioral theories, and contingency theories. The rest of the document discusses the role of a leader in an organization and the contingency approach to leadership.

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Assignment on Organizational Behaviour
Amity International Business School
Amity University
Noida 125
SUNIL KR. AHIRWAR SECTION-‘A’
COURSE- MBA-IB, 1 Sem. SUBMITTED TO FACULTY
ENRL NO- A1802015133 Dr. SHIKHA KAPOOR
AMITY INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
SCHOOL 2015-1017

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INTRODUCTION
LEADERSHIP STYLE
“A leadership style is a leader's style which providing direction, implementing plans, &
motivating people towards goal. There are many different leadership styles that can be
exhibited by leaders in political, business or various other fields.”
Leadership is an abstract quality in a human being to induce others to do whatever they are
directed to do with zeal & confidence. It’s a quality or ability of an individual to influence
others to seek defined objectives enthusiastically. The leader is a force of the organization
that designs, executes, coordinates, & controls all the functions of an organization, i.e.
planning, executing, organizing, directing, & controlling.
Leadership inspires; creates confidence; helps the team mates to give their maximum for the
attainment of objectives. In a business organization, managers at all levels, by whatever name
called, are leaders because they all have subordinates whose efforts are canalized in a definite
direction. A leader gives a company the life which creates the products & innovations that it
sells. Effective leaders develop a team of effective employees, subordinates or followers, &
they together develop a more effective organization.
Peter. F. Drucker: considers leadership as a human characteristic which lifts a man’s vision to
higher sights; raises & builds his performance to higher standards, & builds man’s personality
beyond its normal limits. Leadership is an important abstract quality of the leader that sets
apart a successful organization from an unsuccessful one. Leadership is, therefore, regarded
as the process of influencing the activities of an individual towards goal achievement in a
given situation
Teamwork is important for competitive in today's world arena, where individual perfection
isn’t as desirable as a high level of collective performance. In information based enterprises,
teams are the norm rather than the exception. Team leadership plays a critical role in
fostering commitment, responsibility, & team success. The Team leader should make sure
that the proper combine & level of skills are resident on the team. They are additionally liable
for effectively managing relationships outside the team, overcoming obstacles to success, &
making leadership opportunities for others.
Good leaders are made not born. If you have the desire & willpower, you will become a good
leader. Good leaders develop through a never ending process of self-study, education,
training, & experience.
To inspire your workers into higher levels of teamwork & cooperation, there are certain
things you should be, know, &, do. These don’t return naturally, but are acquired through
continual work & study. Good leaders are continually working & studying to improve &
finding out to boost their leadership skills; they are NOT resting on their laurels.

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Leadership is a process by which a individual influences others to accomplish an objective &
directs the organization in a way that makes it more cohesive & coherent. Leaders carry out
this process by applying their leadership attributes, such as beliefs, values, ethics, character,
knowledge, & skills. Although your position as a manager, supervisor, lead, etc. gives you
the authority to accomplish certain tasks & objectives in the organization, this power does not
make you a leader...it simply makes you the boss. Leadership differs in that it makes the
followers want to achieve high goals, rather than simply bossing people around
All teams & group should form their own common purpose, goals & approach. While a
leader must be a working member of the team who contributes, he/she also stands apart from
the team by virtue of her position as leader. A team expects their leader to use that
perspective & distance to help them clarify & commit to their mission, goals, & approach. Do
not be afraid to get your hands dirty (lead by example), but always remember what you are
paid to do (get the job done & grow your employees). The term "styles" has become more
prominent in popular culture over the last decades, but its origins lie in psychological
research on learning & personality. The original concept of style is that we all have
preferences for the WAY we do things -- think, relate to others, interact, learn. Kurt Lewin, in
the 1930's identified three major styles -- autocratic, democratic, & laissez faire, while Rensis
Likert defined Exploitive

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Types of Leadership Style:
Autocratic Leadership
The autocratic leadership style allows managers to make decisions alone without the input of
others. Managers possess total authority & impose their will on employees. No one
challenges the decisions of autocratic leaders. Countries such as Cuba & North Korea operate
under the autocratic leadership style. This leadership style benefits employees who require
close supervision. Creative employees who thrive in group functions detest this leadership
style.
Bureaucratic Leadership
An autocrat doesn’t require a bureaucracy, but the autocrat & the bureaucracy goes together
like a hand & glove. One reason has be do with obedience to authority. In fact, one can make
an argument that in large groups such as the multinational corporations & government
agencies authority is the most common type of influence used.
Charismatic Leadership
Charismatic Leadership is defined by Max Weber as "resting on devotion to the exceptional
sanctity, heroism or exemplary character of an individual person, & of the normative patterns
or order revealed or ordained by him". He defines Charisma as "a certain quality of an
individual personality, by virtue of which he is set apart from ordinary men & treated as
endowed with supernatural, superhuman, or at least specifically exceptional powers or
qualities. These are such as are not accessible to the ordinary person, but are regarded as of
divine origin or as exemplary, & on the basis of them the individual concerned is treated as a
leader. How the quality in question would be ultimately judged from an ethical, aesthetic, or
other such point of view is naturally indifferent for the purpose of definition".
Participative Leadership
Assumptions
Involvement in decision-making improves the understanding of the issues involved by those
who must carry out the decisions. People are more committed to actions where they have
involved in the relevant decision-making. People are less competitive & more collaborative

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when they are working on joint goals. When people make decisions together, the social
commitment to one another is greater & thus increases their commitment to the decision.
Several people deciding together make better decisions than one person alone.
The Transactional leader Style
The transactional leader works through creating clear structures whereby it is clear what is
required of their subordinates, & the rewards that they get for following orders. Punishments
are not always mentioned, but they are also well-understood & formal systems of discipline
are usually in place.
Transformational Leadership
Assumptions
People will follow a person who inspires them. A person with vision & passion can achieve
great things. The way to get things done is by injecting enthusiasm & energy. Working for a
Transformational Leader can be a wonderful & uplifting experience. They put passion &
energy into everything. They care about you & want you to succeed. Developing the vision
Transformational Leadership starts with the development of a vision, a view of the future that
will excite & convert potential followers. The important factor is the leader buys into it, hook,
line & sinker. Selling the vision. The next step, which in fact never stops, is to constantly sell
the vision. The Transformational Leader thus takes every opportunity & will use whatever
works to convince others to climb on board the bandwagon.
Laissez-Faire
A laissez-faire leader lacks direct supervision of employees & fails to provide regular
feedback to those under his supervision. Highly experienced & trained employees requiring
little supervision fall under the laissez-faire leadership style. However, not all employees
possess those characteristics. This leadership style hinders the production of employees
needing supervision. The laissez-faire style produces no leadership or supervision efforts
from managers, which can lead to poor production, lack of control & increasing costs.
The 'Level 5' leader
In his book Good To Great, Jim Collins, identified five levels of effectiveness people can
take in organizations. At level four is the merely effective leader, whilst at level five the
leader who combines professional will with personal humility. The 'professional will'

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indicates how they are far from being timid wilting flowers & will march against any advice
if they believe it is the right thing to do. In 'personal humility' they put the well-being of
others before their own personal needs, for example giving others credit after successes but
taking personal responsibility for failures.

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LEADERSHIP THEORIES
Different authorities & different researchers have viewed leadership differently. Some
emphasized the personal qualities of a leader, while other emphasized the behavior of the
leader. Still others viewed leadership as situational. Thus, the researchers conducted by
behavior scientists have led to important theories of leadership. They are:
The Great man theory
This theory holds that leaders are born not made. Successful leaders, accordingly, are said to
possess certain qualities that separate them form the crowd”
Trait theories:
Trait is defined as relatively enduring quality of an individual. The trait approach
seeksto determine ‘what makes a successful leader’ from the leader’s own personal
characteristics. A review of various research studies has been presented by Stogdill.
According to him, various trait theories have suggested these traits in a successful leader:
(i) Physical & constitutional factors,
(ii) intelligence,
(iii) self-confidence
(iv) sociability
(v) will
(vi) dominance
(vii) surgency. Trait theories were quite popular between 1930 & 1950.
Behavioral theories:
Since the Trait theories failed to establish the relationship between traits & effective
leadership researchers turned their attention to the behavioral aspects of leaders as a result
there are different contributions from different researchers. Different leadership behaviors
identified are: Initiating structure: It refers to the extent to which a leader defines his own as
well as the subordinate’s tasks & get there tasks accomplished on time.
Initiating structure: It refers to the extent to which a leader defines his own as well as the
subordinate’s tasks & get there tasks accomplished on time.
1.Consideration: It refers to the extent to which the leader cares for hissubordinates, respects t
heir ideas & feelings & establishes work relations characterized by mutual trust & respect.

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2. Employee-oriented leader: One who focuses on relationships.
3. Production-oriented leader: One who emphasizes tasks & goals, & getting work done.
Contingency theories:
Contingency theories involve the belief that leadership style is contingent upon the particular
situation & leaders should adapt their styles appropriate to the situation.

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Roll of a Leader in Organization
A leader is anyone who influences a group toward obtaining/achieving a particular result or
goal. Isn’t dependent on title or formal authority to leading the group or organization. An
individual who is appointed to a managerial position in any organization has the right
command & enforce obedience by virtue of the authority of his position towards their work.
However he must possess adequate personal attributes to match his authority because
authority is only potentially available to him. In the absences of sufficient personal
competitive, a manger may be confronted by an emergent leader who can challenges his role
in the organization & reduce it to that of a figurehead. However only authority of position has
the backing of formal sanction. It follow that whoever wields personal influence & power can
legitimize this only by gaining a formal position in the hierarchy with commensurate
authority. Leadership can be defined as ones ability to get others to willingly follow. Every
organization needs leaders at every level to lead the group in the particular organization.
Here are the five important roles that a leader must play:
1. Communicator: The most effective leaders use all levels of communication to reach out to
staff, customers/clients & other stakeholders. They proactively encourage the exchange of
information within the organization. All communication whether verbal, written or online
communicates consistency & clearly defines what the organization stands for. Successful
leaders develop the art of selecting personal communication styles that are open, honest, fair
& appropriate to the different situations & audiences. These leaders have also developed the
skill of actively listening to others, including those with opposing views. They carefully &
thoughtfully make course corrections as the need arises.
2. Thinker: Strategic thinking requires that an effective leader do the following: understand
how the different functions of the organization work together & how it can best respond to
external & internal changes; learn the strengths & weaknesses of the organization, & the
opportunities & threats facing it; understand how the strategic objectives are influenced by
current & future business & economic forecasts; recognize that the operational objectives &
targets must be in line with & support the strategic objectives of the organization; & be aware
of & respond to the behavior of current & potential competitors.

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3. Decision-maker: Developing a consistent approach to the analysis of information is
imperative to effective decision-making. In making important decisions & prior to
implementation, the leader must consider the impact of such choices on all stakeholders.
Drawing on one's business knowledge & experience as well as the knowledge of the
collective team will help the organization to identify current & potential problems. It will also
provide the platform on which to study a range of solutions before selecting the final one,
thus making sure that the selected decisions fit within organization's mission & goals.
4. Team-builder: Effective team-building rests upon ensuring that individuals & teams are
kept informed of plans, developments & issues that will affect them & the way they do their
job. Team-building helps its members to understand & meaningfully contribute to the
organization's strategic goals. It also requires an appreciation for contributions made at all
organizational levels. Team members must also be confident that individual & team efforts
will be fairly reviewed & recognized as appropriate. An effective team-builder empowers
team members to excel & provides appropriate support & timely feedback that will support
employee initiative.
5. Image-builder: A consistent demonstration of fairness, integrity & professionalism builds
the kind of image that supports professional achievement & employee support. These
characteristics must also work in tandem with being open-minded & responsive to, &
supportive of, the needs of individuals as well as the team. When an organization strives to
institute an effective organizational culture & demands high standards across the board, an
extraordinary level of performance results. Adopting an ethical approach to business &
personal dealings set the stage for trust, credibility & influence among peers as well as team
members.
Contingency Approach of Leadership.
This style of leadership deals with finding the best match between a leader & a
situation. How does the leader's style fit the context of the situation? Effective leadership is
contingent on matching a leader's style to the right setting. Contingency theory is concerned
with styles & situations & effectively matching the leader & the situation.

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In contingency theory of leadership, the success of the leader is a function of various
contingencies in the form of subordinate, task, &/or group variables. The effectiveness of a
given pattern of leader behavior is contingent upon the demands imposed by the situation.
These theories stress using different styles of leadership appropriate to the needs created by
different organizational situations. No single contingency theory has been postulated.
Within the contingency theory, leadership styles can be either task-motivated or relationship
motivated. Task leaders are primarily concerned with attaining a goal, whereas relationship
leaders are concerned with developing close interpersonal relations.
Contingency leadership will be effective in certain situations. People who are very task
oriented will do well when conditions are either very favorable or very unfavorable. In
favorable situations the leader can focus on the task & not pay attention to the maintenance.
When things are very unfavorable, a task related person can provide order & structure to help
the group get going again.
Factors Influencing Leadership Styles
Personality
One factor determining leadership style that cannot be ignored is the personality of the
individual who is in charge of a group of employees.
Company Culture
The nature of a company's culture will influence the style of leadership used in the
establishment. If there is a strong culture of motivated & well-trained employees, the
managers can adopt a laissez faire style.
Employee Diversity
Small businesses are hiring a more diverse workforce than in the past. A company is likely to
employ people of different races, gender, ages & cultures. Leaders must respond to this
diversity with a vision for their staff & by developing a multi-cultural approach to their work.
Communication
Flow of information is at the core of effective leadership. While the conditions and styles of
communication change, the need to express yourself clearly in all situations remains. Regular

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meetings may be difficult to implement in high-productivity manufacturing situations, and
they may be essential in collaborative workplaces.
Manage
It is hard to manage appropriate & also external relationship removes obstacles where
appropriate.
Characteristic of a successful Leadership Style
 Be the person other choose to follow
 Provide vision for the future
 Provide inspiration
 Make other people feel important & appreciated
 Live your values & behave ethically
 Set the pace through your expectations & example
 Establish an environment of continuous improvement
 Provide opportunities for people to grow, both personally & professionally
 Care & act with compassion
Sunil Kr Ahirwar
Amity International Business School
Amity University Noida-125
Mo: +91-9871836819
Email: sunilahirwar@live.com