The document discusses the effectiveness of different leadership styles in management. It argues that the leadership style chosen by a manager has a direct correlation to the success of managing an organization. There are seven main leadership styles discussed - autocratic, bureaucratic, democratic, coercive, transactional, transformational, and laissez-faire. The document emphasizes that effective managers understand employee motivation, communicate goals clearly, empower their team, and adapt their leadership style to best suit the situation and employees. A manager's responsibilities include assessing skills, resolving conflicts, and leading by example in order to motivate employees and achieve organizational success.

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The Effectiveness of Leadership Styles in Management
Darren Arndt
SM 485

2. Darren Arndt
SM 485
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I. Introduction:
There may be instances within an organization when the wrong style of leadership chosen
hinders the overall outcome of management. Leadership is overlooked as an important quality of
a manager. It can be argued that a leader’s responsibilities differ from those of a manager.
“Manager and leader are two completely different roles, although we often use the terms
interchangeably” (Benincasa 2014). The effective use of leadership styles has a direct correlation
with the success of management. Without the proper guidance and leadership in an organization
there is no direction to follow. An effective manager understands the human resources available
and what motivates them to achieve a common goal. Managing the environment of a work force
requires a leader to have an efficient approach in choosing the appropriate leadership style. There
are seven styles of leadership within an organization that can determine the outcome of
management. Using these styles in the correct approach can separate an average manager from a
successful manager.
Position Statement: The effective use of leadership styles has a direct correlation with the
success of management.
II. Lit Review:
“Leaders can improve the performance of a team or organization by influencing the processes
that determine performance. An important objective in much of the leadership research has been

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to identify aspects of behavior that explain leader influence on the performance of a team, work
unit, or organization” (Yukl, 2012). The correct use of leadership in an organization is of vital
importance for the direction of its success. The proper use of leadership will affect the success of
the overall management of the organization. A manager must understand their employees in
order to lead them efficiently. “The sport manager who has the ability to incorporate emotional
intelligence into an overall approach to managing the sport organization is a stronger leader who,
through the ability to understand one’s own and others’ emotions, will be able to take the best
possible managerial actions. Utilizing emotion as intelligence, from the standpoint of a sport
manager, includes processing the emotional standing of those affiliated with the sport
organization” (Schneider 2013). Understanding the emotions expressed within an organization
will allow a leader to discover which style of leadership they must use. It involves understanding
one’s self in order to succeed in leadership. “Knowing your areas of weakness does not make
you weak; on the contrary, it allows you to delegate to others who have those abilities, in order to
achieve the common goal. Rather than clinging to the false belief that they can do it all, great
leaders hire people who complement, rather than supplement, their skills. Working on your areas
of weaknesses will improve your leadership ability – and recognizing them makes you more
human” (Notre Dame 2014). In order for a manager to be an effective leader they must
understand their weaknesses and learn from them. This allows for growth and a better
understanding of the organization. Without the understanding of the environment for a manager,
there is no direction to lead towards. “Leadership is an individual capability. It is about what you
do, how you think, and who you are. The acquisition of these skills may be partly dispositional,
but much comes through learning and experience” (Benjamin 2011). Recent studies also show
that there is a difference between leadership and management. Choosing the correct leadership

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styles are an important role of a manager although Robyn Benincasa suggests they are different.
“Manager and leader are two completely different roles, although we often use the terms
interchangeably” (Benincasa 2014). A manager must know and understand the environment of
an organization in order to choose the correct leadership style. The leadership style chosen by the
manager must correlate with the employees in order for the organization to be successful.
III. Subtopics:
A. Manager’s motivational basis of leadership
B. Differences in a manger and a leader
C. Intrinsic motivation
D. Extrinsic motivation
E. Styles of leadership
F. Leadership responsibilities of a manager
One of the most important jobs of a manager is to constantly seek ways to motivate the
surrounding employees and encourage productivity. By engaging with employees, a manager can
contribute to job satisfaction. An employee must choose themselves whether or not they want to
be successful. Chelladurai explains why a manager not only must know what motivates
employees, but how they individually behave. “Although the issue of what motivates an
individual is critical, it is also important to understand how and why individuals choose one form
of behavior over another in their efforts to satisfy their needs or desires” (Chelladurai 2014). The
role of a manager is to motivate and lead employees in the right direction. There are a few ways
a manager can motivate employees which include rewarding them with suitable incentives and
also adequate compensation for their work. It is vital for a manager to provide leadership in order
to set an example for contiguous employees.

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In order to necessitate the best work from employees, a manager must understand what
motivates each employee. Everyone is different in the sense of how they respond to motivation.
Employees can be intrinsically or extrinsically motivated. The way in which money and praise
are associated with extrinsic motivation allows for employees to work towards obtaining the
incentive. A manager who desires to deliver leadership for employees must understand their
work responsibilities and fundamental motivations. One of the ways a manager can fully
comprehend individual work-related desires is to conduct an employee analysis.
The analysis can elaborate on what the employee can expect and what motivates them to
achieve a goal. When a manager and employees are working together by combining goals, it
allows for an organization to be successful. A manager who is leading employees will motivate
by assuring that their goals are aligned with the employee goals. Limbare illustrates how
motivation is a key component of managerial success. “The task of a managerial leader is to get
things done through people by motivating them. This can be achieved effectively by using
human relations, techniques involving understanding of human factors, communication
processes, interpersonal and intergroup behavior and organizational dynamics” (Limbare 2012).
The method in which this process happens is in conjunction with strategic planning and strong
communication.
A manger who wishes to motivate employees must also lead by example. The actions
presented by a manager can have a direct reflection of the surrounding environment. A manager
must behave as they wish to have employees behave. Creating a fair system will encourage the
desired behavior as well. A manager must never show favoritism towards an employee and
establish an unbiased work environment.

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Although the roles of a leader and a manager are similar, Benincasa suggests they are two
entirely different roles. “Manager and leader are two completely different roles, although we
often use the terms interchangeably” (Benincasa 2014). Some of the customs in which leadership
differentiates from management is that leadership is about creating a vision. An effective leader
has a sense of mission and is charismatic in the decision making process. They are able to
influence others to work together for a common cause. A manager who obtains these leadership
qualities is a credit to the services they manage. Managers must ensure that daily processes are
run well to produce desired results. To reach the desired end result of an organization a manager
must choose the appropriate leadership style that best suits the organization as a whole.
There are seven styles of leadership that can be present in a work environment. Each of the
styles differs in the approach they take towards employees. A manager must understand the
proper style to use in order to create a successful environment. Before choosing the appropriate
leadership style, a manager must elaborate on why it was chosen and allow for employees to
trust it. Chan et al explains, “When people value your leadership practices, they in effect buy
your leadership. They’re inspired to excel and act with commitment. But when employees don’t
buy your leadership, they disengage, becoming noncustomers of your leadership” (Kim 2014).
The first style of leadership is the autocratic style. This states that the manager retains all
power. A manager who uses autocratic is one who holds decision-making authority. One of the
downfalls of this style is that an autocratic leader does not consult with employees for input. The
motivation provided from autocratic leadership is through rewards and punishments.
The only time a leader should use the autocratic style is when there are untrained employees
present. If employees do not respond to the other styles of leadership, then autocratic can be used

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for a manager. The autocratic style also is used for cases in which there are high volume
production demands. There is limited time for decision making in autocratic which puts more
pressure on a manager.
The next style of leadership is called bureaucratic. This is used for a manager with high
integrity. A bureaucratic leader follows the procedures and policies available and makes
decisions according to those policies. If a policy is not mentioned and a decision cannot be made,
the manager refers to the recommended level above them for guidance. This style is mainly used
for instances when employees are performing routine tasks. Management of employees who use
dangerous or delicate equipment may use bureaucratic leadership.
Democratic leadership is a very helpful style that a manager can really benefit from. The use
of this style is successful when it is used with highly skilled employees or resolving employee
problems. One of the major benefits is that a democratic leader shares decision making and
problem solving with employees. This allows for the employees to have a voice. A manager who
uses democratic leadership gathers information from employees before making decisions. By
including employees, it encourages them to share input they may have. It is also used to provide
opportunities to develop personal growth and job satisfaction. A manager who engages with
employees is very important and creates cohesion.
The coercive style of leadership is also another preference for a manager. This style focuses
on the use and abuse of power. It can be used to produce high efficiency in the short run but
relies heavily on intimidation to do so. There are two types of power associated with the coercive
style which is expert and referent power. Expert power is when employees do what they are told
because they respect the leader’s knowledge. Referent power deals with employees who admire

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the leader and want to receive approval. The only time recommended to use coercive leadership
is to meet short term goals, when it is the only choice, and in times of crisis.
A manager may be interested in using the transactional style of leadership. This style is
described as motivation employees by appealing to their own self-interest. The manager may
provide incentives or correction in order to influence behavior. Transactional leadership also
focuses on the accomplishment of tasks and worker relationships in exchange for rewards. It is
used when a leader wants to be in full control. Using this style can also be seen when deadlines
must be met and relationships are short term.
If a manager desired to empower employees and not control them, they may choose the
transformational style. This style inspires employees to transcend their self-interests for the
organization. It encourages employees to think about problems in new appealing ways. A
manager will choose this style when they want employees to be active in the organization. An
organization will have a long term plan that may require this style. It is also used when
employees need to be motivated.
Finally, the last style of leadership a manager can choose from is the Laissez-Faire style. A
manager who engages in this style believes that employees understand their role and will do their
job will little to no direction. It gives freedom and power to the employees. They determine their
own goals and make decisions individually. This style is only used when employee are highly
skilled and have pride in their work to do it successfully. Consequently employees must be
trustworthy and experienced to choose this style.
Before choosing the correct leadership style for an organization, a manager must fully
understand the leadership responsibilities of a manager. The first key responsibility is excellent

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communication. A successful manager will always communicate objectives to employees. It
allows for employees to see how their personal objectives support and contribute to the big
picture. When communication is a solid foundation, there is no misunderstanding of task
requirements from a manager.
The assessment of skills is another important factor in leadership responsibilities. A
manager must understand the employees provided in order to continuously grow as an
organization. Evaluating subordinate skills and knowledge is of extreme importance. By doing
so, it allows a manager to assign tasks to the appropriate employee so objectives can be achieved
accordingly.
In addition, empowerment is one of the most important attributes of a manager. A
manager who desires to lead an organization must encourage employees to take ownership of
their assigned tasks. The proper use of delegation is imperative of a manager. They must know
what to delegate and to whom to delegate a job to with a time constraint. In order to entrust
responsibilities, a manager must be familiar with how to handle people as well. A manager who
is leading employees must orient to existing changes and align performance expectations. They
identify training requirements and provide constructive feedback. A successful manager leads
employees to become a team and create value for each individual.
Another contributing factor to the leadership responsibilities of a manager is dealing with
conflict resolution. An organization is comprised of various individuals from different
backgrounds. A manager must understand these differences and learn from any setbacks that
may occur within an organization. It allows for the growth in any areas of weakness a manager
may have while trying to lead. “Knowing your areas of weakness does not make you weak; on

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the contrary, it allows you to delegate to others who have those abilities, in order to achieve the
common goal. Rather than clinging to the false belief that they can do it all, great leaders hire
people who complement, rather than supplement, their skills. Working on your areas of
weaknesses will improve your leadership ability – and recognizing them makes you more
human” (Notre Dame 2014).
IV. Summary:
It is evident that the style of leadership chosen by a manager can determine the successful
outcome of an organization or company. There are seven styles of leadership a manager must
understand before incorporating them into an organization. Without the proper leadership in
management there is no clear path for employees to follow. Although leadership and
management may differ in certain aspects of an organization, the proper use of both is vital for
success. An effective manager knows and understands how to motivate employees to achieve
the common goal of the organization.

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V. References
Benjamin et al. Becoming a Leader: Early Career Challenges Faced by MBA Graduates.
Academy of Management Learning & Education. Vol 10 No. 3, 452-472. 2011. Web.
12 Sept 2014.
Benincasa, Robyn. 6 Leadership Styles, And When You Should Use Them. Fast Company. 2014.
Web. 11 Sept 2014.
Chelladurai, Packianathan. (2014). Managing Organizations for Sport and Physical Activity: A
Systems Perspective. (pp. 249). Scottsdale, Arizona: Holcomb Hathaway.
Cho, Yoon Jik et al. Managerial Practices, Trust in Leadership, and Performance: Case of the
Georgia Department of Transportation. Vol. 43 179-196, 2014. Web. 8 Sept 2014.
Kim, W. Chan et al. Blue Ocean Leadership. Harvard Business Review. May 2014. Web. 11
Sept 2014.
Limbare, Sameer. Leadership Styles & Conflict Management Styles of Executives. The Indian
Journal of Industrial Relations, Vol 48 , No 1. July 2012. Web. 8 Sept 2014.
Schneider, Robert C. Emotional Intelligence: The Overlooked Component of Sport Leadership.
The International Journal of Sport and Society, Vol 3. 2013. Web. 10 Sept 2014.
University Alliance. What Makes an Effective Leader. University of Notre Dame Mendoza
College of Business. Web. 2014. 11 Sept 2014.
Yukl, Gary. Effective Leadership Behavio: What We Know and What Questions Need More
Attention. Academy of Management Perspectives. Nov 2012. Web. 8 Sept 2014