Leadership style

"A leader is a person who takes you where you will not go alone."

To inspire your workers into higher levels of teamwork, there are

certain things you must be, know, and, do. These do not come naturally, but
are acquired through continual work and study. Good leaders are continually
working and studying to improve their leadership skills; they are NOT
resting on their laurels.
Leadership is inspiring others to pursue your vision within the
parameters you set, to the extent that it becomes a shared effort, a shared
vision, and a shared success (Steve Zeitchik, 2012).
Good leaders are made not born. If you have the desire and willpower,
you can become an effective leader. Good leaders develop through a never
ending process of self-study, education, training, and experience (Jago,
1982). This guide will help you through that process.
The basic responsibilities of a leader are: accomplishment of the
mission and the welfare of the soldiers and also the most fundamental and
important organizational technique used by military is the chain of
command.
The chain of command is the sequence of commanders in an
organization who have direct authority and primary responsibility for
accomplishing the assigned unit mission while caring for personnel and
property in their charge.
Principles of Leadership
To help you be, know, and do, follow these eleven principles of
leadership (U.S. Army, 1983). The later chapters in this Leadership guide
expand on these principles and provide tools for implementing them:
1.
Know yourself and seek self-improvement - In order to know
yourself, you have to understand your be, know, and do, attributes. Seeking
self-improvement means continually strengthening your attributes. This can
be accomplished through self-study, formal classes, reflection, and
interacting with others.
2.
Be technically proficient - As a leader, you must know your job
and have a solid familiarity with your employees' tasks.

3.
Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions Defined, this means to take the initiative in the absence of Orders and accept
the responsibility for your actions. Analyze the situation, take corrective
action, and move on to the next challenge.
4.
Make sound and timely decisions - Use good problem solving,
decision making, and planning tools.
5.
Set the example - Be a good role model for your employees.
They must not only hear what they are expected to do, but also see. We must
become the change we want to see - Mahatma Gandhi
6.
Know your people and look out for their well-being - Know
human nature and the importance of sincerely caring for your workers.
7.
Keep your workers informed - Know how to communicate with
not only them, but also seniors and other key people.
8.
Develop a sense of responsibility in your workers - Help to
develop good character traits that will help them carry out their professional
responsibilities.
9.
Ensure that tasks are understood, supervised, and accomplished
- Communication is the key to this responsibility.
10. Train as a team - Although many so called leaders call their
organization, department, section, etc. a team; they are not really
teams...they are just a group of people doing their jobs.
Professionalism is important in the military for two significant
reasons. First, the military leader is a public servant responsible for the
defense of the nation. Second, the military organization is often responsible
for the life of its soldiers.
The four leadership indicators are: Morale, Esprit de Corps,
Discipline, and Proficiency.
The three different styles of leadership are Directing, Participating,
and Delegating.
Leadership style is the manner and approach of providing direction,
implementing plans, and motivating people. The three major styles of
leadership are
Authoritarian or autocratic
Participative or democratic
Delegative or Free Reign
Although good leaders use all three styles, with one of them normally
dominant, bad leaders tend to stick with one style.

Authoritarian (autocratic)
Psychologist Kurt Lewin developed his framework in the 1930s, and
it provided the foundation of many of the approaches that followed
afterwards. He argued that there are three major styles of leadership:
Autocratic leaders make decisions without consulting their team
members, even if their input would be useful. This can be appropriate when
you need to make decisions quickly, when there's no need for team input,
and when team agreement isn't necessary for a successful outcome. This
style is used when leaders tell their employees what they want done and how
they want it accomplished, without getting the advice of their followers.
The authoritarian style should normally only be used on rare
occasions. If you have the time and want to gain more commitment and
motivation from your employees, then you should use the participative style.
Participative (democratic)
Democratic leaders make the final decisions, but they include team
members in the decision-making process. They encourage creativity, and
people are often highly engaged in projects and decisions. As a result, team
members tend to have high job satisfaction and high productivity. This is not
always an effective style to use, though, when you need to make a quick
decision.This is normally used when you have part of the information, and
your employees have other parts.. Using this style is of mutual benefit it
allows them to become part of the team and allows you to make better
decisions.
Delegative (free reign) Laissez-faire
Laissez-faire leaders give their team members a lot of freedom in how they
do their work, and how they set their deadlines, but the leader is still
responsible for the decisions that are made. They provide support with
resources and advice if needed, but otherwise they don't get involved. This
autonomy can lead to high job satisfaction.
This is not a style to use so that you can blame others when things go
wrong, rather this is a style to be used when you fully trust and confidence in
the people below you. Do not be afraid to use it, however, use it wisely!
Charismatic leader
Throw away those books and cassettes on inspirational leadership. Send those
consultants packing. Know your job, set a good example for the people under you and

put results over politics. Thats all the charisma youll really need to succeed. Dyan
Machan.

Charismatic leaders use their personal charm to get things done. This
can be an extremely powerful way to lead others. In fact, such strong
influence can be achieved over followers that these leaders can make certain
individuals accomplish some pretty extraordinary tasks.
The Charismatic Leader and the Transformational Leader can have
many similarities, in that the Transformational Leader may well be
charismatic. Their main difference is in their basic focus. Whereas the
Transformational Leader has a basic focus of transforming the organization
and, quite possibly, their followers, the Charismatic Leader may not want to
change anything.
Charismatic leaders achieve their vision through persistence and
personal sacrifice. They oftentimes become role models for their
organizations. Since followers share in the vision, they are empowered to
make decisions that move the organization more quickly towards their goals.
Some followers may find this transformation uncomfortable and
disruptive to the workplace or to them personally. Others may have
difficulty relating to the vision of the future. Charismatic leaders also rely
heavily on their personal charm, and perceptions, which could be
significantly influenced by rumors or "negative press."
The values of the charismatic leader are highly significant. If they are
well-intentioned towards others, they can elevate and transform an entire
company. If they are selfish and Machiavellian, they can create cults and
effectively rape the minds (and potentially the bodies) of the followers.
The charismatic leader will typically attach themselves firmly to the
identify of the group, such that to join the group is to become one with the
leader. In doing so, they create an unchallengeable position for themselves.

References
1. Jago, A. G. (1982). Leadership: Perspectives in theory and research.
Management Science, 28(3), 315-336.
2. Rowe, W. G. (2007). Cases in Leadership. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
Publications
3. http://www.money-zine.com/career-development/leadershipskill/charismatic-leaders/
4. http://www.molossia.org/milacademy/leadership.html

5. U.S. Army. (October 1983). Military Leadership (FM 22-100).

Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office