Different Types of Leadership. Autocratic, Democratic, Transactional, Transformational, Laissez-faire and Coaching

Essay aus dem Jahr 2023 im Fachbereich Führung und Personal - Führungsstile, Note: 1.7, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Veranstaltung: Management, Sprache: Deutsch, Abstract: Leadership plays a crucial role in shaping the success and effectiveness of organisations. Different leadership styles have emerged, each with unique characteristics and implications. Understanding these styles is essential for leaders and organisations to adapt and thrive in diverse situations. This essay concisely summarises prominent leadership styles, such as autocratic, democratic, transactional, transformational, coaching and laissez-faire. The autocratic leadership style entails centralising decision-making power, where leaders make decisions independently without seeking input from subordinates. In contrast, democratic leadership emphasises participation, collaboration, and open communication, with leaders actively involving team members in decision-making. Transactional leader-ship focuses on contingent rewards and punishments for performance, while transforma-tional leadership aims to inspire and motivate followers by setting a compelling vision and promoting personal growth and development. Coaching leadership focuses on growth through guidance, support, and mentorship, whereas the laissez-fair leadership approach provides minimal direction and supervision instead of trusting their followers' competence and self-motivation. By examining each leadership style's key characteristics and implications, this essay sheds light on its strengths and limitations. Understanding these styles will enable leaders to make informed choices and adapt their approaches to suit various organisational contexts and challenges.