EFFECTIVE & INEFFECTIVE & LEADERSHIP STLYES
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”
This is a quote by John Quincy Adams and provides a brief yet complete description of a true leader. The concept of a leader and a manager are often confused but in actuality a good leader is always a good manager however a good manager does not have to be a good leader. History is full of several examples of leaders both good and bad, leaders who fulfilled their follower’s needs and leaders who failed their believers. Every leader form the history had different leadership styles and even good and successful leaders have diverse way of leading their people. Thus the success and effectiveness of a leader does not necessarily meant the style of their leading but the way they managed their leadership. Just as the above quote reflects a leader has a vision and a strategy involving his followers to carry forward that vision and mission. Thus to compare an effective and ineffective leadership it can be said that the essence of a leadership style lies in what techniques and strategies are utilized by a leader to share his vision and mission with his followers effectively and does he motivate them to work together towards achieving this goal. Some researches on leadership traits and techniques also imply that personal qualification and skills do not necessarily result in effective performance as a leader however they might help an effective leader.
There are various famous leadership style such as Authoritarian, Democratic, Pacesetter and Coercive Leadership style, there may be numerous others depending upon different societies and cultures. Authoritarian and Coercive leaderships styles are considered rigid and strict where command and obey rules are followed. In democratic or pacesetter style the leader is more connected to the followers and exhibits teamwork. While most of the communist nations Russia and China have history of authoritarian and coercive leaders often associated with Marxism-Leninism theory also, the rest of the world have more appreciated democratic and pacesetter leaders. However the history has also shown examples where leaders have proven to be effective due to their vision and decision making power of which style suited their circumstances.
The best and effective leaders in the history of the world had diversified leaderships styles often contradicting and extremely different but even then they managed to provide success and prosperity to their nation. As elaborated through an article “Leadership and 10 Great Leaders from History”, the best leaders from the history were all different in their values, belief and strategies. Mahatma Gandhi or Mohammad were an example of pacesetter leadership styles as they set an example for their followers and passed their vision to their followers by uniting them and influencing them through their personal traits. In comparison Adolf Hitler who is usually considered a rigid and dictator leader proved to be an effective leader by keeping his focus on the goals he wanted to achieve for his people in a time when the German nation and leadership was all divided and indifferent. His style of leading his people was strict and he did not allowed other in the decision making process however the later times proved that the techniques he used were what the nation needed at that time.
Like Hitler, Joseph Stalin is also considered a strict and rigid ruler of communist Russia. Though he transformed the country into a super industrial power but his era is associated with the death of several thousand Russians, therefore he might be considered with a person with impressive supervisory abilities and skills but he was rather infamous among his people. Similarly, Nikita Khrushchev, can also be labeled with similar leadership styles as that of Hitler but his leadership style and techniques are considered ineffective as that did not reflect what the nation required at that time.
The greatest test for leaders are in the times of disasters and catastrophe, leaders like Winston Churchill and Nelson Mandela are such example of leaders who did were not rigid nor did they were pacesetters but they managed, protected and guided their people against the blows of the time. Their strategies were right and focused according to the time.
The above discussion points to the different characteristics of leaders and their styles of leading their people. An effective leadership style has no definite definition or no set list of attributes; rather it is associated with timely decision and strategies that are beneficial for the people. Even in the business world there are diversified leaders exhibiting different strategies but proving their mission. A good example of effective leadership style can be shown through two great business leaders Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. Bill Gates was hard working, innovative and had a clear goal but he was a team player. He built his company as a visionary, shared his goals and trusted his followers or colleagues to run the company. On the other hand Steve Jobs led his company in aristocratic way, he made and trusted his decisions and made everyone, even the partners follow them. He was revolutionary more than visionary but the time proved both of them to be successful and effective.
Conclusion
The distinction between effective and ineffective leadership styles lies in the art and ability of flexible and timely decision making. Effective leaders are not afraid to change their strategies or leadership styles if it is needed by the circumstances or their followers. All the examples discussed prove this notion. The ineffective or less remembered leaders are the one who were overwhelmed by their position and were unable to take the initiatives nor could encourage their followers to do so. Thus a leader’s abilities, skills and techniques are more important to make him an effective leader rather than just their style of ruling. The difference in an effective and ineffective leadership style can be finally presented through this quote
“A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go, but ought to be. —Rosalynn Carter”
Works Cited
Ackley, Dana C. "Six Leadership Styles: Selecting the Right Leader." n.d. EQKeader Inc. website. March 2013.
Alain, Patrick. "Leadership and 10 Great Leaders from History." Industry Leaders Magazine 15 April 2012.
Money-Zine.com. Former Russian Leaders. 2005. website. 2013.
Rao, Sree Rama. Effective and ineffective leaders. 02 Feb 2009. web. 2013.
