Introduction
Leadership, in psychology, is the ability of a person or group of people to exercise social influence, thanks to which the leader receives support from other community members to achieve common goals. The exercise of leadership is a complex process that requires the acquisition of a leadership position and its confirmation to be combined with the process of managing people (Dugan, 2017). Leaders are needed for any form of social activity in which it is necessary to apply team efforts to achieve results. It is a vital management system element to minimize costs and increase operational efficiency.
Personal Leadership Beliefs
Each person has a personal inclination to display different types of leadership. These tendencies are based on character, skills, personality traits, educational background, and values (Dart, 2022). My Leadership Beliefs results showed P=7 and N=2 scores (Dart, 2022). These results suggest that I tend to take a positional approach. That is, I prefer competent and loyal people to take on leadership positions where they take responsibility and authority for the success of the group or organization.
Contemporary Leadership Styles
In the modern leadership theory, four styles are especially distinguished – Level 5, Servant, Authentic, Interactive, which are used in various organizational structures, and firm financial performance. The Level 5 leadership concept is based on empirical evidence and divides all employees who contribute to the company’s management into five steps, from just contributing team members to the executive (Gandolfi & Stone, 2018). Business researcher Jim Collins, the creator of the theory, argues that the great companies that have made several jumps in stock returns over the past 15 years have emphasized effective management and the development of a management culture (Gandolfi & Stone, 2018). Collins singled out among the most successful leaders “extreme personal humility with intense professional will” (Gandolfi & Stone, 2018, p. 266). His research formed the basis of servant leadership theory,
The modern concept of leadership by Robert Greenleaf comes from the idea that the most influential leaders are servants of their subordinates. Servant leaders produce exceptionally high results through sincere attention to employees’ needs, strengths, and weaknesses (Gandolfi & Stone, 2018). They emphasize cooperation, empathy, and team ethics. This is one of the most popular concepts of modern leadership, as it combines management teaching with people orientation in a manager.
Authentic leadership theory suggests that true leaders must be sincere, open, and down to earth. Their approach to management is characterized by a focus on skillfully building relationships within the team, which are based on an atmosphere of trust and allow employees to express maximum creative activity (Wijers, 2018). Interactive leadership theory considers business processes to be fluid and multifactorial, so a successful leader must be able to combine different approaches based on the situation (Dugan, 2017). This theory highlights the importance of social interactions in shaping behavior and decision-making.
CEOs and Leadership Styles
Different types of leadership manifest themselves in different ways in different areas and companies. A typical level 5 leader is ambitious and strives to lead the company to succeed despite personal ambitions. For instance, Sam Walton left Walmart when he got cancer, showing the world that his company was more significant than himself. That ensured the greatness of the company after his death. Such figures traditionally inspire servant leaders such as Jesus Christ, Abraham Lincoln, and Martin Luther King and put their employees first. Cheryl Bachelder is the former CEO of Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen and author of the book Dare to Serve: How To Drive Superior Results While Serving Others. The rise in the stock and the restaurant chain’s growth coincided with her management reforms, which focused on rewarding workers who contributed the most to the company.
Authentic leaders captivate with their lack of masks and their desire for self-improvement; they motivate employees with their example and life and become real icons. An example of such leadership is Steve Jobs, who remained in the memory of generations even after his death. Every programmer and startupper tries on Jobs’ iconic black turtleneck and blue jeans. It is important for interactive leaders to be in contact with subordinates, listen to their ideas and involve them in decision-making. Ethan Brown, CEO of Beyond Meat, follows an open-door policy whereby all employees have access to senior management. This is how interactive leader earns trust and motivates workers to take part in firm’s life.
Conclusion
Leadership is an essential theme for the organization of any group activity in society, which is conditioned by common goals. Leaders are needed in all areas of life, as they optimize processes, speed up decision-making, and motivate participants to work together. Different types of leadership are suitable for different areas of life, settings, communication, and work. For example, military leadership will differ from managing a group of artists in its rigidity of hierarchy and style. The leader must feel the nature of the team, its members’ personal characteristics, and the environment’s specifics (Dugan, 2017). Otherwise, the manager will not be able to influence their team correctly and will only demoralize the participants while losing their authority.
References
Al Khajeh, E. H. (2018). Impact of leadership styles on organizational performance. Journal of Human Resources Management Research, 2018, 1-10. Web.
Daft, R. (2022). Management. 14th Edition. Centage.
Dugan, J. P. (2017). Leadership theory: Cultivating critical perspectives. John Wiley & Sons.
Gandolfi, F., & Stone, S. (2018). Leadership, leadership styles, and servant leadership. Journal of Management Research, 18(4), 261-269. Web.
Wijers, J. P. (2018). Managing Authentic Relationships: Facing New Challenges in a Changing Context. Amsterdam University Press. Web.