Leadership Lesson 2 - Three Styles of Leadership

Goals:

• Understand the three styles of leadership 
• Describe what types of situations best fit the three styes of leadership
• Understand how and why managers use situational leadership

 Leadership Style

Managers must understand their own style of leadership. Leadership style is the way a manager treats and supervises employees. It's important to know which style of leadership to employ based on a given situation.There are three styles of leadership. Here is an explanation of each.

Autocratic Leadership - The autocratic style of leadership is one where the leader gives direct and clear orders concerning what work is to be done and how it is to be carried out. Under this style of leadership, the manager does not seek the opinion or advice of employees. The advantage of this management style is that it allows a team to make quick decisions and move with speed. This style is often used in emergency situations such as when an order need to be expedited or when plans go wrong.

This is a clip from the 1989 movie Glory about the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. It was the first formal unit of the Union Army made up entirely of African-American men. After taking over command of the company, Colonel Robert Gould Shaw soon discovers that he needs help teaching the men to fight. He employs the services of Sgt. Major Mulcahy. Why do you think he uses this style of leadership?

 Democratic Leadership - In this style of leadership, the manager encourages workers to share in the decision making process. In stead of giving direct orders, the manager may ask a series of questions in order to provide creative thinking on the part of the team. By creating their own solutions, workers take ownership of the work and share in the rewards of having done a job well. The drawback to this style of leadership is that it takes time to bring a group to consensus. Managers use this style of leadership when they have time to work and when they need all members of the team to buy into the plan.

Watch this clip from the movie Apollo 13. In this clip, the flight director, Gene Kranz, has to come up with a plan to get the astronaut crew back home after an engine failure. Notice how he changes the objective of the mission from landing on the moon to just getting the crew back.  He employs a democratic style of leadership. Why do you think he uses this style?

Open Leadership - Under an open leadership style, the workers are not directly supervised and are given little or no direction. But that does not mean that leadership does not take place. People sometimes need more than information or instruction, reward or punishment. Sometimes they need something else.

The following is a scene from the movie Any Given Sunday. How does the coach give his players what they need? He gives little or no direction. What does he give them?

 Situational Leadership - Sometimes leaders have to know how to change their style of leadership when the situation changes. This is the essence of situational leadership.

Watch this clip from the movie Hoosiers. How does the coach change his leadership style?

Vocabulary - Study the following terms on Quizlet.

• Leadership Style
• Autocratic Leadership
• Democratic Leadership
• Open Leadership 
• Situational Leadership

Standards: 
11.1 Analyze the needs of employees.
11.2 Discuss leadership skills integral to groups.
11.3 Evaluate strong leadership skills.