LEADERSHIP IN THE WORKPLACE

Leadership:
Different Styles in the Workplace
Emily A. Klemm
University of Kentucky

LEADERSHIP IN THE WORKPLACE

Abstract
Leadership traits and different leadership styles are important in todays
workplaces. Good leaders are important in making a workplace successful. If a workplace
environment does not have good leadership the office could become chaotic and it could
become hard to hold structure. This paper discusses the different traits a good leader
should posses. Then the paper examines the different leadership styles a workplace
environment could abide by.

LEADERSHIP IN THE WORKPLACE

Leadership:
Different Styles in the Workplace
Leadership, defined as the power or ability to lead other people. (MerriamWebster) Strong leaders are self-aware; they understand the traits other people look for
and put forth the effort for the traits to be followed. For an office to be successful there
must be multiple leadership roles or it will fail. In this paper, I will discuss the different
traits that make a good leader: the ability to acknowledge ones strengths and
weaknesses, good communication skills, a sense of humor, self-confidence, instills trust,
and the ability to inspire. Also, I will discuss leadership styles in the workplace. Each of
these characteristic traits and styles should be present in a successful workplace.

The first trait a good leader should posses is the ability to know their strengths
and weaknesses. It is common for people to admit their strengths rather than their
weaknesses, especially during an interview. When a person finds it hard to admit their
weaknesses that is a weakness. In a blog post by Dr. Paula Durlofsky, she says people
often get a feeling of discouragement when they start to self-examine their weaknesses.
Examining our weaknesses can be extremely difficult since it can create feelings of
vulnerability, discouragement, powerlessness, and even low self-esteem. However, it is
important to recognize that we all have weaknesses and it is not something to be ashamed
of. (Durlofsy, 2012) Not only do people find it
hard to acknowledge their weaknesses, they
also have a hard time acknowledging their
strengths. Strength is a natural ability to be

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LEADERSHIP IN THE WORKPLACE

able to do something. When a person is trying to figure out their strengths, the person
should ask themselves a series of questions. Do I accomplish my goals (small and large)
in a timely manner, am I curious, do I desire success and achievement, am I
compassionate, do I enjoy caring for other people, do I embrace change, can I control my
emotions, do I enjoy learning new things, can I accept criticism without being defensive
or angry, am I generous and kind? (Durlofsy, 2012)
The second trait a good leader should posses is the ability to communicate.
Communication is key in order for an office to function to its full potential. A good
communicator should be able to speak clearly without mumbling. The communicator
should be interesting and informative so the audience will be fully engaged. A good
communicator should also be a good listener. When focusing on the other person, you
should give them your full attention. Also, you should avoid interrupting while the other
person is speaking. Non-verbal communication is important when it comes to effective
communication. A persons body language is huge in non-verbal communication. The
persons body should be facing towards the speaker, eyes focused, and the person should
be sitting up straight with arms uncrossed.
A sense of humor is also important when it comes to being a good leader. It
lightens the mood, puts people at ease and cuts down on the intimidation factor that
powerful leaders face with employees, customers, vendors, partners, everyone. It shows
you don't take yourself too seriously. That's the humility factor. (Tobak, 2012) A sense
of humor also relieves tension when something goes wrong, humor is good when you
need people to get along with each other, it helps people encourage you, and it is
motivating to do better. Without humor the office would be sterile and stiff.

LEADERSHIP IN THE WORKPLACE

Self-confidence is key when it comes to being a good leader. A leader should be

confident in their work and ideas. If the leader is not confident in his or her work the
subordinates work will more than likely be poor in quality as well. The subordinates
will feed off of the leaders actions. A leader should be decisive. An indecisive leader will
more than likely not be taken very seriously because they can never make up their mind
when planning ideas and making decisions. A leader should never be cocky. It is easy to
become cocky when you know you are good at something. Hence, you should never rub
it into a co-workers face that you are more knowledgeable at something than they are. In
an article by Scott L. Girard, Jr., he says how easy it is for co-workers to turn on you if
you are being too cocky. You would be amazed how quickly your coworkers will turn
against you if youre cocky at work. You might legitimately be the best at what you do,
but you will eventually need your coworkers for something, at some point, down the line.
(Girard Jr.)

A leader should be trustworthy. Trust is defined as the belief that someone or

something is reliable, good, honest, and effective, etc. (Merriam-Webster) If a leader isnt
trustworthy then the employees will lose faith and will be skeptical of the leaders
intentions. A trustworthy individual should be able to keep information confidential.
Good leaders also have good moral ethics. These people will do what is right without
cutting corners. Trustworthy leaders interact with others on the assumption that they do
not have all the answers and all the insights. They don't have a superior attitude. They
value the viewpoints, judgments and experiences of others. (Osborne, 2005)

LEADERSHIP IN THE WORKPLACE

The ability to inspire is important to be a good leader. To be inspiring you have

to be real. If you are fake or insincere, co-workers will not be inspired. The co-workers
will not want to do better at their job if they are not impressed by the attitude and work
ethic of the leader. In an article published by Forbes magazine, inspiring co-workers
makes them work for their goals harder. Being able to inspire your team is great for
focusing on the future goals, but it is also important for the current issues. When you are
all mired deep in work, morale is low, and energy levels are fading, recognize that
everyone needs a break now and then. (Prive, 2012) As a leader in the workplace, it is
important to keep the mood
high to get the most
potential work
accomplished.
Leadership Styles in
the Workplace
One of the many
leadership styles a person
may posses is the Laissez-Faire leadership style. Laissez-Faire leadership is defined as
in which leaders are hands-off and allow group members to make the decisions. (Cherry)
This style of leadership has the lowest productivity rating among workplaces. In
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Laissez-Faire leadership, the

leader does not guide you, the

leader will provide what the employees need to get work accomplished, and the
employees only have the power to solve their own problems. An example of Laissez-

LEADERSHIP IN THE WORKPLACE

Faire leadership is if a CEO lets different sectors of the company to operate on their own
without guidance of higher management. Each department has full autonomy over each
department of the company.
The dictatorship style of leadership is the complete opposite of the laissez-faire
style of leadership. In a dictatorship style of leadership the leader makes all the decisions.
The traits of a leader that uses the dictator style of leadership are as follows: all decisionmaking power is theirs, unrealistic in demands, uses excessive discipline and punishment,
does not allow others to question decisions or authority. (Brown, 2007) An example of a
dictatorship style leadership is if a CEO of a company gives specific orders and if the
subordinate employees do not follow the exact way of doing things they could have the
potential of being let go from their job.
The authoritative leadership style is similar to the dictatorship leadership style but
it is more laid-back when it comes to how strict the leader is towards its subordinates.
The traits of an authoritative leader are as follows: seldom lets others make decisions,
feels he/she is the most qualified and experienced, considers his/her views to be most
valid, lacks confidence in others abilities, critical of differing opinions, rarely gives
recognition, is easily offended, uses others for his/her benefit, action oriented, highly
competitive. (Brown, 2007)
The consultative leadership style focuses on the skills, experiences, and ideas of
others. The leader in this style still remains to have the final decision in the end. A
leader who posses this leadership style has traits such as often involve others in problem
solving, team building, retains right for final decisions, focuses his/her time on more
important activities, provides proper recognition, delegates but keeps veto power,

LEADERSHIP IN THE WORKPLACE

weighs all alternatives before final decision is made. (Brown, 2007) An example of the
consultative leadership style is if a CEO lets the subordinates to decide what they want to
do and come up with ideas but in the end they have to consult with the CEO to make sure
they are can push forward with what they want to do.
The participative leadership style is exactly what it sounds like it involves
participation. Participative leadership has a lot to do with participation among the
workplace and its employees. In participative leadership, the leader turns to the team
for input, ideas and observations instead of making all decision on his or her
own. (Murdock, 2014) Participative leadership works best if you work in a creative
environment. In creative environments you have different perspectives on how to
accomplish projects, ideas, and tasks.
Conclusion
The major traits of a successful leader include: the ability to acknowledge ones
strengths and weaknesses, good communication skills, a sense of humor, selfconfidence, trustworthiness, and the ability to inspire. When acknowledging your
strengths and weaknesses you should be self-aware. It is often easier to admit to
weaknesses then strengths internally. It is easier for people to admit what they are bad
at then what they are good at; they think it often comes off boastful rather than humble
or modest. A good leader should also have good communication skills. You should be
able speak clearly, listen, and have positive body language. A sense of humor will
lighten the mood of the office if something does not go right or there is a hiccup along
the way. It is important for a leader to be self-confident without being cocky.
Subordinates will follow the leader and if the leader is not confident in his or her work

LEADERSHIP IN THE WORKPLACE

the subordinate also will not be confident in his or her work. A leader should be
trustworthy. If the leader is not trustworthy the subordinate will have a lack of faith in
the leader. Also, a leader should be able to inspire the subordinate to do their work at
the best of their ability. The leadership styles Laissez-Faire, dictatorship, authoritative,
consultative, and participative are all necessary in order for a workplace to succeed.
One style of leadership will not suit every workplace setting.

LEADERSHIP IN THE WORKPLACE

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Works Cited

1. Brown, E. (2007, September 4). Leadership Styles: Dictatorial, Authoritative,

Consultative, and Participative. Retrieved November 24, 2014, from
www.weridblog.wordpress.com:
www.weirdblog.wordpress.com/2007/09/04/leadership-styles-dictatorialauthoritative-consultative-participative/2. Cherry, K. (n.d.). What is Laissez-Faire Leadership? Retrieved November 24, 2014,
from www.psychology.about.com:
www.psychology.about.com/od/leadership/f/laissez-faire-leadership.htm
3. Durlofsy, D. P. (2012, April 22). Thinking Matters. Bryn Mawr, PA, USA.
4. Girard Jr., S. L. (n.d.). The Difference Between Confident and Cocky. Retrieved
November 24, 2014, from expertbusinessadvice.com:
www.expertbusinessadvice.com/leadership/the-difference-between-confident-andcocky-256.html
5. Merriam-Webster. (n.d.).
6. Murdock, K. (2014, April 23). Participative Leadership: What It Is and When It
Works Best. Retrieved November 24, 2014, from www.udemy.com:
www.udemy.com/blog/participative-leadership/
Osborne, C. A. (2005, January 15). The 10 Attributes of Trustworthy People. Retrieved
November 24, 2014, from www.veterinarynews.dvm360.com:
www.veterinarynews.dvm360.com/10-attributes-trustworthypeople?id=&sk=&date=&pageID=2
7. Prive, T. (2012, December 19). Top 10 Qualities That Make a Great Leader.
Retrieved November 24, 2014, from www.forbes.com:
www.forbes.com/sites/tanyaprive/2012/12/19/top-10-qualities-that-make-agreat-leader-/

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8. Tobak, S. (2012, January 20). Why Leaders Need a Sense of Humor. Retrieved
November 24, 2014, from cbsnews.com: www.cbsnews.com/new/why-leadersneed-a-sense-of-humor/

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