What is a liberal leadership style? Authoritarian, democratic and liberal leadership styles

Management is a special case of management, a set of processes of relationships between superiors and subordinates, a teacher and a student. The main task is to encourage employees (children) to take active actions, influencing collective and individual consciousness. The effectiveness of this process, as a rule, depends on the style of leadership. It must also be taken into account that each person has a natural inclination or developed skills of communication with people. This criterion significantly influences the formation of a management style. Let us dwell on this question in more detail.

Concept of management style

Management style - the features of behavior and communication manager in relation to subordinates. The leader, using it correctly, will be able to influence workers and make them do what is needed at the moment. In modern science, several concepts have been singled out that examine the basics of the formation and application of managerial styles. Their functioning is influenced by specific conditions and circumstances, which we will consider below. Traditionally, authoritarian, democratic and liberal styles of leadership are singled out .

However, as practice shows, they rarely function in a pure form, since a large number of factors (both external and internal) affect human behavior.

Features of manifestations and forms of mixing styles of leadership

First, the manager works with subordinates, different in educational and cultural levels, outlook, personal and emotional environment. We note one of the most well-known regularities. The lower the qualification and the level of culture can be noted in the employee, the easier it will perceive the authoritarian style of leadership. On the contrary, democratic in nature subordinate, emotional and open in behavior, will not work with the leader who prefers a tough management style and unquestioning obedience.

Second, the style of management is influenced by specific existing conditions, the degree of maturity of the collective and its cohesion. So, in a critical situation, often a democratic manager will have to apply tough ways to manage employees. At the same time, in a calm environment, he can pull everything off on the brakes, using the liberal leadership style.

Thirdly, the availability of practical experience and the cultural level of the manager are often decisive in choosing the main areas of management. An authoritarian leader can often behave in a friendly and open manner. On the contrary, the democratic because of insufficient education or inability to behave correctly in the team is able to disrespect the subordinates. Very often, indecisive managers demonstrate in their behavior passivity and examples of a liberal leadership style. Acting in this way, they relieve themselves of the responsibility for the result of the company's activities.

Authoritarian (directive) leadership style in the organization

The characteristic features for it are the following:

• High centralization of leadership;
• Unity of command in making decisions, choosing goals and means to achieve them;
• The manager is responsible for the result of the company's activities, does not trust the subordinates and does not ask for their opinion or advice;
• The main form of incentives for employees - instructions and penalties;
• Strict control over the activities of each subordinate;
• Inability and unwillingness to take into account the interests of employees;
• In the process of communication, the prevailing are sharpness, unfriendly tone, tactlessness and often rudeness.

Unambiguous advantages of applying the directive management style are: the maximum concentration of all types of resources, the availability of order and the ability to predict the final result even in a difficult situation. However, restraint of individual initiative and unilateral movement of orders flows from top to bottom lead to the fact that there is no feedback with subordinates. Often this leads to the formation of passive and disinterested in the results of the company's behavior of employees.

Democratic (collegiate) leadership style in the organization

The characteristic features for it are the following:

• The manager's desire to develop solutions agreed with employees and deputies;
• Distribution of responsibility and authority between subordinates;
• Stimulation of staff initiative;
• Regular and timely information of the team on all important issues;
• Friendly and polite communication;
• Presence of a favorable psychological climate in the team;
• Reward for employees is the achievement of a positive result by the company.

The manager always listens and uses any constructive proposal, organizing a wide exchange of information, involving subordinates to all business of the organization. However, responsibility for the decisions made will not be shifted to employees. The situation created by the leader-democrat, contributes to the fact that the authority of the manager is supported by his personal authority.

Liberal leadership style: the pros and cons

This species is characterized by a variety of forms, the choice of which depends on many factors. First, let us dwell on its peculiarities. Liberal leadership style is characterized by the following signs.

Firstly, it is the minimum participation of the manager in the management of the team. The subordinates have freedom, they are left to themselves. The work of employees is rarely monitored. This characteristic of the liberal leadership style, as detachment from the problems of the company, often leads to the loss of managerial functions and ignorance of the real state of affairs.

Secondly, questions and problems are solved only by the collective, and its opinion is accepted as an unwritten law. With a liberal leadership style, the leader usually follows him, like the rest of the staff.

Thirdly, communication is carried out with subordinates only privately, the manager applies persuasion, persuasion and tries to establish personal contact.

Liberal leadership style Is not chosen by chance. Usually it becomes optimal in certain situations and with some characteristics of the collective. Let us single out some mixed forms.

Liberal Democratic Governance in the Organization

Liberal-democratic leadership style implies that the manager trusts completely with his subordinates. And it's only at first glance it seems that this state of affairs can lead to the lack of management of the company.

Such a mixed liberal leadership style is characterized by the fact that the performers are more likely than the boss to understand all the intricacies of professional activity. Usually it is popular in creative collectives, in which employees need independence and self-expression.

Authoritarian-liberal leadership style in the organization

It is characterized by a certain ambiguity when making managerial decisions. On the one hand, the manager gives his employees maximum freedom in solving production issues. But at the same time it requires positive results, without delving into problems and without assuming responsibility.

This liberal-conniving style of leadership often leads to self-will and anarchic behavior of his deputies in relation to employees.

Democratic management style in pedagogical activity

The teacher, who demonstrates it in communication with the students, is focused on the development of students. He attracts each student to a common task. This style is one of the most effective ways to organize interactions between students and the teacher. The teacher relies on the initiative of the class.

Authoritarian style of management in pedagogical activity

The teacher usually makes decisions and eliminates the problems of the life of a classroom. The teacher considers it necessary to define any specific goals, proceeding from his own ideas. He very strictly controls the implementation of any task and evaluates subjectively alone the results that have been achieved. This style is the implementation of tactics of guardianship and dictatorship. In the event that schoolchildren take the position of opposition, the teacher begins confrontation.

Liberal style of management in pedagogical activity

It is often called indulgent and anarchic. The liberal style of pedagogical leadership is characterized by the fact that the teacher rarely takes responsibility. He fulfills duties usually formally, withdraws from the management process of the classroom, avoids mentoring and upbringing, confining himself to the performance of exclusively teaching functions.

The liberal leadership style implements tactics of non-intervention, demonstrates indifference and disinterest in the problems of the school collective. Naturally, such an approach can not remain without consequences. For the liberal leadership style, it is characteristic that the respect and control of students is lost, discipline deteriorates. Such a teacher is not able to influence positively the personal development of schoolchildren.

Afterword

Each person, depending on the views, character, individual psychological characteristics, develops his own style of management. The choice of an effective direction is determined by a variety of factors:

• Authoritarian style is recommended to be applied when the manager's crisis has become apparent in the organization, and the situation is getting out of control;
• Democratic - is optimal when the working group is mature enough, works at an established pace, there is discipline and order;
• Liberal leadership style is necessary if the working group is able to act effectively independently.