The Best Leadership Style

Based off of this reading I do not believe that there is one best style of leadership. However, I do believe that some leadership styles are more preferred than others. Chapter two discussed three different leadership styles and compared them to one another. These leadership styles are authoritarian, democratic and laissez-faire leadership. Authoritarian leaders often maintain a strict control over others and usually create a distance between themselves and their followers. These leaders often feel that no work will get done if their followers are left alone. Democratic leaders are known for being supportive and communicating well with those around them. They believe “two heads are better than one.” The see the best in their followers and feel …show more content…
When looking at engaged followers, the first type of followers we were introduced to were the isolates. These followers are often the least engaged. An example of these followers would be Americans that do not vote. The next type of follower introduced was the bystander. Bystanders are individuals that observe what is going on, but do not actively participate. An example of this type of follower would be the participants. Participants are moderately engaged when working with their leaders or organizations. Activists are another type of follower in the engaged followers system. These followers are often motivated as a result of their strong feelings for their leaders. An example of this would be those individuals that moved to new communities to support president Obama during his 2008 campaign. Diehards are also a type of follower in this system. They are one hundred percent committed to or opposed to their leaders. They are often willing to die in order to show their support or lack of support. An example of this would be those individuals that risked death in order to overthrow dictators during the “Arab …show more content…
The first types of follower in this system are then alienated followers. These individuals are considered to be highly independent thinkers and they usually waste their time fighting rather than generating their energies into something positive. An example of this type of follower would be the class critic who sits in the back of the room and always challenges what the teacher is saying. The next type of follower is the conformist. These followers generally do not have thoughts of their own and if they do they often refrain from sharing their ideas due to being fearful. Another type of follower in this system is the pragmatist. These individuals generally are independent and engaged. These individuals are the ones that cling to their jobs, but are not likely to ever be promoted. Passive followers are also a type of follower in this system. They lack original thoughts and commitment and they seek their leaders direction. They are considered to be average workers and only meet minimal expectations. These actions are often as a result of their lack of skills. An example of passive followers would be teenagers working at fast-food restaurants that only do average work as a result of their minimal job experience. The final type of follower in this system is the exemplary follower. These individuals rate the highest when it comes to critical thinking and active participation. The have great ideas and