Introduction
The leadership style determines the way the manager administers the work process. It is the leader’s behavior model, not depending on a certain management issue. Through a specific pattern the leader can achieve job satisfaction among workers and increase their productivity. The effectiveness depends on a specific management style. The most common leadership styles are authoritarian and democratic approaches in the example of two different management styles of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs.
Leaders
Bill Gates is one of the founders of Microsoft. Under the direction of Bill Gates, employees have independence and opportunities to manifest their creative potential. When making decisions, he relied not only on his experience but also on his employees’ opinions. Workers are a precious resource for the organization. According to these characteristics, it can be concluded that Bill Gates uses a democratic management style.
Steven Jobs is one of the founders of the company Apple. Steve Jobs appreciated the abilities of his employees but did not encourage the initiative. He participated in all the processes taking place in the organization and controlled them. Apple employees were required to obey orders rather than express their opinions. A strict hierarchy characterizes the organization of the company. Jobs was demanding and harsh towards employees. He used the technique of intimidation as an instrument of motivation. From this point onward, Steve Jobs is a supporter of an authoritarian management style, which is considered less effective than a democratic method.
Comparison of Leaders
Commonly, the leadership style which is the most effective among others is the democratic one. Its use benefits labor productivity and workers’ satisfaction, creating a supportive team spirit. The amount of errors can be reduced by corporate decision making. All team decisions are taken jointly; their implementation is monitored not only by the leader but also by the members of the group (Choi et al., 2017). The democratic style allows Bill Gates to consider the individual potential and workers’ interests concerning their needs and desires. It has a significant impact on the enterprise’s economy, where professionals create the added value.
Another style is authoritarian leadership. Using this style, Steve Jobs used to make all decisions in the process of work by himself and strictly oversee their implementation. Control over employees is carried out through the threat of taxes and penalties. An authoritarian leadership style has a positive side, for example the advantages are the ability of fast decision-making and possible success in routine work (Dedahanov et al.,2016). This style helps to obtain better work performance and productivity; it shows the best results in times of crisis (Dedahanov et al., 2016). However, employees’ initiative is simultaneously suppressed; they can become inactive and unsatisfied in terms of working conditions, which can subsequently cause stressful situations in the work environment.
Characteristics of Leaders
Democratic leaders are considered to be creative, concerned about forming a proper workplace environment. Such leaders should assign tasks to others and trust subordinates’ knowledge and skills. The head’s intermediation should not rely on the employees’ hierarchy. Meanwhile, the respect provided by workers regulates the leader’s management. The role of Bill Gates is primarily to determine the strategy and areas of teamwork.
The advantage of autocratic leadership is the leader’s fast decision-making skill, which helps resolve severe crises and chaos quickly. Usually, all responsibility is concentrated by the team leader; and the communication during the work process is defined from top to bottom.
The head maintains distant relationships with subordinates. The lattes are usually aware of the needed information to complete their duties. He or she tends to get to know everything about assignment performance. An authoritarian managing director’s requirements are high consciousness, high self-control; foresight; and sound decision-making ability.
References
Choi, S. B., Kim, K., & Kang, S. W. (2017). Effects of transformational and shared leadership styles on employees’ perception of team effectiveness. Social Behavior and Personality: an international journal, 45(3), 377-386.
Dedahanov, A. T., Lee, D. H., Rhee, J., & Yoon, J. (2016). Entrepreneur’s paternalistic leadership style and creativity. Management Decision. 54(9), pp. 2310-2324.