The forms of leadership are quite diverse. The attempts to classify them, undertaken in science, are conditioned by the desire to predict the likely behavior of leaders possessing certain qualities. The general classification implies the division of leadership styles common among managers and employees into two types: autocratic and democratic. The first one is based on strict adherence to the leader’s orders and is often associated with various sanctions and threats. A democratic type is different; the leaders usually take into account the opinions of each member of a specific group and encourage their participation in the work process. Both types are practiced by different managers, and the style of leadership directly influences their mode of behavior.
Popular Leader Images
In modern political science, four collective images of the leader have often been identified: the standard-bearer or the so-called brave man, the servant, the trader, and the fireman (Gotsis & Kortezi, 2013). Leaders that are characterized as the standard-bearers have a distinguished vision of reality and reflect attractive ideals that capture the masses. The leaders of “the servant” type, as a rule, aims at following his supporters’ wishes and acts on their behalf. The trader can convince people of certain ideas, making it in a friendly manner. The goal of the leader-fireman is to solve the most urgent tasks and those problems that are relevant at a definite moment of time. The actions of such leaders are determined by a specific situation. However, these four forms of leadership are usually not found in pure form in real life, but are combined in political figures in various proportions.
Ethical Standards in the Context of Leadership
These or those leadership concepts that relate to the most popular strategies of behavior are invariably associated with certain norms of ethical standards. The observance or ignorance of these rules often determine the type of leadership, and one of the difficulties is that sometimes it is quite problematic to adapt an appropriate behavior style to a specific ethical model. In particular, it applies to those cases when it comes to charismatic leaders who can influence the masses and exert high pressure due to their authority.
One of the representatives of the charismatic type of leadership was Adolf Hitler. Despite his aggressive policies and an evident desire for unlimited power, his followers endowed him with exceptional qualities. The theory of power and influence probably found its reflection in this case. The ability to enthrall people with his ideas allowed him to become one of the most influential politicians of the mid-20th century and achieve success in implementing his plans. Though, it should be noticed that individual traits of the leader do not always influence his or her charismatic style of behavior, because it is not about the human qualities of the character, but about the ability to act as the leading person uniting millions of people with a particular idea. According to Gotsis and Kortezi (2013), three separate theoretical frameworks include ethical norms such as dignity, organizational virtue, and care. While paying attention to the style of Hitler’s leadership, it can be noted that he used these approaches in organizing his work. His principal theses were the superiority of one nation over others, which from a reasonable point of view looked quite ambiguous, but from the position of the leader strengthened the faith of his followers in their superiority. Such care for people, though controversial, and attempts to prove their uniqueness helped Hitler gain popularity among citizens and achieve unlimited political power.
Psychological Factors in Leadership Implementation
The growing role of psychological factors in the implementation of leadership has led to the transfer of the terms of psychology, describing this or that style of management, to political science. These factors more fully reflect the motivation towards a certain mode of behavior, the set of stable psychological reactions of the leader to events and processes, including the stressful ones, and allow taking into account the significance of unconscious factors. The orientation towards these points gives a chance to describe the type of the manager based on his or her subconscious motives and provides an opportunity to analyze the current model of behavior based on existing psychological concepts.
The adherence of the political behavior of leaders either to a subjective understanding of the role performed or to the expectations of specific groups is one of the key factors that are considered in this aspect. Thus, according to Islam (2014), the style that is oriented towards efficient, productive, and creative activity for the common good can be considered actively positive. This leadership style can be exemplified by the activities of the US President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The theory of circumstances is likely to describe his behavior pattern best. As the leader of America during the Second World War, Roosevelt attempted to convince people that the path they had chosen was right and regularly made speeches that active actions would help people to solve existing problems. Perhaps, this type of leadership is rather straightforward; however, it is not a secret that in times of need the society needs support and motivation. It is likely that Roosevelt was the one who could prove by personal example that an active civil position could become quite a successful component for the development of society. Therefore, his so-called active-positive leadership style can also be considered appropriate for a specific time, during which he was in power.
Strategic Leadership
The essence of strategic leadership is to influence the consciousness of people purposefully and become for them a key personality in the struggle for specific interests. A striking example of such a leader is the figure of Martin Luther King Jr., who is rightfully called one of the most important historical figures in the entire time of the United States. Perhaps, it is the behaviorist theory that implies the focus on actions but not psychology. As a leading participant in the civil rights movement for African Americans, King was actively engaged in preaching activities that resulted in incendiary charismatic speeches still being analyzed and quoted. Some of his performances are now considered a classic of oratory.
His vision of the world compelled him to advocate for social justice and to oppose the most egregious violations of civil rights in the south. Also, Martin Luther King Jr. is a vivid representative of a standard-bearer leader. As Misal (2016) notes, one of the central proofs of successful leadership is recognition by followers. As a result, King’s strategic qualities helped him achieve success and universal recognition, and his famous speech became a true anthem that inspired many people.
Conclusion
Thus, the style of leadership directly determines the mode of behavior, and personal motives, as well as psychological factors are the primary indicators of adherence to a specific model. Many outstanding figures of the world’s history had different leadership styles and were characterized by different approaches to management. The model of behavior is connected with people’s recognition and the ability to influence the masses.
References
Gotsis, G., & Kortezi, Z. (2013). Ethical paradigms as potential foundations of diversity management initiatives in business organizations. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 26(6), 948-976.
Islam, G. (2014). Charisma as re-enchantment: Leadership, emancipation, and the rejuvenation of institutions. International Leadership Journal, 6(3), 116-131.
Misal, A. (2016). Bhagwad Geeta and management. Vishwakarma Business Review, 6(2), 1-3.