Importance of Leadership Styles in Project Management
The study of project manager leadership styles is an essential topic for research because it provides insight into which leadership styles exist today, which are trustworthy, what can harm project managers, and which can help them. Leadership skills in the workplace can be used in many ways, and the success of any project depends on them. Even if a project is a team effort, exemplary leadership will help to organize everyone for a more effective outcome.
Although many people recognize the importance of leadership styles, they are often unaware of their diversity and the benefits and drawbacks of each. While approaching the issue of selecting a leadership style superficially, without considering its specifics and how it fits within the organization, it might damage the organization. To effectively apply leadership styles in practice, a project manager must first understand their existence, differences, and characteristics.
Application of One or Multiple Styles
Even though many leadership styles have recently been studied and developed, the first question is whether it is necessary to use only one leadership style or to switch between them depending on the situation. For example, if a decision must be made quickly, leadership styles that involve all participants may delay it. In contrast, the same authoritarian leadership style will help to make the decision quickly.
However, when making decisions in an authoritarian manner, the leader may encounter several issues. The leader may face criticism for the decision, particularly if they have previously listened to opinions and made a decision based on everyone’s opinions. Many people may be perplexed by the leader’s refusal to listen to opposing viewpoints, which breeds distrust in the leader.
Adaptation of Leadership Styles
The second question is whether the leader should be more adaptable in selecting a leadership style in unexpected situations or adopt a more relaxed approach. Furthermore, the leader may eventually realize that, because of a more loyal leadership style, such as a democratic one, the leader will no longer play an essential role for others. Many people believe a leader is unnecessary, especially if employees can solve problems and organize themselves. Employee credibility may suffer as a result, which can be detrimental. The last question: Is it necessary to investigate and base decisions on the team’s current organizational level?
Effectiveness of Leadership Styles
While Rehman et al. (2020) argue that leadership behavior, in general, has a positive impact on workers, Al et al. (2021) show that not all leadership styles are appropriate for specific cases and may have adverse effects (Rehman et al, 2020). As an example, a research study involving “461 employees showed that transactional and Laisserfaire leadership styles had a negative effect, as opposed to transactional” (Alheet et al., 2021, p. 239). This suggests that not all leadership styles are equally effective and that using any leadership style can benefit an organization. Some styles can be harmful if misused or to the wrong audience.
Target Audience
As for the audience who may need this information, first and foremost, it is for the leaders, or in this case, the project managers, who want to be outstanding leaders. Although it is critical to understand all leadership styles before becoming a leader, it is never too late to improve one’s leadership skills as an established leader. All employees are constantly improving their abilities by gaining new knowledge.
In principle, a leader who decides to change their leadership skills by learning about different leadership styles will be respected regardless. It is essential to recognize that there is no limit to your ability to improve, and you must strive to develop your qualities and knowledge to lead by example. As a result, all leaders who want to improve their organization’s effectiveness should be familiar with leadership styles, their variations, and their application characteristics. This information will help increase profits, facilitate successful transactions, and more.
References
Alheet, A. F., Adwan, A. A., Areiqat, A. Y., Zamil, A. M. A., & Saleh, M. A. (2021). The effect of leadership styles on employees’ innovative work behavior. Management Science Letters, 11, 239–246.
Rehman, S. U., Shahzad, M., Farooq, M. S., & Javaid, M. U. (2020). Impact of leadership behavior of a project manager on his/her subordinate’s job-attitudes and job-outcomes. Asia Pacific Management Review, 25(1), 1-10.