Successful Leaders not limited by Leadership styles

Leadership is a dynamic and complex skill that can be separated into L-three categories: autocratic democratic and free-rein. However within these categories are a number of leadership styles and characteristics. For instance Microsoft founder Bill Gates was an autocratic leader who according to psychoanalyst Michael Maccoby had a narcissistic leadership style. Although this leadership style does not allow for dissent these leaders tend to have large groups that follow them if their vision is powerful enough. Autocratic leader Frederick Smith is characterized as having a no-excuse personality type. He views leadership as taking control and making the hard decisions suitable for creating the highly efficient FedEx.

Herb Kelleher of Southwest Airlines and Carlos Ghosn of Nissan are in the democratic leadership category. Kelleher has a mindful leadership style because he is good at understanding the environment of his company by listening to others. Ghosn is more of a charismatic or transformational leader because he can inspire his employees and align them under a common vision. Free-rein or laissez-faire leadership is rarer but one good example is Google's CEO Larry Page. Google's idea of leadership is allowing every employee to be a leader within the company.

So what do all these very different leaders have in common that make them successful? More than half of the most successful CEOs are considered to be creative builders or visionaries who can inspire others. Discussion Questions

1. Why might an autocratic style be suitable for certain organizations?

2. Why do you think Google has a free-rein style of leadership?

3. What are the similarities that many successful leaders share despite differences in leadership style?