Kuntala Banerjee

If you are in the process of defining our leadership style, this is the post for you. Here, we will discuss the characteristics and examples of inspired leadership.

Inspired leadership

Inspired leadership is focused on motivating and encouraging the team to move forward. The inspirational leader is set on increasing the potential capacity of the people to achieve the set objective. The fundamental objective is to be self-aware and generate awareness among the team.

Who are inspirational people?

Inspirational people bring about an ever-lasting contribution in the minds of the people. Through their achievements, dedication and work, they create an impression among people; inspiring and motivating them to go ahead in their future growth. Their values are an example for others in performing their work through positivity, zeal and energy.

Inspirational leaders of today strive to bring harmony and trust among employees. They possess great empathy for others and try to extract the best out of them; thus instilling opportunities for enhancing their potential. Inspired leadership is focused on uplifting others to usher in a sense of responsibility in them.

Also read: Contingency theory of leadership | What are the 4 contingency theories

Who are inspirational leaders?

Inspirational leaders possess the courage to face the odds and overcome the challenges with zeal and positivity. Their motive is to create a difference in the world through their actions and values. They listen to the concerns and stories of people, trying to aid them in moving them forward through motivations and inspirations.

The way of communication in inspirational leadership is filled with empathy and consideration. They show compassion and care to people for achieving positive results. The growth strategies devised by them are innovative and unique. They are focused on their intentions and objectives.

Characteristics of an inspired leader

We have understood the concept of inspirational leadership. Now let us try to understand the characteristics of an inspired leader, which are essential and what makes someone inspirational. In the subsequent sections, you will learn about the different traits of a motivational leader and how they inspire people.

1. Inspiring people by radiating authenticity

One of the prominent characteristics of inspired leadership is to radiate authenticity. To be courageous and maintain dignity by stating unique ideas and thought leadership define motivational leaders. They help people to understand the intricacies of being different. A way to instil a sense of responsibility among people.

2. Encouraging unity among inspirational teams

Encouraging unity among inspirational teams is one of the key characteristics of inspired leadership. The team is encouraged to work in a collaborative mode to share their experiences, innovations and ideas. The employees gain confidence in their skills, capabilities and abilities for future opportunities or growth.

3. Admirable leaders with skilled communication abilities

Admirable leaders or inspiration leaders must possess strong communication abilities to build strength and honesty among the people. They try to foster strength, unity and bonding among the people through their oratory and written communication skills. They work closely with the team to assist them in reaching their goals. 

4. Being approaching is an inspiring style of working

An inspiring style of working is to be approachable and accessible through motivational leadership. The team must be able to share their issues and problems with the inspirational leader. This will help to overcome risks and challenges in achieving the deadlines and objectives.

Also read: Laissez faire leadership | What is laissez faire leadership?

5. Inspirational persons embrace risks

Embracing risks and mitigating the same through innovations and creations are some of the key characteristics of inspired leadership. Challenges will come in any program but overcoming with intelligence and intellect is guided by an inspirational leader. Every problem has a solution, it’s our inherent strength to tackle them with ease.

Pros and cons of inspirational leadership

Here are the pros and cons of inspirational leadership.

Pros

• Inspirational leaders can quickly analyze the market and company’s position and quickly visualize the situation for improvement
• Reduces turnover with employees being more involved in the organization with leadership encouragement
• Inspirational leadership can accept and adopt the change and bring in further innovations and creativity
• They are the leaders that inspire to pursue values and ethics with grace
• With skilful communication, inspiring employees to be positive in achieving results
• Grants freedom to employees to perform tasks with trust and confidence

Cons

• The focus on tasks is less as employees need sometimes guidance for their activities
• Employees may experience burnout by focusing strictly on the goals, visions and deadlines
• Since inspiring leaders take risks, it may turn out to be disruptive
• Demands a continuous feedback loop to assess the progress and continuation with the same dedication and focus

Also read: Inclusive leadership | How to inculcate inclusive leadership in your organization?

Inspire leadership examples

inspired leadership examples will help to understand how to inspire people, how to be an inspiring leader and how to inspire someone. You can be acquainted with the concept of inspirational leadership and inspirational leader definition.

1. Immense resistance of an inspirational leader

Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States, taught people to be self-sufficient and determined. He was persistent in his thoughts and proclaimed the vision for the future. Braving all the odds of immense resistance, he emerged victorious in his attempts as an inspirational leader; thus ended slavery in the US.

2. Courage is a part of inspiring leadership

Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman justice on the US Supreme Court, is a smart and intelligent leader. She served as a powerful source for handling charges which are not justified and was a deterrent in providing justice against all the odds and challenges. Thus courage is a part of inspiring leadership.

3. Creative innovation for team inspiration

Eleanor Roosevelt, the wife of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States, taught the concept of team inspiration. She developed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and UNICEF for the betterment of humanitarian rights. The capability of finding out innovations and moulding them into action was her strength.

4. Strong determination in an inspirational person

Rosa Parks, an active member of the civil rights movement, was strong in her determination and will power. She is an inspirational person and stood up front against unfair laws and practices. Her life is an example of how to stand firm even while pursuing your goals and objectives.

Also read: Team Building | What is team building and why is it important for companies?

How to inspire others and become a leader?

The great quality of inspirational leadership is to drive people in attaining success and achieving the objectives and goals. Let us try to understand what are the different techniques or best practices to be adopted on how to inspire others and become a leader.

1. Most inspiring people have passion

Most inspiring people have passion for their work. Inspiring leaders of today are focused on the goals to be attained. They motivate others to pursue their growth with passion and dedication. Great leaders inspire greatness in others to go ahead in their achievements and aspirations.

2. Leadership inspiration is in listening

Leadership inspiration depends mostly on listening to the employees and being empathetic to them. Understanding their problems and inspiring others to succeed are great traits of inspirational leadership. Resolving the problems of the team and help them to attain success are the things that inspire people. 

3. Inspiring leader possess trust and integrity

If you want to know how to be an inspirational leader and how do you inspire someone, then you must possess integrity and generate a feeling of trust. Your team must be confident in working with you, trust you and follow you while pursuing growth in career or completing their assignments.

Also read: Trust Remote Teams | 10 best ways to build trust in remote teams

Famous inspirational leaders

Here are some of the famous inspirational leaders whose activities and work in life are motivating. The inspirational leadership videos of these personalities must be checked for more details

• Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of India, who inspired millions through his non-violent civil disobedience movement
• Winston Churchill, one of the greatest leaders and former Prime Minister of Britain, whose leadership skills have been an iconic example
• Nelson Mandela, the former President of South Africa, motivated and inspired people for equality
• Albert Einstein, the greatest scientist of the 20th century, was a focused and dedicated person
• Abraham Lincoln, statesman and former President of the US, focusing on unity, liberty and democracy

Inspirational business leaders

Inspirational business leaders lead the employees in driving through the vision of the company. Here are some of the top business leaders whose inspirational motivation aids in creating a difference.

• Mary Barra, the former chairman and CEO of General Motors, believed in demonstrating ownership
• Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, is one of the inspiring leaders today
• Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook, is an example of inspirational leadership
• Jack Ma, co-founder and former executive chairman of Alibaba group, person with a mindset of encouraging leadership
• Reshma Saujani, top businesswoman, politician and lawyer in the US, is an iconic inspirational leader

Also read: Charismatic leadership | How to become a charismatic leader [with examples]

Most inspiring personalities of all time

The most inspiring personalities of all time who inspire groups of people are:

• Malala Yousafzai, a contemporary activist, who campaigned for girls’ education
• Anne Frank, inspiring generations through her writings
• Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, was focused and dedicated in his vision
• Oprah Winfrey, a successful entrepreneur, who never looked back pursuing her ambitions
• Sanna Marin, the youngest prime minister in the world, stood for equality.

In this article, we will discuss in detail the concept of conscious leadership and the conscious leadership 15 commitments as defined by Jim Dethmer, Diana Chapman, and Kaley Waner Klemp.

Conscious leadership

Conscious leadership is an important technique where the leaders possess a radical responsibility to be self-aware. They instil a culture of working as a group and not an individual or “me” concept. 

What is conscious leadership?

Conscious leadership is about practising being aware of oneself and how to behave in the external world. It’s about realizing our internal beliefs, core values, assumptions, and principles and our perception of the outside world. This helps to define one’s personal identity and interact with the team in creating a working environment of empathy, cooperation, and collaboration.

The leaders need to constantly interact with the various external forces like risks, challenges, varying emotional behavioural characteristics of people, changing technological and domain trends. The conscious people or leaders need to understand the impact of all on the organization and drive the people to mitigate problems or issues jointly.

Also read: John Maxwell’s 21 leadership laws explained with examples

Consciousness leadership and its benefits in organizations

Consciousness leadership is to realize yourself, your inner leadership qualities and to be self-aware. It is about creating and managing an environment of trust, confidence, and belief among the team members in an organization. The key benefits of conscious leadership are:

• Understanding the mission and vision of the company and translating the same to the team for pursuing the values
• Bring about a good working relationship between the leaders and the team
• Opportunity to nurture the talent of the team and bring in harmony for better productivity
• The motivational and inspirational level of the employees’ increase resulting in a lower attrition rate 
• A marked difference in company growth is visible through conscientious leadership as employees tend to be driven by the leader in pursuing the deadline and objectives proactively
• Increase in job satisfaction since the employees are empowered to take decisions and assume responsibilities to accomplish the work

15 Commitments of conscious leadership

We will now discuss the 15 commitments of conscious leadership as defined in the book. The book states that a leader is either below the line or above the line. When leaders are above the line, they are dedicated, committed, curious, and eager to learn. And when leaders are below the line, they are inside a cocoon, defensive, and seldom open up to the team. In conscious leadership, the leader needs to self-evaluate and find out at which position of the line he or she is in.

1. Responsibility

Above the line, the leader is committed to assuming complete responsibility for the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual wellbeing of oneself and supporting others too. Below the line, the leader is bound to blame oneself and others for whatever wrong is going around. So the focus towards responsibility determines the commitment level of the leaders and whether they consider themselves as the hero or the villain.

2. Curiosity

Above the line, the conscious control is to flourish in self-awareness. The interaction with peers and supervisors or any external stakeholders is considered as an opportunity to learn and gain knowledge. Hence a gradual progression towards learning. Below the line, conscious leadership groups tend to be defensive while trying to establish something right. 

3. Feelings

As part of the 15 commitments of conscious leadership, the feelings of a leader determine the traits of conscious leadership. Above the line, the leader allows the feelings to flow through and do not stop or bar it from being spread across. Whereas below the line, leaders tend to be apologetic for the feelings expressed and tend to avoid and withhold them.  

4. Candor

One of the 15 commitments of conscious leadership is candor. Above the line, conscious coaching says to be committed to what the leaders believe in or think is true. Others can express their desire to be with the leaders and support them. Below the line, the commitment is to be a non-listener, withholding facts and trying to manipulate results.

Also read: Leadership philosophy: 8 philosophies of great leaders [with templates]

5. Gossip

Above the line, the leaders are committed to interacting directly with the employees to discuss a problem or issue. They focus on creating an environment where the employees can directly talk and express their situations to the leaders. Below the line, the leaders do not focus on what people want to say and seldom listen to their concerns and issues for resolution.

6. Integrity

Integrity is one of the value commitments of conscious leadership. Above the line, the leaders are committed to being empathetic. They practice the art of integrity and acknowledge the authentic feelings of employees. Below the line, leaders withhold the truth and ignore the feelings and empathy of the employees. They don’t tend to assume full end-to-end responsibility of a program in an organization. 

7. Appreciation

As part of the commitments of conscious leadership, appreciation occupies a significant value. Above the line, the conscious leadership group tends to be open to accepting appreciation from the company or other external stakeholders. Also, they are open to reciprocating the same as a gesture of showering appreciation. Below the line, the leaders tend to claim which is theirs and do not appreciate being not granting proper value to the work done by them. 

8. Genius

In this commitment of conscious leadership, the focus of leaders is on understanding or realizing the potential and applying the same to either influence others. Above the line, the leaders are bound to influence and inspire others for showcasing their creativity. Below the line, the leaders are not committed to realizing their full potential and are more into being incompetent.

Also read: 5 levels of leadership by John Maxwell

9. Play and Rest

Above the line for this type of commitment, the leaders maximize the energy for completing the activities with ease and introducing improvisations as and when needed. Below the line, the leaders consider completing the work following traditional methods and consider improvisations or breaks as distractions. For them, only hard work and struggle can lead to success and not rest or breaks from work.  

10. Opposite of my story

As part of this commitment and above the line, the leaders believe in hearing out the opposite side of the story and try to interpret the world around them. They try to weave in the stories of others in their stories to bring out a positive dimension to it. On the other hand, below the line, the leaders believe that their stories only portray the truth and they derive the positive meaning out of their lives only. 

11. Approval

One of the interesting commitments of conscious leadership. Above the line, the leaders believe in themselves as the source of security, control, and approval. Whereas below the line, the leaders are committed to believing that security, control, and approval come from the outside world. 

12. Enough

Above the line, the leaders are happy and conscious of everything that they possess which includes time, space, money, energy, resources, etc. And for below the line, the leaders are always sceptical about the scarcity of things around and always try to preserve for themselves.

13. Allies

In this commitment for conscious leadership, for above the line, the leaders consider the people and the circumstances around as allies. They learn from them and utilize them for their growth and achievement. Below the line, the leaders are committed to considering people and circumstances as obstacles in achieving what they want.

14. A win for all

Above the line, the leaders are committed to creating a win-win solution for themselves, the team, the organization, and the external stakeholders. They strive to achieve the same through focused dedication and effort. Whereas below the line, the leaders are more into a win-lose solution for any problems, issues, and concerns.

Also read: Laissez faire leadership: What is laissez-faire leadership & its importance [with examples!

15. Being the resolution

The last of the 15 commitments of conscious leadership. Above the line, the leaders are bound to resolve problems by providing solutions. They possess a positive attitude in mitigating the issues and do not blame others for the problems. On the other hand, below the line, the leaders are more focused on blaming others for the problems, issues, and concerns faced.

How to become a conscious leader?

Now that we have understood the concept of conscious leadership and its benefits. Let us now focus on how to become a conscious leader. The different ways that need to be followed are:

• Practice being self-aware. Discover your strengths and weaknesses. Learn to understand your feelings and eagerness to work.
• Check the impact and influence of the people around you on your daily activities and work. You must note down their attitude, and behaviour to verify whether you are satisfied to connect with them
• Bring intention in every activity you do, be it activity, work or any other personal activity. Without a mission and vision, you tend to get deviated from the actual objective
• Meditate for sometime in the day for increasing your concentration level and to develop focused attention
• Be empathetic towards people and try to understand their issues and concerns. Do seek for mitigating the problem
• Do not assume the situation but ask questions to clarify the matter as appropriate
• Never take anything personally, but be professional in dealing with arguments 
• You must be proactive in understanding what is a thought loop or looping thoughts. It’s very much needed to know how to stop thought loops.

In this post, we will discuss what is charismatic leadership and the different charismatic leadership characteristics with examples.

Charismatic leadership

Charismatic leadership is a unique style of leadership wherein the leaders demonstrate an aura of charm, instill confidence and encourage interpersonal communication and relation. People follow them to gain motivation, inspiration and to achieve the goals and objectives with grace.

Charismatic Authority

Developed by Max Weber, a German sociologist, the concept of Charismatic authority is a form of leadership derived from the charisma of a leader. Charismatic leadership possessed by an individual comprises exceptional personal attributes and characteristics related to confidence, extraordinary visionary powers, and insight into the future.

A charismatic leader has a dynamic personality, influencing subordinates to follow his or her path to fulfill the vision of a company. The authority is centered around a single person who engages with the team encouraging communication and feedback for betterment. The leader is interested in creating a healthy relationship with his or her followers.

Also read: John Maxwell’s 21 leadership laws explained with examples

Charismatic leaders definition

What is the definition of charismatic leader?

While specifying charismatic leaders definition, the characteristics that need to be mentioned are – clear communication, demonstrating empathy and compassion, and possessing strong confidence. They are willing to accept mistakes and improve based on the feedback from the team. Charismatic leadership focuses on understanding the concerns and issues of subordinates and seeking a resolution.

They can lead and motivate the team to achieve the goals and objectives. As per the definition, charismatic leader is full of passion, zeal, and enthusiasm to complete their work within the stipulated time with dedicated focus and attention.

What is a charismatic leader?

What is a charismatic leader or how to define charismatic leadership?

A charismatic leader or charismatic leadership essentially harps on the emotions of the team members and inspires them to achieve the goals. He or she tries to build a sense of trust and confidence by encouraging interaction and persuasive communication.

The charismatic style of the leader through innovative thoughts and exceptional visibility creates respectful feelings within the subordinates. People tend to follow them for reaching the business objectives as well as a source of inspiration and motivation in executing their tasks.

Also read: John Maxwell’s 5 levels of leadership explained

Charismatic leadership theory

Charismatic leadership theory defines the leadership style as trait-based. Conceptualized by Max Weber, it gained official recognition in the year 1976. As per the theory and definition charismatic leadership focuses on problem-solving.

They act as role models and possess excellent personal traits to influence and motivate others. Charismatic leaders are pioneers in resolving problems, thus gaining the trust and confidence of the team. According to Dubrin, there are five types of charismatic leaders :

• Socialized – never using power for personal gains
• Personalized – using power to a certain extent for personal gains
• Office-holder – focuses on office more
• Personal – with social and emotional skills
• Divine – with high grace

Characteristics of charismatic leaders

Let us now discuss the key characteristics of charismatic leaders. Charismatic leadership possesses certain personality traits which are unique and must be understood with clarity. If you are interested in transformational leadership, then you must adopt these traits or align yourself to the characteristics.

1. Compassion as a charismatic personality

A charismatic personality needs to be compassionate towards the team and the work. The leader must be empathetic towards the employees and shower a sense of belief and trust. Being compassionate signifies focusing on the positive emotions of the team and not being too egoistic.

2. Confidence of a charismatic leader

Confidence is one of the vital characteristics of a charismatic leader. Charismatic leadership emphasizes on achieving the objectives and goals of a project or a program with a positive mindset. He or she stays focused on the deadlines and is confident on meeting the timelines without any deviations.

Also read: How to become a well-grounded leader at work place in 2021?

3. Vision defines personality of a leader

The personality of a leader under the charismatic leadership definition is also driven by vision. Most charismatic people or a leader has a strong vision in the strategic run and influence the team in fulfilling the vision with grace. He or she is focused on the future and curates innovative thoughts in improvising techniques and strategies to achieve the vision and mission of the organization.

4. Determination is a charismatic power

Determination is a charismatic power of a leader. The ability and capability of a leader to overcome the odds and risks and propagate towards success are some of the greatest characteristics of charismatic leadership. Furthermore, a determination is also vital in completing the activities within the timeline and ensuring better productivity.

5. Communication as one of the charismatic personality traits

Persuasive communication is one of the charismatic personality traits of a leader. Clear and concise communication with proper articulation is a specialty of a charismatic leader. The leader must efficiently communicate the goals and the visions to the team.

Also read: What is laissez-faire leadership & its importance [with examples!

Pros and cons of charismatic leadership style

Let us now focus on the pros and cons of the charismatic leadership style. This will help you to understand the benefits of charismatic leadership. Also, it is crucial to know about the disadvantages so that you can be prepared to face the odds and tackle them.

Pros

• An emotional connection exists between the leader and the team
• The leader demonstrates a sense of differentiation and innovation
• Creates a positive impact in the minds of the people
• The team learns from the leader and stays focused on the results
• The low attrition rate in the company
• Stimulates productivity and acceleration in achieving the deadlines

Cons

• Too much focus on the leader and their personal traits may always not be consistent
• People tend to follow the dreams and visions of the leader and de-focuses on personal aspirations
• People work towards the goals of the leader and overlook their individual objectives

Also read: 8 philosophies of great leaders [with templates]

Charismatic leadership examples

Charismatic leadership examples can be found in various aspects and sectors of the professional environment. They act as idols for many who want to pursue charismatic leadership. In this section let us read through some examples of a famous charismatic leader.

1. Martin Luther King Jr. as one of the examples of charismatic authority

Martin Luther King Jr., a great leader and motivational speaker, is one of the examples of charismatic authority. He delivered a famous speech on August 28, 1963, which attracted more than 200,000 people. He inspired people by his powerful speeches.

2. Sir Winston Churchill was a charismatic leader

Sir Winston Churchill, the former Prime Minister of the UK, was a charismatic leader. His powerful oratory skills inspired the people, generating encouragement and motivation for the future. His speech allured millions of people, instilling confidence and trust in him.

3. Jack Welch is an example of a charismatic leader

Jack Welch, the youngest CEO of General Electric, is an example of a charismatic leader. He was well known for being empathetic towards his employees and building up a strong relationships with them. He was a pioneer in setting up aspirational goals and being positive in achieving them.

Also read: What is autocratic leadership & its importance [with examples]

4. Sukarno is one of the charismatic leader’s examples

Sukarno, the Indonesian leader, is one of the charismatic leader’s examples. He led the nationalist movement of Indonesia. His speeches spurred the heart of the people and instigated them to dedicate themselves for the nation; a prominent leader with attributes of charismatic leadership.

How to groom charismatic people in your team?

In this section, we will discuss certain tips on how to groom charismatic people in your team. Though charismatic leadership demands the development of personal traits, yet there are ways to develop the skills. Some organizations even conduct a charismatic personality test to judge the effectiveness of the training or learning curve.

1. Controlling nerves to be a charismatic person

Controlling nerves and being empathetic are one of the first steps of being a charismatic person. It’s good to conduct some interpersonal relationship classes and courses with experts specializing in assisting people to develop such emotional characteristics.

2. Developing listening powers as one of the charismatic characters

Developing listening powers or possessing listening intent is one of the charismatic characters that need to be taught as part of charismatic leadership training. The ability to hear out a person, be rational in judgments and logically handle situations are some of the traits that need to be guided and taught for charismatic leaders.

3. Be adaptable to situations as part of charisma in leadership

As part of charisma in leadership, it is important to educate a person to be adaptable in situations. There can be a crisis and risky situations in various stages of a program, but being consistent and adaptable are very important. Hence you need to appropriately train the team.

Also read: What is democratic leadership & its importance [with examples]

4. Move away from being autocratic

You have to move away from the mindset of being autocratic and dominant in leadership style to a more lenient style to be a charismatic leader. You need to train people to understand the aspirations, thoughts and ideas of the team and force them to make tough decisions.

Charismatic vs transformational leadership

One of the key differences in charismatic vs transformational leadership is the way the people are motivated and transformed along with the social systems. Charismatic leadership focuses on a vision and the followers are motivated and inspired by the aura and charm of the leader. Charismatic personality means imbibing an interest within the team to pursue the goals and fulfill them with dedication and focused attention.

Transformational leadership, on the other hand, brings in a change in the social systems and the individuals. They instigate people to churn their thoughts to achieve the goals and take up ownership for their work.

Also read: What is team building & why is it super important for companies in 2021?

Top 10 charismatic leaders in history

The world has witnessed several prominent charismatic leaders in history. 

1. Napoleon Bonaparte, the renowned French military leader and politician
2. Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the nation of India, and freedom fighter
3. Fidel Castro, former President of Cuba
4. Winston Churchill, British statesman and former Prime Minister of UK
5. Adolf Hitler, German politician, and leader of the Nazi party
6. Martin Luther King Jr., American spokesman, leader, and politician
7. Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa
8. Eva Peron, politician, activist, and philanthropist of Argentina
9. Malcolm X,  African-American Muslim minister, and human rights activist
10. Aung San Suu Kyi, Burmese politician, and diplomat

Want to learn about laissez faire leadership? In this post we deep dive into one of lewin’s leadership styles – Laissez Faire leadership. Find out what it is, it’s characteristics, examples & more.

Laissez faire leadership

Laissez Faire leadership is a type of leadership where trust and confidence are showered by the leaders on their team or subordinates. The focus is on enabling the team to actively participate in decision making and collaboration. It is one of Lewin’s leadership styles.

In this article, we will discuss the laissez-faire leadership definition along with similar types of leadership styles.

Also read: 21 irrefutable laws of leadership

What is laissez faire leader?

A laissez faire leader empowers and motivates employees or the team to be creative and responsible in conducting their activities and tasks. They never micro-manage the subordinates and forces work on them. He or she encourages the team to take up decisions on their own and intervene only when any crisis or risk is predicted. The overall ownership is with the laissez faire leadership but the people are motivated to resolve problems on their own. Guidance is offered to the team in minimal form as and when required. The team is inspired to utilize the resources and intelligence to achieve the goals and objectives.

Laissez faire leadership definition

Let us now define laissez faire leadership.

Laissez faire leadership definition states reliance on the team, empowering and authorizing them to decide on the actions and tasks. It is alternatively known as hands-off leadership. The employees are permitted to bring in their creativity and innovative thoughts and ideas in their activities. They decide on the resources that need to be deployed to reach the mission, vision, and goals of the organization. In a laissez-faire approach, the leader provides constructive criticism to the team for corrections and improvements. The employees feel the urge to demonstrate their excellence in their jobs.

Also read: 5 levels of leadership | A complete guide

5 attributes of laissez-faire leadership style

In this section, we will deep dive into the characteristics and key attributes of the laissez-faire leadership style. The attributes will guide you in understanding how you can deploy such a style in your company; if you are willing to. You can segregate the pros and cons while finalizing your decision.

1. Delegative leadership style

In this delegative leadership style, the laissez faire attitude is to assign or entrust employees with all the tasks and activities. The employees are granted the responsibility to pursue their tasks within the stipulated time, by deploying all the requisite thoughts and ideas. Proper delegation is needed for an efficient and effective workplace. 

2. Constructive criticism by laissez faire leader

Though a laissez faire leader empowers the employees with all the authority and responsibility in decision making; yet constructive criticism is a must while reviewing the work on completion. This is very much crucial for ensuring quality and effectiveness. After all the overall performance and productivity need to be controlled and monitored by a leader.

3. Need basis control by laissez-faire leader

A laissez-faire leader must plan to step in and assume control whenever there is a need. It can be a crisis situation or chance of a potential risk with medium or high impact. Besides, there can be chances of schedule slippage. Such situations do need interventions.

4. Empowering with freedom in laissez faire management style

In laissez faire management style, empowering the employees with the freedom to apply their thoughts and ideas to plan and organize the tasks is a vital attribute. The key aspect of laissez faire leadership is to built-in self-confidence among the employees in executing their work and achieving the goals. 

5. Provision of adequate resources in laissez faire leadership style

In laissez faire leadership style, you must ensure to provide appropriate resources to the employees. This is to make sure they are able to complete their work without major hassles. They need to be aided with data, information, infrastructure, connectivity, communication, tools, etc. to perform their tasks smoothly and seamlessly.

Also read: Democratic leadership | Characterstics & examples

Advantages of laissez faire leadership

By now, you have understood delegative leadership definition and laissez faire leadership characteristics. In this section, we will discuss the advantages of adopting hands off leadership. The following sub-sections will help you in decision making on which leadership style to adopt while running your company or business. 

1. Accountability in laissez faire approach

In the laissez faire approach, accountability is considered to be one of the key advantages. The employees are equipped with the responsibility for their success as well as failure. They also need to overcome the challenges in achieving the objectives. Hence they are dedicated and focused on their work.

2. A delegative style of leadership is useful for retention

A delegative style of leadership is useful for retaining employees. The very reason being the majority of employees in an organization expect leaders to entrust them with authority and responsibility for executing their work. Besides in laissez faire decision making is also encouraged within the employees; thus they remain dedicated to the organization.

3. Known as instrumental leadership for instilling motivation

In this instrumental leadership style, one of the biggest advantages is that the employees are self-motivated. Since they are empowered, the urge to complete the work in time with greater productivity is very high. They set the goals and ensure completion as per the deadlines.

4. Consultative leadership style promotes a relaxed work environment

In consultative leadership style or in laissez faire management, there are less strict rules and norms. The employees feel relaxed and comfortable working in such an environment, This spurs up the motivation, self-interest, and dedication of the employees. The productivity is bound to increase in such a hands off management style.

5. Laissez-faire management generates creativity

Laissez-faire management and leadership style promotes creativity and innovativeness among the employees. Employees are encouraged to think out of the box and strategically for improvisation and better productivity. Also, it helps in cultivating teamwork and team bonding to achieve the objectives collectively and in a collaborative manner.

Also Read: How to engage employees | Everything you must know

Disdvantages of laissez faire leadership

The disadvantages of laissez faire leadership are minimal. In fact, the advantages score higher when it comes to the definition laissez faire leadership style. Still, it is better to be aware of the cons and be prepared for them.

• Must not be deployed with new joiners or less experienced professionals. Such individuals need proper guidance and mentoring to plan, organize and complete the assigned work. Leaving them alone, may not turn out to be fruitful.
• Sometimes less support or control from leaders may result in de-motivation or lethargy among employees. Many professionals look upon the leaders for leading from the front.
• The absence of an organized leadership and hierarchical structure may not be good for big long term programs

Other terms similar to laissez-faire leadership

In the above sections, we have discussed one of the leadership styles laissez faire, its definition, attributes, pros, and cons. Now let’s focus on some other terms which are similar to laissez-faire leadership for wider knowledge. These terms are related to leadership styles too.

1. Delegative leadership

In a delegative leadership style, the leader permits subordinates to make decisions and he or she takes a backseat. The leader, similar to laissez faire leadership, grants freedom to the team to leverage resources on their own and utilize their expertise to fulfil their commitment. Employees working under such leadership are also expected to resolve problems on their own.

2. Consultative leadership

The consultative leadership style focuses on team building. The leaders discuss with the team and ask for their suggestions and opinions on critical issues and programs. They ensure the team is informed on all crucial and strategic decisions. The target is to create leaders from the team, by sharpening their skills and talents.

3. Free rein leadership

Free rein leadership is the other name for laissez faire leadership style. Hence free rein leadership definition focuses on empowering the team or subordinates with the responsibility of executing the activities as per their discretions. Though monitoring by the leaders will be there, yet the team is granted free rein to work on their own.

4. Delegator leadership style

In the delegator leadership style, the leaders entrust or delegate work to their subordinates or team. Though the overall responsibility stays with the leader, the team focuses on the activities delegated to them. This aids the leaders to concentrate on strategic initiatives while handing over the tactical work to the team.

Also Read: Team Building | Everything you must know

5. Hands-on leadership

Hands-on leadership emphasizes curating new plans, programs, and approaches at a strategic level. The ideas are then circulated within the team for implementation. Feedbacks, comments, and suggestions are invited from the team. The objective of the leader is to work on the vision and mission of the company while stressing the importance of viewpoints of employees. 

6. Passive leadership

In the passive leadership style, the leaders intervene or assume control when the errors, risks, or issues tend to transform into a bigger impact on the organization. Actions by the leaders are avoided till then. Thus maintaining a status quo as long as the problems are not serious.

7. Permissive leadership

In permissive leadership, the decision is entrusted to the employees or the subordinates. A high level execution framework is created by the leaders to guide and assist the team. But the ownership for completion with efficient productivity and ensuring the deadlines are met, are the responsibilities of the team.

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Laissez-faire leadership examples

Lets us now discuss some of the laissez-faire leadership examples to understand the concept of laissez faire leadership better.

1. An owner of a property is allowed to plant any flowers or other vegetation without permission from the city authority
2. A team lead suggesting to modify the team structure and which is accepted by the leader, allowing to go ahead and implement as per the team lead’s discretions
3. A good laissez faire leadership example is to allow team members to create a plan for implementing the strategic vision of the company
4. Laissez-faire leadership in nursing is a good example where the nurses, after receiving training, are free to look after the patients at their will

Famous laissez faire leaders

Here are some of the famous laissez faire leaders who followed laissez faire leadership styles :

• Herbert Hoover – 31st American president
• Queen Victoria – The Victorian era is known for laisses-faire leadership style
• Warren Buffet – American philanthropist, investor and business magnate
• Steve Jobs – Chairman, CEO and Co-founder of Apple

Do you want to develop your leadership skills? In this post, we take you through John Maxwell’s 5 levels of leadership. We will then help you know how you can implement them.

5 levels of leadership

Leadership is a crucial attribute for a professional to aspire high in the ladders of success and growth.

The question is, How to develop leadership qualities?

John Maxwell, the American author and speaker, has elaborated on the 5 levels of leadership. In this article, we will discuss in detail the five levels of leadership, their significance, and influence and the best John Maxwell book.

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Who is John Maxwell?

Before we discuss the 5 levels of leadership, let us find out who is John Maxwell?

Born in 1947 in Garden City, Michigan, John Maxwell is a pioneer when it comes to leadership and how it defines human characteristics. He is an American speaker, pastor, and author of several books focused on leadership. 

The 5 Levels of Leadership

The 5 levels of leadership of John Maxwell are Position, Permission, Production, People Development, and Pinnacle leadership development. In this section, John Maxwell’s 5 levels of leadership are elaborated with their benefits and how you can achieve them. The leadership levels will guide you to become a good and established leader at the workplace.

Leadership level 1 – Position

Position is the first level among John C Maxwell 5 levels of leadership. It initiates the leadership journey. At this level, you are entitled to function in a particular role or job but without any significant influence on the team or peers. Though you possess the authority and command, yet you have not yet earned the due respect as a leader.

As per the laws of leadership, at the Position level, you need to unlock your potential to be a leader. You need to nurture the process, understand your limits, and plan to grow further.

Before moving on to the next leadership level, there are few important facts to realize. 

• You are respected and recognized by the work you do and not solely by your job title
• Consider people around as valuable, supporting and guiding them
• Work as a team collaboratively to seek towards the objectives

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Leadership level 2 – Permission

Permission is the second level among John Maxwell 5 levels of leadership. At this level, you grant importance to your team and impart the feeling of their importance. The team in turn listens to you and follows you in their daily work and activities.

People are jubilated on the recognition and feel happy that they are valued. The trust and confidence rendered upon them instil positivity and harmony in the workplace. In fact, the relationship is further improved and bonding starts to work on. The team is motivated to follow your instructions. At this level, you need to be trustworthy and work on aiding and assisting the team.

Before moving on to the next leadership level, there are few important facts to realize. 

• Growth can be achieved by coordination and collaboration jointly with the team
• It is crucial to trust the people and help them to achieve the success ladder
• The mission and vision must be perceived and attained as a team

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Leadership level 3 – Production

Production is the third level among John Maxwell five levels of leadership. The level is for nurturing your credentials to achieve more than the desired results. It’s about leading from the front to motivate the team and yourself in delivering quality.

The product leadership level intensifies the capability to go beyond the normal potential and seek to attain visionary objectives. The team feels rejuvenated and amplified by following your ideologies and vision. The combined effect of results and relationships serve as a boon. Hence at this level, you must dedicate your attention strictly on results. 

Before moving on to the next leadership level, there are few important facts to realize. 

• Confident in overcoming the challenges and achieve success
• Focus on the objectives and the results to be attained
• Gear up the team to bring in growth in their career and fulfil their ambitions

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Leadership level 4 – People Development

People Development is the fourth level among John Maxwell laws of leadership. At this level, you need to focus on empowerment. It focused on believing people and their potential, granting them the authority to perform key tasks and activities.

In a way, you can assess the capability of the team and reward them based on their potential. The rewards and recognition encourage them to move forward. You need to delegate work to them and motivate them to perform better. Arrange for competency update sessions to aid in the learning process. 

Before moving on to the next leadership level, there are few important facts to realize. 

• Plan to create new leaders
• Coach and guide the team to inculcate the leadership culture
• Constant grooming for the betterment 
• The reward for good performance and encouragement

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Leadership level 5 – Pinnacle 

What is level 5 leadership?

Pinnacle is the last level in John Maxwell’s 5 levels of leadership. Very few people reach up to this level. In the last level, the leaders create new leaders who are at the fourth level. In other words, its like building and developing leaders whom people can trust and follow.

Level 5 leadership is about deploying the correct judgement in enhancing the potential of the team to lead from the front. You need dedicated and focused attention and possess the appropriate the skill to achieve such a result. On success, you can create 5 levels of the organization.

As per the laws of leadership, the more you succeed in creating aspiring and new leaders in your organization, the more you can increase growth and customer satisfaction. New leaders can fast track the market presence of a firm and invest more in attaining the strategic vision.

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How to navigate various levels of leadership?

We have learnt in detail about the 5 levels of leadership. Now in this section, we will discuss how to navigate between the different levels of leadership and move upward the ladder through the 5 levels of leadership summary.

While transforming from Level 1 to Level 2, here are what you must do:

• Attend the needs of the employees
• Reward and recognize the employees for their contribution
• Provide constructive feedback to the team members
• Focus on nurturing and developing emotional intelligence

While transforming from Level 2 to Level 3, here are what you must do:

• Communicate the mission and vision of the company
• Share the key performance indicators or KPIs with the team for them to be part of achieving the goals
• Share the deadlines on each of the members and track the progress
• Strong time management 
• Planning, organizing and strategizing

While transforming from Level 3 to Level 4, here are what you must do:

• Create a mentorship program to develop the leadership skill of the employees
• Plan for the employees and help to reach the goals and objectives of the company
• Empower and delegate the team to fulfil their activities and tasks

While transforming from Level 4 to Level 5, here are what you must do:

• Assess the progress and focus on improvement
• Developing a new legacy of leadership

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What are the 5 levels of influence?

The 5 levels of influence on leadership are:

• Social systems
• Individual preferences
• Social institutions
• Mission and Vision of the organization 
• The routine habits and practices

All these have a significant impact on the leadership levels and a key factor in driving the leadership qualities. You need to understand the impact and ensure they are catered to while paving the path towards leadership.

John Maxwell books

John Maxwell has written almost 100 books. The best selling John Maxwell books are:

• The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
• Developing the Leader Within You 
• The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader

John Maxwell books on leadership are quite popular and have sold almost million copies. Change Your World is John Maxwell new book. John Maxwell leadership books have earned great popularity because of the ease in which the leadership descriptors are elaborated clearly. His book Good Leaders Ask Great Questions: Your Foundation for Successful Leadership is among the best leadership books 2016.

John Maxwell quotes

Here are some of John Maxwell quotes: 

“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way”

“A good leader is a person who takes a little more than his share of the blame and a little less than his share of the credit”

“Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them”

“People buy into the leader before they buy into the vision”

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John Maxwell leadership training

You can opt for the following John Maxwell leadership training:

• Free 5 levels of leadership training, which involves a selection process
• 15 Laws of growth online course
• Developing the leader within your online course
• Advanced growth system online course
• Put your dream to the test online course
• Corporate Leadership training

5 Ps of leadership 

The 5 Ps of leadership are:

• Purpose
• Position
• Priority
• Process
• Professionalization

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If the purpose of the vision is clear, then you can prioritize the activities. You can leverage your position and authority to drive the process and bring professionalization in achieving the goals. With all the 5 Ps in place, you will be able to place yourself as a good leader that employees can rely on and trust.

How do leaders become leaders?

Leaders can become great leaders by being compassionate, result-oriented, focusing on the goals and bringing in innovations in the overall process. John Maxwell five levels of leadership define the technique or strategy that needs to be adopted to be a leader. Being a leader is not to be self-centric but to grow as a team and attain the vision; the facts stated by the five levels of leadership.