Managers’ Commonly Apply Leadership Styles to Empower and Motivate Subordinates

Abstract

Leaders always seek to motivate subordinates to perform the tasks at hand. The study of leadership has been an area of research for many years, and there has never been one universally accepted leadership type. One of the biggest problems in the study of leadership is that there is unprecedented emphasis on the character and behaviour of the leader. The assumption with that approach is that the role played by the leader negates the impact of the subordinates as the final product of the leader’s behaviour impacts the performance of the subordinates, positively or negatively. This research focuses on the role played by subordinates because they need to understand what motivates them. A leader's effectiveness is based on the ability to mobilise the followership to cooperate and deliver on the objectives of the undertaking. Using mixed methods, the study examined leadership behaviour and subordinates' expectations as motivating factors for subordinates to perform. The findings assist leaders in getting the best out of their subordinates and understanding their leadership style. A questionnaire was used to collect the necessary data based on which illustrations were constructed, which assisted in interpreting the relationship between the variables. The questionnaire was divided into a biography, a Likert scale, and an open-ended section. The open-ended section assisted in getting to other aspects that might have been left out in the structured part of the questionnaire. From the findings, it can be concluded that the subordinates prefer leaders who show empathy, are responsive, and allow for subordinate participation. Sharing with workers’ problems instils loyalty to the leader and organisation. Well-informed employees know what to do and how to solve problems. Empowered employees also become engaged employees and assume ownership. Together with this is the implied consideration for a firm leader who is task-focused and understands the importance of relationships.