Itay Talgam gives an inspiring TED presentation on leadership styles. It is really worth watching.
The aim of a good leader appears to be doing without doing. Here is the summary of the different leadership style:
The Muti: commanding, authoritarian, directive, almost
dictatorial. It uses the team ‘as instruments not partners’. This
approach produces results but stifles the team. It is all about the
leader and his responsibilities, career
The Strauss: ‘Let it happen by itself, do not interfere’.
Though it may look quite liberating, this approach does not allow much
room for interpretation, as the team needs to act ‘by the book’. The
control here is applied by reminding the team of the ‘official story’
that needs to be told.
The Von Karajan: The worst damage a leader can do to a team is
to give it a clear instruction. Again this appears quite liberating but
there is pressure on the team to guess the leader’s views, ideas,
planes, etc. Having said that it seems to encourage teamwork, as the
team needs to work together to realise the leader’s vision
The Kleiber: This approach is about letting the team add their
own work, ideas, and interpretations. Control is applied by the forces
of the process itself not the commanding leader. The team become
partners as they know the process but there are no clear instructions
provided by the leader. The leader has and needs to exercise authority
but authority is not enough to make the team into partners. The leader
supports, motivates, compliments, encourages but also reminds the team
of the need to be professional. It can be quite exciting but demanding
at the same time.
The Bernstein: enabling the individuals in the team to express
themselves. It seems to me that this is part of the Kleiber approach.