Food Services Management

Food service Leadership Qualities,Leadership Qualities, Styles of Leadership,Autocratic leadership, Democratic leadership, Laissez Faire or Free Rein leadership, Bureaucratic leadership

Leadership Qualities

Leadership is a process of influence on a group. The food service manager has the task to empower employees by clearly establishing and communicating the mission, accepting the responsibility of leading the group, and earnings employees trust by showing a high regard for self and others. Always an empowered team is required to create an effective, smoothly operating work unit.

Styles of Leadership

To form a team, the food service manager has to follow any one of the following leadership styles. Styles are tailor made to different situations. Based on the types of leader – behaviour, they are classified as:

a. Autocratic leadership

b. Democratic leadership

c. Laissez Faire or Free Rein leadership

d. Bureaucratic leadership

a. Autocratic Leadership

An autocratic leader is centered around the boss or head of the institution. He is supreme in delegating duties to his subordinates. The style is efficient and needs little or no time to consult others during decision making. This style might be used during emergencies like breakdown when one leader’s instructions have to be followed The two different styles under this are tough autocrat and benevolent autocrat. Tough autocrat or Hard boiled autocrat is a negative influence and uses the force of fear and punishment. Views leadership as a matter of using orders. His followers must obey him unquestioningly.

T he motto in this leadership is ‘pay for performance’ and praise sparingly. The Benevolent autocrat is often referred to as paternalistic leader. He looks upon himself as a parent figure. Benevolent autocrat is a positive influence and uses the reward and incentives in directing his subordinates towards the organizational goals.

b. Democratic leadership

Democratic leadership, also known as participative leadership or shared leadership, is a type of leadership style in which members of the group take a more participative role in the decision-making process. It allows flexibility and adaptation. This leadership seeks to evolve a self-disciplinary mechanism, if any member of the group does anything which is in any manner opposed to the interests of the group. He is promptly checked and controlled by other members. Democratic style is very time consuming and requires a great deal of energy.

c. Laissez faire or Free Rein leader

This type of leader permits his/her followers to do whatever they want to do. He/She does not formulate any policies or procedures. It is often described as ‘no leadership at all’, as there is absence of direct leadership. This leadership can be successful only when the followers have a high degree of maturity.

d. Bureaucratic leadership

In this type the leader’s behaviour relies on rules, regulation and procedures. There will be no participation or initiative by the sub-ordinates. As a result, the process of administration is reduced to series of routine actions.

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