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Would You Want Machiavelli as your CEO? The Implications of Autocratic versus Empowering Leadership Styles to Innovation
Author(s) -
Wagner Cynthia K.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
creativity and innovation management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.148
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1467-8691
pISSN - 0963-1690
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-8691.1995.tb00212.x
Subject(s) - autocracy , leadership style , politics , transactional leadership , hierarchy , control (management) , public relations , style (visual arts) , government (linguistics) , shareholder , servant leadership , marketing , business , management , sociology , political science , economics , law , corporate governance , democracy , linguistics , philosophy , archaeology , history
The trend towards lessened hierarchy in business organizations is key to fostering the continuous innovation upon which competitiveness depends. Models of corporate leadership appropriate to this new organizational reality are not yet in place: business practitioners and scholars have questioned whether company leaders are recognizing the need to move away from traditional autocratic approaches towards styles that empower the modern knowledge worker. But what do autocratic and empowering leadership styles entail? And what do they imply to the manners in which corporations are controlled, not only by management, but by various stakeholders? Perhaps the corporate leadership of the future can learn from the past. The 15th century political theorist Niccolo Machiavelli and the ancient Chinese philosopher Lao‐tzu represent archetypes of these leadership styles. When the two are compared in light of the control methods they elicit from employees, shareholders, and the government it becomes evident that the Machiavellian style attracts the very control it attempts to shun. The goals of the Taoist leaders, in contrast, are consistent with those of stakeholders; and many of the attributes of the Taoist approach are more suited to innovative climates. Theories of organizational learning offer insight into how the transition to a more empowering style might be accomplished.