Being a compassionate leader has its benefits
Employees who work for a compassionate boss perform better at their jobs than they would for a mean boss, a university study showed.
Of the three leadership styles identified by researchers from Binghamton University, managers who were classified under authoritarianism-dominant almost always witnessed a negative performance from their subordinates.
Authoritarianism-dominant leaders are those with little regard for the welfare of their workers and who only care about completing tasks.
In contrast, benevolence-dominant leaders seemed to inspire a positive performance among their subordinates. They are supportive of the personal and familial well-being of their followers, the researchers said.
The third type of leader – the classical paternalistic – also elicited positive results from workers despite the leader exhibiting a combination of authoritarian and benevolent attributes.
Managers who follow this approach are said to give equal importance to accomplishing tasks and looking after the welfare of their workers.
The father-child relationship people form during childhood becomes a prototype of this leadership style, the study said.
“Being benevolent is important because it can change the perception your followers have of you,” said Chou-Yu Tsai, an assistant professor of management at Binghamton University’s School of Management. “If you feel that your leader or boss actually cares about you, you may feel more serious about the work you do for them.”
