What is Paternalistic Leadership? (Advantages and Disadvantages)

Positions of leadership come in different forms and kinds. The paternalistic leadership is one of these forms. So, we ask, what is paternalistic leadership (advantages and disadvantages)? How does it contribute to the family and largely the society in which the family is the primary unit?

The paternalistic leadership is deeply stemmed in the manner of leadership adopted by the father and of course the substantial influence it wields on the rest of the family. Obviously, families without the man as the head is a home that is not complete. That is indisputable. This means the position of the father cannot be contested and underestimated.

There is a significant shadow of administrative power that overwhelms the environment where the paternalistic leadership is expressed. This power however is a goo one as it pushes for nothing for productivity and effective delivery of quality service. However, the downside of this is often that this type of leadership is absolute as it cannot be questioned or refused.

Even at that, it is understood that a paternalistic leader fosters a friendly work atmosphere, where employees see their coworkers as family. The paternalistic leadership style lays huge importance on the needs of employees and the organization. It is as a matter of fact a management style in which a dominant, assertive figure operates as the matriarch/patriarch whom employees must trust, obey and be loyal to.

Features of Paternalistic Leadership

Below are some of the thing you should look for when searching to identify the paternalistic leaders:

• Compassion

The goal of paternalistic leadership is to ensure that the staff feels respected and at ease. You can’t relate to your employees’ feelings if you lack empathy and compassion.

• Solid Organizational Skills

The paternalistic management style necessitates excellent organizational abilities. These are a collection of skills that enable a leader to plan, prioritize and achieve their objectives.

• Decisiveness

Judgment is vested in the leader under paternalistic leadership, which demands skill, knowledge and the ability to make swift, sound decisions. You can’t afford to second guess your decisions as a paternalistic boss.

• Confidence

Paternalistic leadership does not offer employees much say in decision-making. So, leaders must inspire confidence from their coworkers to trust their judgment.

• Influence

Leaders must influence their subordinates. The paternalistic leadership style requires leaders to have substantial influence over their coworkers.

Read Also: Importance of Leadership Skills

Advantages

Below are the benefits or pros of paternalistic leadership:

• Job satisfaction

Paternal leaders use compassion and empathy to understand employees’ feedback or concerns and take their input into consideration when making business decisions. These leaders strive to acknowledge employees for their contributions to an organization. For example, they may recognize an employee’s work during team meetings. Their actions make employees feel valued and respected, which can lead to high levels of job satisfaction. When employees feel satisfied with their jobs, they may be more likely to believe in the company’s mission and work harder to meet or exceed their work-related goals.

• High Retention

Companies with paternal leaders often have many longtime employees who want to continue working there throughout their careers. These employees are invested in the company’s success because they feel as though company leaders are meeting their needs.

Paternal leaders emphasize the personal well-being of employees through their actions. For example, they may encourage employees to use their vacation time because they believe in the importance of a healthy work-life balance. This workplace environment often leads to increased employee loyalty and high retention rates, which can improve a company’s culture and productivity.

• Effective Communication

Typically, paternal leaders have consistent and ongoing communications with their employees. They encourage employees to speak with them about any workplace concerns so they can address them effectively. These leaders ask employees for their input on decisions affecting the business.

This type of leadership style often makes employees feel comfortable speaking with managers and expressing their feedback. Paternal leaders respect employees’ opinions and acknowledge the value of their input. This effective communication between leaders and employees can create increased transparency and trust in the workplace.

• Motivation

Paternal leaders emphasize the importance of continued learning to help employees grow professionally. These leaders often provide employees with the tools they require to be successful in their jobs, such as additional training or new technology. They reward employees for their performance in various ways, such as awards or raises.

Because they view employees as family members, these leaders may be more likely to promote employees when higher positions become available. This leadership style can help employees feel passionate about their work and motivate them to work hard to achieve their professional goals.

Disadvantages

Here are some disadvantages of paternalistic leadership style:

• Low Morale

In companies with paternal leaders, employees can offer feedback or input on business decisions, but they rarely participate in the decision-making process. If paternal leaders make decisions that employees may disagree with, it can cause tension in the workplace, leading to low morale among employees. It’s helpful for paternal leaders to communicate with employees to explain the various factors that lead to their decisions. These discussions give employees the opportunity to ask questions and can make them feel more involved in decision-making.

• Employee Dependence

Because paternal leaders typically make all decisions related to the business, employees may become dependent on these leaders for supervision. They may rely on paternal leaders for guidance in their work-related tasks and ask for help with solving problems.

Paternal leaders can encourage employees to develop problem-solving skills by establishing clear expectations for tasks or projects. While leaders may offer feedback or advice, they can help employees be self-reliant by expressing trust and confidence in their decisions. These actions can create a positive environment where employees feel empowered to make decisions.

• Perceptions of Imbalance

With a paternalistic leadership style, there may be times when employees perceive an imbalance in the way leaders treat other employees. For example, if a paternal leader chooses to promote one employee to a higher position, other employees may feel upset or frustrated because they believe they deserved the promotion.

Paternal leaders can overcome these perceptions by communicating openly with employees about their decisions. These leaders can also make sure they’re treating employees fairly and showing everyone in the organization the same level of respect.

• Lack of Delegation

Paternal leaders may find it difficult to delegate tasks to others. They may feel as though it’s unfair to ask for help when they’re expected to make the final decisions on business-related matters. This lack of delegation may cause employees to question whether leaders trust them with important tasks or projects.

Paternal leaders can benefit from learning to delegate tasks to other employees, which can help relieve their workloads and increase their productivity. When paternal leaders delegate tasks to others, they can also improve employees’ leadership skills and boost team morale.