Paternalistic and Maternalistic Leadership — Daddy and Mommy Knows Best or More…?

Paternalistic and Maternalistic Leadership are leadership styles that are not given a fair shot so much in the western world as they are throughout. First off, what are they? A paternalistic leadership style is one that comes from a seat of strength and discipline. Is respectful and caring and expects loyalty in return for benevolence.

Paternalistic leadership is more concerned with loyalty than performance. This is often referred to as a form of management, but it is also a form of leadership, especially in the western world where the two are more separated than anywhere else. The paternalistic leadership style is one that posits that the leader is like a father figure who cares and provides for his ‘family.’

Imagine a leader who really cared how your day was going and wasn’t just giving the verbatim, but really cared? Wouldn’t that be a change? This works extremely well in a collectivist society, not so much an individualistic one like the united states of America. There is a difference. There is a proximity and distance accord here, that is not the prerequisite everywhere else.

The positive effects of a paternalistic leadership style can be that there is an atmosphere of the family at the workplace. A negative result is that some people are resentful of…