Leadership in Different Organizations and Sectors

Just as leaders should tailor their communication based on their audience (which you will read more about in Chapter 7), it is necessary to consider how leadership differs in various organizations and sectors. For example, do leaders communicate and “lead” differently whether they work for a for-profit or non-profit organization? Are there differences between leadership styles in Fortune 500 companies versus small startup businesses? The research literature is rife with findings linking certain leadership characteristics and styles to different organizational types and sectors. For example, task-oriented leadership behaviors have been linked to staff- and patient relative-assessed quality of care in healthcare (Havig et al., 2011), and charismatic and transformational leaders are most effective in the military, but special consideration should be taken concerning the type of task, people involved, and resources and time available in each situation (Hamad, 2015). This chapter approaches many types of organizations and sectors—such as non-profit, healthcare, education, military, startups, telework, and employee-owned—and explores how leadership differs in each. Research and expertise within each organization are summarized and translated into practical suggestions for effective leadership.