Traditional Leadership Style

The Traditional Leadership Style was one of three leadership styles described by Max Weber (1947) along with charismatic leadership and bureaucratic leadership styles.    The traditional leadership style is based on the belief that power is bestowed on the leader based on the traditions of the past.

The characteristics of the traditional style include:

• Leaders are viewed as having control and power because those holding the position before them had control and power
• Leaders are followed because of personal loyalty to the position, not the leader
• Followers are promoted based on favoritism and office politics

Weber was the first to distinguish between transactional leaders such as bureaucratic leaders and transformational leaders such as charismatic leaders.  Weber also believed that most leaders exhibited characteristics of all three styles.

Other forms of this term include - traditional leaders, traditional leader