Final answer:
Supportive Leadership is the style that entails showing care to employees through praise, encouragement, listening, involving them in decision making, and helping them reach decisions. It contrasts from Authoritarian and Transactional Leadership styles and shares some traits with Democratic Leadership.
Step-by-step explanation:
Showing employees you care about them through actions such as praising, encouraging, listening to their ideas, involving them in decision making, and assisting them to reach their decisions is called Supportive Leadership. Unlike Authoritarian Leadership which is directive and controls through orders, or Transactional Leadership which focuses on supervision and goal achievement through rewards and punishments, Supportive Leadership is characterized by a concern for the well-being and needs of employees. This style is also different from Transformational Leadership, which although may include supportive elements, primarily focuses on inspiring and intellectually stimulating employees to exceed expected performance and to engage in the transformation of the organization.
Supportive leaders maintain motivation and improve morale by being approachable and showing genuine concern. Since it involves listening to employees and valuing their input, it also shares some characteristics with Democratic Leadership, which encourages group participation in decision-making processes.