Different
leaders use different leadership styles. Much research has been conducted
on these and they all vary to some degree. The process of
developing valuable leadership qualities is simple, but not easy. Nothing
worthwhile is easy. How company leaders guide
employees and motivate them to fulfill directives is as diverse as the leaders
themselves. Identifying how you lead can help you more effectively run your
company.
Effective leaders have a style or a combination of multiple styles
that make them successful in guiding and inspiring employees. Successful
leaders are capable of driving creativity and productivity, while also
improving the bottom line of a business. Being an effective leader does not
always correlate with being a well-liked person. Many leaders are ineffective,
and use leadership styles that do not correlate well with their industry (or
with the people they are attempting to lead).
Leadership is not limited to extraverted individuals, even though
that type of individual often rises to leadership roles, because individuals
with over-sized personalities are often effective communicators. Leadership
positions do not come easily. Finding your way into a leadership job role in
business usually requires years of hard work while learning and climbing the
ladder. Finding your way as a leader often requires failing on occasion.
Learning from those failures and using that experience to become a better
leader will ultimately stand to benefit the business.
Great leaders are genuinely interested in positive results and in
the betterment of everyone around them. A leader with expertise in her field is
more natural when speaking to their employees when they have an intimate handle
on the business with the product or service that is being offered. Employees
will respect a leader who can empathize with and appreciate their work.
Great
leaders choose leadership styles based on the circumstances and the end goal. Leadership is defined by the results achieved under the
specific person in charge. Great leaders bring
out the best in individuals and of the group collectively while also driving a
higher level of performance than usually would be achieved. The five leadership styles below will
bring your team to great success, increase productivity, and inspire peak
performance:
Autocratic
Leadership-The autocratic leader
exercises total control over all decisions and allows very little input from
employees. While this sounds like a recipe for disaster, this leadership
style lends itself to situations where quick, decisive action is warranted and
there is little time for debate.
In the military,
there are definitely times where a quick decision coming from the leader can
make the difference between life and death. That said, to adopt an
autocratic style 100% of the time is not advisable. Total autocratic
leaders are often disliked by their employees, which stifles creativity and can
lead to high turnover rates.
The key here is to
understand when this type of leadership style is warranted and then avoid it at
all other times. This aggressive leadership style is
based on control. The autocrat gives orders and expects prompt execution, with
little-to-no feedback or input from the worker. This leadership style can work
in a production-type environment that demands maximal output in simple,
repetitive job roles.
The
autocrat pushes employees hard. Authoritative leaders inform employees of a
common vision and goal for the company and detail employee responsibilities
designed to make reaching that goal a reality. They are often given guidelines
but allowed to fulfill their obligations as they see fit.
Laissez-Faire
Leadership-French for “let the people
do as they choose,” Laissez-Faire describes a
hands-off approach. Laissez-faire leadership will typically yield the lowest
results because the leader does not directly supervise the employee.
Decision-making is left to the employees with little or no guidance from
leadership.
Leaders will provide
resources, but employees are expected to diagnose and resolve issues on their
own. This can be effective in situations where the employees are both
motivated and capable to work on their own with minimal direction from
management. This should not be used if your employees lack the knowledge
or drive to accomplish tasks on their own. It could lead to confusion,
little work being accomplished, and a sense that no one cares about them.
It relies
heavily on talent, existing experience and creativity to drive results. If hard
deadlines, production, and bottom-line profits are not necessarily a major
factor, Laissez-Faire is a laid back, easy approach to running a business. It
also can work when the employee already has a motive to put in the effort. For
example, a commission-based sales role is structured to reward performance.
Using a
Laissez-Faire leadership style makes it possible for the employee to find
creative means of accomplishing a higher sales rate. A more controlling
leadership style that uses proven processes is typical in a sale role, but
increasing the freedom to explore creative strategies drives innovation and may
yield major results. Laissez-Faire is also the best option when employees
work remotely.
Participative
Leadership-The participative
approach blends Laissez-Faire and autocratic
leadership to find a middle ground. The participative leader actively
encourages participation from employees in decision-making, but then makes the
final decision for the group. The benefits are improved employee morale
as they feel valued and respected. All members of the team contribute
many more creative ideas to the benefit of the company.
This leadership style
does not work well in those instances when decisions must be made rapidly as
the participation process can take some time to sort through. The participant leadership style is collaborative, and
takes employee opinion and input into account during the decision-making
process. This puts the leader in a co-worker type of role that's often
respected by the employees.
The
participant process gets bogged down with the process of compromise and
deliberation taking place. Ultimately, the decision is likely thorough and
well-considered, but not necessarily timely. If split-second decisions are not
critical, this leadership style works well in the business world. It may not
work for a stockbroker buying and selling on the stock exchange floor. You make your team
feel that you really care about them by putting them first. You practice the
“Friendship Factor” with them, which is made up of three components: time,
care, and respect.
Transactional
Leadership-Transactional
leadership incorporates rewards and punishments in exchange for employee
performance. The leader and employee will agree on goals and
pre-determined standards to meet those goals. In this style, the leader
provides direction and oversight and then reviews the employee’s performance in
meeting their goals. Employees are rewarded for meeting or exceeding the
goals (with bonuses), or punished if they fail to meet their goals.
This style of
leadership is typically more passive and does not encourage out-of-the-box
thinking. Financial incentive is enough to motivate
many employees into productive work habits. The transactional leader is focused
on proven processes that produce consistent results. For example, a
transactional leader in a sales call center will use strict call scripts and
will reward employees who learn and follow the scripts to drive sales.
Transformational
Leadership-Transformational leaders create a vision for their employees
and communicate it often. These leaders identify the need for change, and
then become that agent for change through inspiration and motivation.
This leadership style will typically improve employee morale and promote
inclusion within the group.
The transformational leader is a role model for their
employees and strives to understand their strengths and weaknesses in order to
enable them to be their best. Transformative leadership
encourages employees to think. These leaders have a big vision, and they are
charismatic and motivating. The big picture approach does not cover the
day-to-day details.
A transformative
leader will require dedicated managers that have a more detailed approach to
ensure that administrative tasks and daily processes are in place. The
technology industry is attractive for these personalities, but they exist
across the business spectrum. Transformational leaders tap into their hopes, dreams,
and ideals. You motivate employees by motivating yourself. It doesn’t only require
the ownership of your team to accomplish goals. It also requires your
involvement as a leader.
“Leaders must be close enough to
relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them.” (John C. Maxwell) [i]
[i] Sources used:
·
“5
Different Types of Leadership Styles” by Zach
Lazzari
·
“5 Leadership Styles in Management You Should Know” by Brian Tracy
International
·
“5 Leadership Styles: Which One Are You?” by LearningFM
· “Leadership Styles: 5 Most Common Techniques Decoded” by Julie Bawden-Davis
This post is dedicated
to my wife.
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