Leadership Styles

Leadership style is the manner and approach of providing direction, implementing plans, and
motivating people. There are normally three styles of leadership
A u t h o r i t a r i a n ( a u t o c r a t i c )
This style is used when the leader tells her employees what she wants done and how she
wants it done, without getting the advice of her followers
P a r t i c i p a t i v e ( d e mo c r a t i c )
This is normally used when you have part of the information, and your employees have other
parts. Note that a leader is not expected to know everything. Using this style is of mutual
benefit it allows them to become part of the team and allows you to make better decisions.
D e l e g a t i v e ( f r e e r e i g n )
This is used when employees are able to analy!e the situation and determine what needs to be
done and how to do it. This is not a style to use so that you can blame others when things go
wrong, rather this is a style to be used when you have the full trust and confidence in the
people below you. "o not be afraid to use it, however, use it wisely!
F o r c e s
# good leader uses all three styles, depending on what forces are involved between the
followers, the leader, and the situation.
Leadership is influencing people -- by providing purpose direction and motivation --
while operating to accomplish the mission and improving the organi!ation"
$harm and grace are all that is needed to create followers.
Selfbelief is a fundamental need of leaders.
%eople follow others that they personally admire.
&t is interesting to watch a $harismatic Leader 'working the room' as they move from
person to person. They pay much attention to the person they are talking to at any one
moment, making that person feel like they are, for that time, the most important person in
the world.
$harismatic Leaders pay a great deal of attention in scanning and reading their
environment.
$harismatic Leaders use
(ision and articulation)
Sensitivity to the environment)
Sensitivity to member needs)
%ersonal risk taking)
%erforming unconventional behaviour.
A good leader give others credit after successes but ta#ing personal responsibility for
failures"
$o empower others you have to trust and be willing to ta#e a ris#" %ou have to want to
get to #now your employees and find what ma#es them tic#" &n my e'perience as a ()*
& spent a considerable amount of time finding opportunities to help those around me
succeed and to help them catch a glimpse of their potential" A leader will do this" As your
employees understand that you #now them they will feel your trust then they will come
to e'perience the growth that accompanies that trust and you will find you have
developed your most loyal employees"
$ypes of +eeds
*aslow believed that these needs are similar to instincts and play a ma+or role in motivating behavior.
%hysiological, security, social, and esteem needs are deficiency needs ,also known as "needs-,
meaning that these needs arise do to deprivation. Satisfying these lowerlevel needs is important in
order to avoid unpleasant feelings or [Link].
Physiological +eeds
These include the most basic needs that are vital to survival
,ecurity +eeds
These include needs for safety and security.
,ocial +eeds
These include needs for belonging, love and affection.
)steem+eeds
These include the need for things that reflect on selfesteem, personal worth
,elf - actuali!ing +eeds
This is the highest level of *aslow/s hierarchy of needs. Self 0 actuali!ing people are selfaware,
concerned with personal growth, less concerned with the options of others, and interested fulfilling
their potential.
.h a t & s $r u s t /
Trust forms the foundation for effective communication, employee retention, and employee
motivation and contribution of discretionary energy, the extra effort that people voluntarily
invest in work.
1hen trust exists in an organi!ation or in a relationship, almost everything else is easier and
more comfortable to achieve.
$ h e $ h r e e ( o n s t r u c t s o f $r u s t
This is the state of readiness for unguarded interaction with someone or something. Trust
includes three components, it2s the capacity for trusting, the perception of competence, and
the perception of intentions.3
Thinking about trust as made up of the interaction and existence of these three components
makes 4trust5 easier to understand. The capacity for trusting means that your total life
experiences have developed your current capacity and willingness to risk trusting others.
The perception of competence is made up of your perception of your ability and the ability
of others with whom you work to perform competently at whatever is needed in your current
situation. The perception of intentions, , is your perception that the actions, words, direction,
mission, or decisions are motivated by mutuallyserving rather than selfserving motives.
*r g a n i ! a t i o n a l ( u l t u r e /
&n many ways, culture is like personality. &n a person, the personality is made up of the values,
beliefs, underlying assumptions, interests, experiences, upbringing, and habits that create a
person2s behavior.
$ulture is made up of the values beliefs underlying assumptions attitudes and
behaviors shared by a group of people" $ulture is the behavior that results when a group
arrives at a set of generally unspoken and unwritten rules for working together.
$ulture is represented in a group2s6
language,
decision making,
symbols,
stories and legends, and
daily work practices.
0 u i l d a n *r g a n i ! a t i o n 0 a s e d o n 1a l u e s
(alues form the foundation for everything that happens in your workplace. &f you are the
founder of an organi!ation, your values permeate the workplace. 7ou naturally hire people
who share your values. 1hatever you value, will largely govern the actions of your
workforce.
,ample .or#place 1alue-based Actions
&f you value integrity and you experience a .uality problem in your manufacturing process,
you honestly inform your customer of the exact nature of the problem.
7ou discuss your actions to eliminate the problem, and the anticipated delivery time the
customer can expect. &f integrity is not a fundamental value, you may make excuses and
mislead the customer.
0 u i l d a , t r a t e g i c F r a me w o r # 2 3i s s i o n , t a t e me n t
1i s i o n 1a l u e s
8oth people and organi!ations need to establish a strategic framework for significant success.
This framework consists of6
a vision for your future,
a mission that defines what you are doing,
values that shape your actions,
strategies that !ero in on your key success approaches, and
goals and action plans to guide your daily, weekly and monthly actions.
$ompanies whose employees understand the mission and goals en+oy a 9: percent
greater return than other firms ,1atson 1yatt 1ork Study-.
1ision ,tatement
# vision is a statement about what your organi!ation wants to become. &t should resonate with
all members of the organi!ation and help them feel proud, excited, and part of something
much bigger than themselves. # vision should stretch the organi!ation2s capabilities and
image of itself.
1ision ,tatement ,amples
%ut a man on the moon
;ach member of an organi!ation should be able to verbally express this mission.
3ission ,tatement ,amples
3<ur goal is simply stated. 1e want to be the best service organi!ation in the world.3 ,&8*-
To give ordinary folk the chance to buy the same thing as rich people.3 ,1al*art-
(reate %our Personal 1ision ,tatement
7our personal vision statement guides your life. 7our personal vision statement provides the
direction necessary to guide the course of your days and the choices you make about your
career. 7our personal vision statement is the light shining in the darkness toward which you
turn to find your way. 7our personal vision statement illuminates your way.
<bviously, & am a huge fan of personal vision statements. 1rite your personal vision
statement as the first step in focusing your life for your +oy, your accomplishments, your
contribution, your glory, and for your legacy.
(raft %our Personal 1ision ,tatement
<nce you have thoughtfully prepared answers to these .uestions and others that you identify,
you are ready to craft a personal vision statement. 1rite in first person and make statements
about the future you hope to achieve. 1rite the statements as if you are already making them
happen in your life. Some experts recommend => words or less, but & would rather see you
fully articulate the vision you want for your life and your future, than be limited by word
count.
4o w t o .a l # %o u r $a l #
*odel the behavior you want to see from others. There is nothing more powerful for
employees than observing the 4big bosses5 do the actions or behaviors they are [Link]
from others. #s *ahatma ?andhi said, 48ecome the change you wish to see in the world.3
#nd, it will happen.
&f you make a rule or design a process, follow it, until you decide to change it. 1hy
would employees follow the rules if the rule makers don2t@
#ct as if you are part of the team, not always the head of it. "ig in and do actual work,
too. %eople will appreciate that you are personally knowledgeable about the effort needed to
get the work done. They will trust your leadership because you have undergone their
experience.
"o what you say you're going to do. "on2t make rash promises that you can2t keep.
%eople want to trust you and your leadership.
Aold strategic conversations with people so people are clear about expectations and
direction.
3a n a g i n g i n s t e a d o f l e a d i n g "
*anaging has more to do with directing daytoday tasks, whereas leading has more to do
with casting a vision, goal setting, and motivation.
1hen a leader spends more time managing than leading, morale suffers among the troops.
*ost people would prefer a goal to shoot for and some freedom to figure out how to reach
that goal.
1hen leaders micromanage, they take away that sense of control vital to team dynamics and
problemsolving. Bormer U.S. %resident "wight ". ;isenhower summed this up when he
said, 3%ull the string, and it will follow wherever you wish. %ush it, and it will go nowhere at
all.3
1hen we stretch people into new areas of challenges, we know they are going to make
mistakes. 8ut when we keep them 3safe,3 we take the motivational wind out of their sails.
&t means we have to risk other people's failure. &t means we have to bite our lips and let some
people toddle out into the unknown world. 7et they'll thank you for allowing them to tackle a
new challenge, even if they stumble a few times.
Like a parent who prays harder when the teenager begins to drive, a leader must accept that
new challenges are frightening to us but freeing to others.
)nc o ur a g e 3e a ni ng f ul .or # (o nf l i c t
$onflict avoidance is most [Link] the topic when conflict in organi!ations is discussed.
$onflict resolution as .uickly as possible is the second most [Link] topic. This is bad
news because meaningful work conflict is a cornerstone in healthy, successful organi!ations.
$onflict is necessary for effective problem solving and for effective interpersonal
relationships.
.h y Ap p r o p r i a t e .o r # ( o n f l i c t & s & mp o r t a n t
;ffectively managed work conflict has many positive results for your organi!ation, however.
1hen people can disagree with each other and lobby for different ideas, your organi!ation is
healthier. "isagreements often result in a more thorough study of options and better decisions
and direction.
&f you e'perience little dissention in your group e'amine your own actions" &f you believe
you want different opinions expressed and want to avoid 3group think,3 and you experience
little disagreement from staff, examine your own actions. "o you, nonverbally or verbally,
send the message that it is really not okay to disagree@ "o you put employees in a 3hot seat3
when they express an opinion@ "o they get 3in trouble3 if they are wrong or a predicted
solution fails to work@
4o w t o 4o l d a Di f f i c u l t (o n v e r s a t i o n
The best feedback is straightforward and simple. "on't beat around the bush. & am
talking with you because this is an issue that you need to address for success in this
organi!ation.
$i p s f o r 3a n a g e me n t , u c c e s s
The most important issue in management success is being a person that others want to follow.
;very action you take during your career in an organi!ation helps determine whether people
will one day want to follow you.
(ommunicates effectively in person, print and email.
Listening and twoway feedback characteri!e his or her interaction with others.
0uilds the team and enables other staff to collaborate more effectively with each other.
%eople feel they have become more more effective, more creative, more productive in
the presence of a team builder.
5nderstands the financial aspects of the business and sets goals and measures and
documents staff progress and success.
Cnows how to create an environment in which people experience positive morale and
recognition and employees are motivated to work hard for the success of the business.
Leads by e'ample and provides recognition when others do the same.
4elps people grow and develop their skills and capabilities through education and on
the+ob learning.
Ar e .e 4a v i n g F u n %e t /
;verybody knows that fun is ultimately the best reason for doing anything. Love is good.
%ower is nice. 8ut fun@
Like love and power, fun is something we're ready to risk our very lives for. Aang gliding.
8ungee +umping. Dock climbing. #nd yet, when it comes to our daytoday existence, we
pretend that fun has nothing to do with it.
$ h e 4e a l i n g P o w e r o f F o r g i v e n e s s
Borgiveness. &t's such a hard thing to do, but it can be so liberating to the soul. 1hat makes it
difficult for most of us to do is the way we define it. 1e think of forgiveness as meaning that
we should say all is forgotten and things will go back to what they were. To en+oy the benefits
of forgiveness, however, we needn't go that far. #ll that's really [Link] is that we make the
decision to move forward, to let go of the old hurts. 1e don't have to condone what's been
done. 1hat's wrong is still wrong. 1e don't have to invite the person back into our lives or
even be friendly with them. 1hat we do have to do is allow ourselves to release all the
negative emotions associated with that person.