Different styles of leadership

There are leaders who lead, and then there are leaders who think they’re leading but actually they’re not.

I’ve met a lot of top-level leaders from different business organizations both big and small. I’ve noted that while there are similarities in their leadership styles, these are far outnumbered by the variations.

Popular leadership books can be full of clichés. And many speakers, trainers, and wannabe speakers and wannabe trainers often simply echo the maxims of more prominent leadership gurus, like Dr. John Maxwell whose training programs our company has been licensed to represent, that listening to them can successfully induce nausea. Leadership is a very complex subject that cannot be captured in mere clichés and echoes.

But Daniel Goleman thoughts, in his book Leadership That Gets Results, I found very refreshing. Let me share some of those thoughts with you, including some commentary of my own.

Goleman says, “Many managers mistakenly assume that leadership style is a function of personality rather than strategic choice.” This kind of myopic thinking gets them into trouble. The question of leadership style isn’t just about that one style that suits the leader’s personality. It’s more about the style that best responds to the need of the situation.

According to Leadership That Gets Results, research has shown that the best leaders don’t know just one style of leadership. They’re skilled at several, and have the flexibility to switch between styles as the circumstances dictate. Goleman says that there are six basic leadership styles. Each works best in a particular situation and affects the organizational climate in a different way.

1. THE COERCIVE STYLE.

This “Do what I say” approach can be very effective in a turnaround situation, a natural disaster, or when working with problem employees. But in most situations, coercive leadership inhibits the organization’s flexibility and dampens employees’ motivation.

2. THE AUTHORITATIVE STYLE.

An authoritative leader takes a “Come with me” approach: she states the overall goal but gives people the freedom to choose their own means of achieving it. This style works especially well when a business is adrift. It is less effective when the leader is working with a team of experts who are more experienced than he is.

3. THE AFFILIATIVE STYLE

Theirs is a “People come first” attitude. This style is for building team harmony or increasing morale. But its exclusive focus on praise can allow poor performance to go uncorrected. Also, affiliative leaders rarely offer advice, which often leaves employees in a quandary.

4. THE DEMOCRATIC STYLE

This style’s impact on organizational climate is not as high as you might imagine. By giving workers a voice in decisions, democratic leaders build organizational flexibility and responsibility, and help generate fresh ideas. But sometimes the price is endless meetings and confused employees who feel leaderless.

5. THE PACESETTING STYLE

This leader sets high performance standards and exemplifies them himself, has a very positive impact on employees who are self-motivated and highly competent. But other employees tend to feel overwhelmed by such a leader’s demands for excellence – and to resent his tendency to take over a situation.

6. THE COACHING STYLE

This style focuses more on personal development than on immediate work-related tasks. It works well when employees are already aware of their weaknesses and want to improve, but not when they are resistant to changing their ways.

I recommend leaders to read this book and learn from it. The more styles a leader masters, the better equipped he becomes in leading his team in various work conditions.

The best leadership style is definitely not one that’s founded on clichés and jargons, but rather, on humility, service and a genuine caring heart. After all, the objective of leadership is to help those who are doing poorly to do well, and to help those who are doing well to do even better.

(Only a few seats left in my upcoming seminar! Develop your leadership skills with me as I facilitate the well-acclaimed Dr. John C. Maxwell Program “Developing The Leader Within You” on October 15-16 at the EDSA Shangri-La Hotel. For further inquiries, contact Hannah at 09228980196, or call 632-6310658 or 6310660.)