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What’s your style?

What Kind Of Leader Are You?

Leadership is complex. We know that.

There are lots of research studies attempting to define it. Leadership is are fundamental for change. A great leader can create meaningful change and inspire people who look to them for guidance.

“Leadership is the are of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to”

Eisenhower, D. D (n.d.)

A leader’s style combines methodologies and character attributes to motivate, inspire, and guide others. 

Which style is yours?

Over the last century, there have been many attempts to define and conceptualise leadership styles, explaining why some leaders are more efficient than others. Here are some of the most common.

Autocratic Leadership. The leader is in command, and the team obeys. They give very little-to-no autonomy, and in general, they love to and thrive with micromanagement. The type of relationship is “parent to child”, and they think they hold the truth, the entire truth.

Democratic Leadership. In democratic leadership, the leader emphasises the team’s involvement in the decision-making process, encourages participation and gives authority to team members by delegating. Democratic leadership is among the most effective management styles, according to research. 

Visionary Leadership. If you adopt this style, you explain the general vision for the team, establish the values and mission, and let them figure out the best way to meet the goals.

Affiliative Leadership. Affiliative leaders create healthy relationships among team members based on empathy and trust. They are proactive with conflict resolution and encourage an inclusive environment. This style requires you to have the high emotional intelligence to understand the emotional needs of others.

Delegation Leadership. These leaders prefer delegation in most decision-making. Deliberately abstain from giving direct orders and giving the individual more freedom of choice. However, they get more proactive when it comes to far-reaching decision making and strategic planning.

Which style to use and when?

When I start to lead people, I use the visionary style. When the unit is up and running, I use the democratic style to consult and test my “gut feeling” when I need to make a decision. However, I pull out my autocratic style if the discussion and the consultation process start to go on a “merry-go-round” and the decision is dragging. This way of leading seems to be the most effective to me and the teams I have led to achieving impactful results that matter to them and the organization.

Final Thoughts

The best leaders don’t rigidly adopt a single style of leadership. Instead, they use their skills to assess the needs of each project and the capabilities of the people on their teams. Then, they adapt their approach using the best practices defined for each leadership methodology.

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DISCLAIMERThe views and opinions expressed in this newsletter/blog are those of the author, and they are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual or anyone or anything.

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