The role of leadership in management is largely determined by the organisational culture of the company. It has been argued that a leader’s beliefs, values and assumptions are of critical importance to the overall style of leadership that they adopt.
There are many ways of looking at leadership style (and probably as many styles as there are leaders!). You can learn more about styles of leadership on our comprehensive Leadership Skills Course in Brighton, Sussex.
Below is a four-point analysis of leadership style. Read the characteristics of each one.
DIRECTIVE leaders are those who take control, make decisions on their own and are self-reliant
COACHING leaders are those whose focus is to develop and empower others
INFLUENCING leaders are those who are confident in their own ability and who can influence others with their confidence
COLLABORATIVE leaders are those who create balance in the work place and work with and through others
Advantages and disadvantages
DIRECTIVE:
- Works well in times of crisis
- Good with inexperienced people
- Effective when time is an issue
- When you are the most knowledgeable
- Can appear over-controlling
- Doesn’t involve others
- Can stifle creativity
- Ignores the need to motivate others
COACHING:
- Develops people
- Improves performance
- Raises self awareness of staff
- Builds trust
- Can be time consuming
- Relies on others to work with them
- Assumes people want to develop
INFLUENCING:
- Mobilises people
- Can be inspirational
- Appropriate in times of change
- May appear manipulative
- Can be regarded as condescending
- May appear too pushy
COLLABORATIVE:
- Builds consensus and ownership
- Motivates people
- Involves others
- Uses others expertise and experience
- Relies on others involvement
- Can appear indecisive
- Relies on other people’s commitment
- Assumes others have knowledge
What type of leader are you?
Review the four definitions above and ask yourself the following questions:
What type of leader am I?
What are my greatest strengths as a leader?
What areas would I like to improve in my leadership?
How am I going to do this?
