leadershi style

At the Office

8 Common Leadership Styles 1. Charismatic Behaviors: influences others through power of personality; acts energeti­ cally, motivating others to move for­ ward; inspires passion; might seem to believe more in self than in the team

When to Use It: to spur others to action; to expand an organization's position in the marketplace; to raise team morale

Impact on Others: Can create risk that a project or group will flounder if leader leaves; leader's feeling of invincibility can ruin a team by tak­ ing on too much risk; team success seen as directly connected to the leader's presence

2. Innovative Behaviors: grasps the entire situation and goes beyond the usual course of action; can see what is not working and brings new thinking and action into play

When to Use It: to break open entrenched, intractable issues; to create a work climate for others to apply innovative thinking to solve problems, and develop new products and services

Impact on Others: risk taking is in­ creased for all; failures don't impede progress; team gains job satisfac­ tion and enjoyment; atmosphere of respect for others' ideas is present

3. Command and Control Behaviors: follows the rules and expects others to do the same; demands immediate compliance; engages in top-down interactions; is the sole decision maker

When to Use It: in situations of real urgency with no time for discussion; when safety is at stake; in critical situations involving financial, legal, or HR issues; in meeting inflexible deadlines

Impact on Others: if used too much, feels restrictive and limits others' ability to develop their own leader­ ship skills; others have little chance to debrief what was learned before next encounter with leader

4. Laissez-Faire Behaviors: knows what is happening but not directly involved in it; trusts others to keep their word; moni­ tors performance, gives feedback regularly

When to Use It: when the team is working in multiple locations or remotely; when a project, under multiple leaders, must come together by a specific date; to get quick results from a highly cohesive team

Impact on Others: Effective when team is skilled, experienced, and self-directed in use of time and re­ sources; autonomy of team members leads to high job satisfaction and increased productivity

5. Pace Setter Behaviors: sets high performance standards for self and the group; epitomizes the behavior sought from others

When to Use It: when staff are self-motivated and highly skilled, able to embrace new projects and move with speed; when action is key and results are critical

Impact on Others: cannot be sus­ tained too long, as staff may "burn out" from demanding pace; results delivered at a speed staff can't always keep up with

6. Servant Behaviors: puts service to others be­ fore self-interest; includes the whole team in decision making; provides tools to get the job done; stays out of limelight, lets team accept credit for results

When to Use It: when leader is elect­ ed to a team, organization, commit­ tee, or community; when anyone, at any level of the group, meets the needs of the team

Impact on Others: organizations with these leaders often seen on "best places to work" list; can create a positive culture and lead to high morale; ill-suited if situation calls for quick decisions or meeting tight deadlines

7. Situational Behaviors: links behavior with group's readiness; includes being directing and supportive, while em­ powering and coaching

When to Use It: where ongoing pro­ cedures need refinement, reinvention, or retirement

Impact on Others: can be confusing if behavior changes unpredictably and too often; can reduce uncer­ tainty as leader adapts behavior appropriately

8. Transformational Behaviors: expects team to transform even when it's uncomfortable; counts on everyone giving their best; serves as a role model for all involved

When to Use It: to encourage the group to pursue innovative and cre­ ative ideas and actions; to motivate the group by strengthening team op­ timism, enthusiasm, and commitment

Impact on Others: can lead to high productivity and engagement from all team members; team needs detailed-oriented people to ensure scheduled work is done

Source: Rhea Blankeri, The Center for Association Leadership

4 officePRO NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018

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