In 2006, HBR published Daniel Goleman's text - Leadership That Gets Results.Research shows that the best-performing leaders don't rely on just one leadership style; they can use different styles in different situations or combine them together.
The more styles the leader presents, the better. The most effective leaders flexibly switch between six leadership styles as needed.
Directive : A leader who uses the directive mode demands immediate compliance from his followers. A phrase that can sum up this style is: "Do as I tell you."This style should only be used (with extreme caution) in a few situations, such as a crisis, a change in situation, or dealing with problematic employees. In addition, this style should be avoided due to the fact that it can demotivate, as well as lower the morale and feelings of employees. In general, this style is the least effective in most situations and has a negative impact on the organization.
Authoritative: An authoritative leader mobilizes people to realize the vision. If this style can be summed up in one sentence, it would be "Come with me". This style works in almost any situation, but is especially effective when changes require a new vision or when a clear direction is needed. However, this approach can fail when the leader is working with a team of experts who are more experienced than him and may perceive the leader as arrogant or detached from reality. In general, the authoritative style is the most effective and has a positive impact on the organization.
Affiliate: An affiliate leader creates harmony and builds emotional bonds. “People come first” is the motto of this leadership style. The affiliate style should be used when leaders are trying to build team harmony, boost morale, improve communication, or repair broken trust.However, this style should not be used alone as it can allow poor performance to go uncorrected, and affiliate leaders rarely give guidance to their mentees. In general, the affiliate style has a positive impact on the organization.
Democratic: A democratic leader enforces consensus through participation. Their most popular question is "What do you think?" The democratic style works best when the leader himself is not sure what direction he should take and needs ideas and guidance from capable employees. Even if the leader has a strong vision, this style works well for generating fresh ideas for realizing that vision. However, the downsides of this style can be endless meetings where ideas are discussed, consensus remains elusive, and the only visible result is scheduling more meetings. As a result, the democratic leadership style is not as good as other styles, even though it also has a positive impact on the organization.
Pace setting: A pacing leader sets high performance standards. We usually hear him say, "Do what I do now." This style works well when all employees are motivated, highly competent, and need no guidance or coordination.However, employees may feel overwhelmed by the leader's demands for excellence, and their morale may drop. Like the affiliate style, the pacing style should not be used alone and generally has a negative impact on the organization.
Coaching: The coaching leader develops people for the future and usually encourages their mentors by saying, "Try this." This style works in many situations, but it is most effective when people on the recipient's side are willing to manage this mode. In other words, the coaching style works best for employees who would like to improve their performance and want to be coached. The style may not work when employees are unwilling to learn or when the leader lacks the knowledge to help the employee. Overall, the coaching style has a positive impact on the organization. Leaders who master four or more styles, especially authoritative, democratic, affiliate, and coaching, have better business results.
Please write which style suits you best.In what real-life situations have you transitioned from one to the other?
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