Tag Archives: leadership style

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Leadership Approaches

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Which approach to leadership gets the best results, leadership from the top or collaborative leadership?  Trick question, the answer is both.

Balance is the key here.  When to be directive and when to collaborative depends on a multitude of factors.  Not only when to employ a particular style is important but also the sequence, collaborate before direction from the top.

Lead from the Top

Top down leadership refers to a heirarchical structure with the fewest resources and the greatest power at the pinnacle.  Simplistically there are two classes of people in the organization, leaders and followers.

This approach can be very effective, basically the leader telling the followers what to do leveraging their power to get it done, granted by dint of their location in the heirarchy.

Collaborative Leadership

In this case there is no hierarchy.  Some roles may have more authority or power but getting things down is participatory and involves everyone.

Those with greater skills and earned power (e.g.,trust and respect) may catalyze the team, that is get things going without direct participation, but no-one is unilaterally directing.

Collaborative approaches tend to have superior outcomes. The effort to achieve the results is more efficient and of a higher quality.  This results from stronger buy in (driven by personal accountability) and the leverage of a diverse set of skills and capabilities.

Both Approaches?

Sounds like collaborative leadership is so much better why is there a need for leadership from the top.  Because, the direct approach is sometimes needed.

For example when collaborators flounder and a single direction can not be arrived at strong direction from the top may be the onlyway to move forward.

On the whole though the best balance between percent use of collaborative and directive leadership is probably in the 90/10 range.

 

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Arrogance/Humility

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Many organizations prize leaders with an attitude of superiority manifested in an overbearing manner or in presumptuous claims or assumptions.

Typically the quality or state of being unassuming or moderate in the estimation of one’s abilities (i.e., humility) is considered negatively.   When acquiring an organizational leader they need to be the best.

Perception versus Reality

While we perceive the need for a leader to be not only highly skilled and capable but to project the right image, that is not necessarily the case.

One definition of a leader is a person who holds a dominant or superior position within their field, and is able to exercise a high degree of control or influence over others.

This often get misinterpreted as needing some who is superior.  Arrogant people come of as superior, so they fit this interpretation of what a leader is.

In fact the key to effective leadership is the ability to  to exercise a high degree of control or influence over others.  Those with the ability to display  humility tend to earn their respect rather than force it (through arrogance).

Earned Power

Power that is earned, as opposed to granted or usurped, usually leads to better results.  Intuitively the militarily leader who commands the troops to charge because they say so (possibly to their death, as in the charge of the light brigade) is far more likely to fail than the leader who fights in front or at least along side the troops (i.e., setting the bar)

So build your earned power base, show a little humility.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

My Way or the Highway

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Leadership styles that are collaborative and encourage others to be leaders themselves, versus followers, are generally acknowledged as more effective.  The results are not only better but also sustainable.

Inspiring others to bring out the leader within has it’s own built in succession plan.  Leading in a way that a persons best is drawn from a myriad of diverse sources, rather than a dictatorial do this do that style, is intuitively better.

Getting it Done

Suprisingly though, a balanced dose of authoritative practices can really enhance the visionary and collaborative traits.   Being clear and decisive, verging on overly directive, can be a fine line for the those that want to facilitate rather than force results.

One of the most important tasks of a leader is guiding followers to the groups goals and objectives.  In this case the I intend the use of the term leader not necessarily to mean the person in front or the term followers to refer to those behind.

Rather the terms are role representative, not indicative of how the role is exercised (i.e., not leading or following position is not implied).

The best approach at the appropriate time

The most successful  leaders tailor their approach to the context.  For example, for a team that has lost it’s way nuturing and developing activities might best be put on hold until the directional engine is started again.

In this case a clear simple and easily understandable strategy that can be embraced by all might be a better place to start.  Clear and forceful direction is probably warranted and would not be badly received.  In fact most likely will lead to faster development of a team capable of the more collaborative approach.

Recognizing the context and tailoring your leadership style, day by day, can lead to outstanding results.