Understanding Different Leadership Styles: From Dictator to Visionary 1
Exploring the Various Leadership Approaches and Their Impact on Teams and Organizations
There are all kinds of leaders or bosses with very distinctive leadership styles. Read the following and find your type of leadership. Use the ideas to move away from who you do not want to be towards what you desire to be your legacy as a leader.
Dictator
There is the dictator or the one that makes unilateral decisions without input from team members. This leader has unchecked authority and will silence or eliminate any opposition. They tend to surround themselves with yes men.
Personal Check Up
Do I often make decisions without consulting my team, even when their input could be valuable?
Do I encourage open communication, or do team members feel intimidated to speak up?
Have I surrounded myself with people who only agree with me rather than those who challenge my ideas?
Do I empower my team members to take initiative, or do I control most aspects of the work?
Am I open to changing my mind or approach based on new information or perspectives?
Micromanager
This leader must closely oversee every detail of the employee's work. Because of the need to know and control everything, this leader finds it difficult to delegate. This leader is very focused on details and getting it done right, according to the leader's definition of right.
Personal Check Up
How often do I ask for updates on tasks and projects?
Do I find it difficult to delegate tasks to others?
How much trust do I place in my team's ability to complete tasks independently?
How do I handle situations where a team member makes a mistake?
Do I encourage autonomy and creativity within my team?
The Hands-Off Leader
This leader provides little direct supervision or guidance. Employees are given significant freedom to make decisions and complete tasks as they see fit. They ensure team members have the necessary resources to complete their work. These leaders delegate tasks and responsibilities extensively. This style works best with highly skilled, self-motivated employees.
Personal Check Up
How do you ensure your team members have the resources to succeed without your direct involvement?
How do you communicate your trust in your team's abilities to make decisions independently?
Can you provide an example of a situation where your hands-off approach led to a successful outcome?
How do you ensure your team remains aligned with the organization's goals and objectives without constant oversight?
How do you address underperformance in a team that operates with significant autonomy?
The second part of this article will arrive tomorrow. Today see if you see anything in your life you want to work on.
Quotes to Consider
"A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way." John C. Maxwell
"A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves." Lao Tzu
"A good leader takes a little more than his share of the blame, a little less than his share of the credit." Arnold H. Glasow
"Great leaders are willing to sacrifice their own personal gain for the good of the team."
John Wooden
"A leader is a dealer in hope." Napoleon Bonaparte
"The best leader is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it."
Theodore Roosevelt
"The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails." John C. Maxwell