Working with people may sometimes be a difficult proposition. You have to deal with a wide range of personalities and temperaments on a daily basis. And as a manger of people, this task of working with different types of team members can be daunting. The key is finding the leadership style that works for you, for your company and for your people.
In organizational communication, there are many theories and categories about leadership types. But most leadership styles fall within three types of categories—two extremes and a middle ground: autocratic, democratic and laissez-fair. An autocratic leader is one that leads with no input from the people that she leads. A democratic leader gets much input from her team members, while a laissez-fair behaves as a non-leader.
Into which category do you fit? Understanding which type of leader you are is the first step to managing people effectively and efficiently.
In my video, Different Styles of Leadership That Help You Develop Skills & Confidence, I teach you how different styles of leadership will help you to develop skills and confidence. I give you examples of where to look to model your style of leadership after successful leaders in your company and elsewhere.
Strategies that Turn It Around!
- Education. Educate yourself about what works in your company. Interview other leaders in your company, or better yet, interview the person in the position before you. Ask about what worked for her what didn’t work so well. You can also look to other leaders in other companies to see what strategies are most effective for them.
- Communication. Communicate with your team members. You want to establish rapport, so everyone on your team knows they can approach you with questions or problems. Communicate what your expectations are of your team members. After all, you’ve given them job descriptions and policies and procedures. However, do you know what they expect from you? Knowing this will help you to use a style of leadership that will work for them. This will also allow you to be flexible, since you know what your team expects from you.
- Listener. Be an excellent listener. And listen not only to the words said to you, but also the person’s body language. Body language can often tell you more than spoken words. For example, a team member may agree to take on a certain task, but her crossed arms and the scowl on her face say something totally different.
Remember: There’s no one right style of leadership. Pick one that works for you. And if it doesn’t work, change it.
Which styles of leadership have you used, and what were the results? To which styles of leadership do you respond to better and why? Please share your experiences in the Comments section below.