What Kind of A Leader Are You? Defining Your Leadership Style.
In the business world, leaders are extremely difficult to find and even harder to replace. Leaders help set the tone of the organization and play a vital role in setting an example for other employees. While leaders share some common qualities, not all leaders act in the same manner. There are a few different types of leadership and all of them can be effective when applied correctly. What type of leader are you?
Delegating Leader
One of the most common types of leadership is delegation. With this type of leader, the individual delegates most tasks to subordinates. The level of delegation can vary significantly from one leader to the next. For example, one leader might delegate tasks to a higher level like putting someone in charge of a department and letting them handle it. Then another leader delegates even low level tasks like replying to emails or taking phone calls.
How you delegate tasks as a leader can have an impact on how your employees see you. For instance, if you angrily demand that someone does a task for you immediately, it can cause resentment and problems down the road. By comparison, if you present the facts to someone and then ask them what they think should be done, you may gain their respect and they will volunteer to complete a task without having to be told to do it. Many great leaders don't have to demand things to be done because they are great communicators and give their employees respect.
Do it All Leader
On the other end of the spectrum is the leader that wants to do everything himself. This type of leader essentially wants control of every detail that they are responsible for. They often have the attitude that "if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself." They may have reached this conclusion after trying the delegation approach and being let down time and again by subordinates. In some cases, they are just private individuals that like to do their work and not get tied up in "office politics." Regardless of the reason they like to do it all themselves, they often work long hours, and never feel like they have everything done.
A Healthy Mix
While both of the types of management listed above can work in the right environment, it's typically best to have a healthy mixture of both types of leader. Instead of always delegating everything or always doing everything by yourself, try mixing it up. As a manager, it's typically a good idea to delegate lower level items that someone else in your organization can do effectively while keeping the higher level tasks for yourself. Usually, you made it to a leading role because you're a good decision maker. Because of this, it's in the company's best interest if you are the one making the important and critical decisions while your team is doing the tasks that have to be completed. Many leaders keep the mindset that got them promoted initially. They think that they have complete a certain amount of work in a day to be valuable. In reality, it may be much more valuable for them to spend time planning and thinking about the proper course of action.
Regardless of where you find yourself as a leader, it's important to find the leadership style that fits you best. If you are constantly going against the grain and trying to be someone you're not, it will cause conflict. When a leader identifies that perfect fit in management methods, it can be an extremely powerful thing for the organization. Some leaders lead startups, some lead non-profits. If you want to build a brand that impresses the world, you need to elevate your leadership abilities to draw in top level talent.
Delegating Leader
One of the most common types of leadership is delegation. With this type of leader, the individual delegates most tasks to subordinates. The level of delegation can vary significantly from one leader to the next. For example, one leader might delegate tasks to a higher level like putting someone in charge of a department and letting them handle it. Then another leader delegates even low level tasks like replying to emails or taking phone calls.
How you delegate tasks as a leader can have an impact on how your employees see you. For instance, if you angrily demand that someone does a task for you immediately, it can cause resentment and problems down the road. By comparison, if you present the facts to someone and then ask them what they think should be done, you may gain their respect and they will volunteer to complete a task without having to be told to do it. Many great leaders don't have to demand things to be done because they are great communicators and give their employees respect.
Do it All Leader
On the other end of the spectrum is the leader that wants to do everything himself. This type of leader essentially wants control of every detail that they are responsible for. They often have the attitude that "if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself." They may have reached this conclusion after trying the delegation approach and being let down time and again by subordinates. In some cases, they are just private individuals that like to do their work and not get tied up in "office politics." Regardless of the reason they like to do it all themselves, they often work long hours, and never feel like they have everything done.
A Healthy Mix
While both of the types of management listed above can work in the right environment, it's typically best to have a healthy mixture of both types of leader. Instead of always delegating everything or always doing everything by yourself, try mixing it up. As a manager, it's typically a good idea to delegate lower level items that someone else in your organization can do effectively while keeping the higher level tasks for yourself. Usually, you made it to a leading role because you're a good decision maker. Because of this, it's in the company's best interest if you are the one making the important and critical decisions while your team is doing the tasks that have to be completed. Many leaders keep the mindset that got them promoted initially. They think that they have complete a certain amount of work in a day to be valuable. In reality, it may be much more valuable for them to spend time planning and thinking about the proper course of action.
Regardless of where you find yourself as a leader, it's important to find the leadership style that fits you best. If you are constantly going against the grain and trying to be someone you're not, it will cause conflict. When a leader identifies that perfect fit in management methods, it can be an extremely powerful thing for the organization. Some leaders lead startups, some lead non-profits. If you want to build a brand that impresses the world, you need to elevate your leadership abilities to draw in top level talent.
Want to be a great leader? You must be willing to sacrifice and grind.
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