What is leadership exactly? As it relates to corporate, governmental, religious and academic environments, leadership can be defined as a process of influence, in which an individual garners the support and assistance needed from others, to accomplish a desired task or goal. If you are seeking to move up the ranks within your organization, good leadership may serve as the in-demand skill that sets you apart. Not having good leadership abilities in your skill set can serve as the hurdle between where you are, and where you want to be.
Numerous people subscribe to the notion that you have to be “born a leader”. However, studies of the traits and behaviors of some of the most successful leaders in history (think Dr. Martin Luther King, Bill Gates, etc.) suggest that simply is not true. There is a path to good leadership; and it starts with understanding the types of leadership that exist and attaining the qualities and traits great leaders possess.
Leadership Styles
What does leadership look like? To understand leadership, it’s important to have a grasp upon the different styes of leadership. The term leadership style refers to a leader’s behavior toward members of the group. There are several types of leadership styles; and they can be summarized into four basic categories. Each style has its advantages and disadvantages.
Autocratic Leadership
Autocratic leaders tend to determine policies, strategies and decisions without consulting members of the group. Typically, autocratic leaders operate singularly and give orders that are to be obeyed. By using this approach, decisions can be made with speed however, the lack of opportunity for input from the group can lead to low morale and feelings of resentment towards this type of leader.
Democratic
Democratic leaders are considered to partake in participative leadership. They tend to make decisions and give instruction only after consulting with the entire group. Alternatively, to autocratic leadership, democratic leadership tends to boost morale yet also increases the time it takes to make a decision. This type of leadership has also proven to increase the acceptance and cooperation of management’s ideas because of the participatory nature of the style.
Laisse-Faire Leadership
As the French to English translation, “let it be”, suggests, a laisse-faire leadership style is one where freedom and a high level of autonomy and independence are given to employees. This leadership style allows the opportunity for employees to express themselves and offers a great deal of trust which can be good for morale. However, this style is the one most subject to disorganization, disorder and lack of clear vision for the group.
Parental Leadership
A leader with a parental style of leadership treats employees as members of a large extended family in an effort to garner loyalty and trust. This type of leader tends to give value to social skills and education which leads them to invest in employee development. When this style is applied successfully, employees tend to contribute for the good of “the family”. However, similar to autocratic leadership, this style of leadership relies on the leader to do most of the decision making.
Qualities of a Good Leader
No matter the style you adopt for yourself as a leader, it’s important to possess the qualities, traits and behaviors of a good leader. Acquiring and honing the traits of a great leader won’t necessarily happen overnight. If a gap in leaderships skills or qualities exists, time for personal development should be prioritized to enhance these traits. Partnering with a leadership consulting company like A Legacy Group can assist by providing leadership assessment evaluations and customized plans for you and your entire team.
Act with Integrity
Simply put, good leaders are honest, transparent, and always take responsibility for their words and actions. Without these character traits it will be impossible to gain trust from your employees and peers.
Demonstrate Competence
It’s important for employees to recognize your competence in your field. This means be good at what you do, and let others see you demonstrate your know-how from time-to-time.
Prioritize Relationships
Great leaders know not to operate in a silo. There will be numerous workplace opportunities for making connections and fostering relationships. Prioritizing relationships with employees, clients, vendors and others are key to successful leaderships.
Motivate and Support Others
Being able to motivate and support others is important for building trust and letting employees know you care about them. Investing in personal development, spending one-on-one time with employees and using positive language are actions great leaders take to heart.
Delegate Tasks
Effective leaders know they cannot accomplish an organization’s goals alone and instead must due so through influence. Knowing which tasks to delegate and knowing which tasks require your skill and expertise is an important step in delegation.
Think Creatively
Good leaders will foster environments that encourage creative thinking amongst employees. They know the value creativity plays in problem solving. Naturally, this trait should be reflected frequently in leadership as well.
Encourage Innovation
Innovation is the foundation to organizational success because it requires finding ways to solve problems that may have never existed before. Today’s most admired leaders are considered trailblazers for sparking innovation within their companies which drove their businesses to tremendous success.
Articulate Your Vision
It’s important to have a clear vision and the ability to share it clearly with others. Employees as well as other members of an organization’s leadership team will want clarity around the organization’s purpose, mission and direction for the future. With a clear vision in place it will be much easier to define goals and to chart the course to achieve them.
Let Us Assess Your Leadership Style
Every individual has the potential to lead; often, the potential simply needs to be tapped. If you want to thrive in leading organizations to success, it is necessary to exhibit the skills, qualities and attributes of successful leaders. A Legacy Group exists to assist you and your leadership team every step of the way in building effective leaders within your organization. We are passionate about helping today’s leaders shape the workplace of tomorrow. We offer coaching, training, assessment testing and more. Schedule a consultation with our team and let us help you take your leadership skills to the next level, today!