{"id":4085,"date":"2019-07-31T10:56:16","date_gmt":"2019-07-31T10:56:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stl-training.co.uk\/b\/?p=4085"},"modified":"2023-12-30T23:40:00","modified_gmt":"2023-12-30T23:40:00","slug":"leadership-styles-one-size-does-not-fit-all","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stl-training.co.uk\/b\/leadership-styles-one-size-does-not-fit-all\/","title":{"rendered":"Leadership Styles – One Size Does Not Fit All!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Flex your approach<\/strong><\/p>\n

We all have preferred ways of working, and managers and leaders will have preferred ways of managing and leading. If you\u2019re not sure about your preferred style of leadership<\/a>, it\u2019s usually the one which emerges when you\u2019re under pressure! Not thinking first, just saying and doing, with mixed results! This is where a leader\u2019s ability to be adaptable and flexible when faced with different situations becomes vital.<\/p>\n

There are a range of leadership styles<\/a> at your disposal, and only one Golden Rule: It depends!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The above model is a sliding scale or continuum. It compares the amount of authority a manager might use in certain situations, with the level of freedom to contribute given to the team members. As we move from the left to the right, the manager\u2019s use of their authority<\/a> recedes, giving the team more freedom to join in and feel more involved in the situation.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s consider the range of leadership styles this presents us with:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Tell<\/strong><\/h5>\n

A very directive style; the manager\u2019s use of authority is total. This is the one-way flow of instruction \u2013 the manager states what, how and when and the team complies. It\u2019s that simple! Many managers are aware of this style but refuse to use it: \u2018Oh no, it\u2019s just not me! I could never be like that!\u2019 Well, here\u2019s the hard truth: sometimes, this needs to be you. Telling people what to do can be the best approach, e.g. when time is short, or there is an emergency or crisis and swift, decisive action is needed. Or, you\u2019ve tried the other styles and nothing else has worked! New starters will be happy with this style, as they\u2019re new to the role and need direction. It can be applied in a polite and respectful way, it\u2019s not about shouting at someone, but it is the one-way flow of instruction, no doubt about that!<\/p>\n

Sell<\/strong><\/h5>\n

A similar style to telling, but the manager gives the team not just the what, how and when, but also the why, i.e. the reasons behind the task and the background are explained. This is better because the team now understands more, and can buy-in to the task: \u2018Well, I didn\u2019t know that, but now you\u2019ve explained, ok, I\u2019ll do it\u2019. Don\u2019t just tell it, sell it!<\/p>\n

Consult<\/strong><\/h5>\n

\u2018Hello team, there are a number of jobs that need doing. I do have a few provisional ideas regarding how I\u2019d like them to be completed, but I\u2019d also like to know what you think. What you tell me may or may not change my original thinking, and ultimately I\u2019ll still be making the final decision re-task completion, but I\u2019d still like to know what you think.\u2019<\/p>\n

Participate<\/strong><\/h5>\n

\u2018Hello team, there are a number of jobs that need doing and I don\u2019t really have any thoughts re how we\u2019re going to tackle them. Tell you what, let\u2019s decide together.\u2019 A very democratic leadership style!<\/p>\n

Empower<\/strong><\/h5>\n

\u2018Hello team, here\u2019s a list of jobs which need doing today. Let me know when they\u2019re done. Thanks!\u2019 This style works best with more experienced team members.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Any one of the above styles could be the correct approach in a particular situation. It\u2019s all about your ability to take a step back and then decide on the best style to use to achieve the best result. With some people you\u2019ll be telling, with others you\u2019ll be selling, and with some you\u2019ll be empowering. As long as you\u2019ve thought about it first, there\u2019s never a wrong answer!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Flex your approach We all have preferred ways of working, and managers and leaders will have preferred ways of managing and leading. If you\u2019re not sure about your preferred style of leadership, it\u2019s usually the one which emerges when you\u2019re under pressure! Not thinking first, just saying and doing, with mixed results! This is where […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[632,638],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4085","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-leadership-development","category-professional-management"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stl-training.co.uk\/b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4085","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stl-training.co.uk\/b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stl-training.co.uk\/b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stl-training.co.uk\/b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stl-training.co.uk\/b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4085"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.stl-training.co.uk\/b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4085\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4183,"href":"https:\/\/www.stl-training.co.uk\/b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4085\/revisions\/4183"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stl-training.co.uk\/b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4085"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stl-training.co.uk\/b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4085"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stl-training.co.uk\/b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4085"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}