Learn to Adapt to Different Leadership Styles

Leadership styles are behavioral adaptations to particular situations.

The key to getting the most from all these leadership learning activities to coordinate them. Know what knowledge, skills, and experiences you need, and plan how to acquire them in an integrated fashion.

Leadership styles are behavioral adaptations to particular situations. Effective leaders learn, practice, and master each of the six leadership styles. Even though these leadership styles are presented as distinct behaviors, they often overlap as needed.

STYLE: Coercive

CHARACTERISTICS: Leader gives orders and expects to be obeyed.

WHEN USEFUL: Turnaround situations, natural or man made disasters. Dealing with difficult employees

WEAKNESSES: Inhibits organization's flexibility, weakens employee motivation.

STYLE: Authoritative

CHARACTERISTICS: Leader establishes overall goal and pushes people to follow.

WHEN USEFUL: Business is adrift and needs direction. Business is in a downturn.

WEAKNESSES: Leader's goal may not be the best one. Experts may disagree with the leader.

STYLE: Affiliative

CHARACTERISTICS: Leader assumes a "people come first" attitude.

WHEN USEFUL: need to build team cohesion, need to raise low morale.

WEAKNESSES: May allow poor employee performance to continue unchecked, employees may not have a sense of direction.

STYLE: Democratic

CHARACTERISTICS: Leader gives employees role in decision making.

WHEN USEFUL: Need to build organizational flexibility and responsibility.

WEAKNESSES: May result in indecision and a sense of confusion

STYLE: Pace setting

CHARACTERISTICS: Leader sets high performance standards.

WHEN USEFUL: Highly motivated employees can work on their own.

WEAKNESSES: May feel overwhelming for employees who cannot attain the high standards, some employees may feel resentful.

STYLE: Coaching

CHARACTERISTICS: leader focuses on personal development.

WHEN USEFUL: Employees want to change and improve professionally.

WEAKNESSES: Not successful when employees are resistant to change.

You may find some styles more comfortable than others, but the more you can develop a range of styles, the more effectively you will perform as a leader.

ACTION POINT: Adapt your leadership style to the needs of your people. Give latitude to those who can handle delegation; provide coaching to those whose skills and confidence need a boost; give explicit directions to those who need close supervision.