Over 90 per cent of human resources and business professionals in Oceania believe leadership is an important issue, according to a study conducted by Deloitte. As bad leadership often causes high staff turnover and poor performance, we thought we’d take a look at some different approaches toward leadership to find out what makes a good leader. Remember, different styles suit different situations, so make sure you vary how you lead, depending on your organisation and its circumstances.
Cultivating
This type of leader will agree with business author Tom Peters’ assertion that the best leaders “don’t create more followers, they create more leaders.” They will train team members to higher positions, and provide a lot of support for their employees. Cultivating leaders will also encourage teamwork and creative collaboration. This style makes your employees more successful, but isn’t appropriate when you have a team who are unwilling to change.
Participatory
A participatory leader is good after a crisis has been resolved, when you need to rebuild your team’s morale. They will focus on bonding and providing positive feedback, a key part of performance management. This style of leadership can’t be used too much, however, as people may feel they lack direction.
Democratic
This sort of leader makes sure they hear what their employees think before they make decisions. They ensure team members are highly involved in projects and tend to foster creativity and high work satisfaction. This is a good style if you want your team to feel engaged in their work, or if you yourself are uncertain of something. However, don’t use this type of leadership if you need to make decisions quickly, especially during emergencies.
Dictatorial
When your company is in crisis, this is the type of leader you need to be. You will expect immediate compliance and quick results. This style of leadership should only be used during emergencies because it will alienate your employees and suppress creativity in the long term.
By setting a good leadership example, you can encourage other members of your company to learn and grow so they might one day become a good leader. Remember, you still need to cultivate your skills even after you’ve attained a position of leadership in your business. Getting feedback from team members is key to this, as is making sure you learn as much as possible about your organisation. HR consulting can help you to grow your leadership qualities, as well as provide strategies to encourage new leaders to emerge. Please contact Strategic Pay for more information.
