Let’s talk about leadership…
When we think about leaders, it’s tempting to group them into two categories – good or bad.
Maybe there was a former manager who made you feel like you weren’t good enough.
But maybe there was also a former boss who valued your strengths and helped you to reach your personal goals.
We talk about leaders and leadership every day in the business world.
“He was born to lead. She’s a natural leader” are the types of compliments we tend to hear but let me ask you a question.
Is leadership something you either have – or don’t have?
Is it only a person who is in charge of a team or company?
As a leadership coach, I believe we are all leaders.
Leadership is not about position or title.
It is about being of service to others, not being served by others.
Leaders influence people and make a positive impact.
Leaders are those who inspire others and set an example.
We all possess the qualities to be a good leader and we can also learn to be better leaders.
We can start by identifying our leadership style and understanding its strengths and weaknesses.
You might be a democratic leader if…
- You prefer a collaborative approach to giving out orders
- You think the best meetings are ones where everyone can weigh in
- You make decisions based on the input from other people
- You encourage people to share ideas and opinions
- You acknowledge that others can offer valuable insight
You might be an autocratic leader if…
- You hold all responsibility for making decisions
- You are focused on efficiency and results
- You ensure rules and deadlines are adhered to
- You are responsible for operations, methods and processes
You might be a laissez-faire leader if…
- You prefer a hands-off approach to leadership
- You delegate tasks without feeling the need to supervise tasks
- You trust your employees to use their skills and experience to make decisions
- You believe that mistakes are okay in the pursuit of creativity
You might be a transformational leader if…
- You are focused on clear communication and motivation
- You like to create an environment of intellectual stimulation
- You aim to initiate change
- You motivate and empower your people
You might be a transactional leader if…
- You reward your people for their success and discipline them for their failures
- You are very focused on performance
- You make your expectations clear
- You are responsible for making decisions
- You place a lot of emphasis on hierachy
You might be a coaching leader if…
- You are focused on identifying and nurturing the strengths of your people
- You work with your people to set SMART goals and offer regular check-ins
- You believe in creating a positive environment
- You want to empower teams to work successfully together
You might be a bureaucratic leader if…
- You believe strict adherence to the rules i important
- You feel little need for collaboration or creativity
- You prefer staff to follow exact procedures
- You are responsible for making decisions but will listen to the input of others