Leadership style depends on circumstance

Leadership styles can be developed and applied based on the circumstance.

There are a range of leadership styles, many of which you may have encountered. A leader who regularly made decisions based on the group’s consensus? You’ve seen a leader use the democratic style. A leader who energized you with a compelling idea of the company’s purpose and inspired you to join it? You’ve experienced a visionary style. A leader who shouted orders to you in a crisis situation, giving you clear direction when fear threatened to immobilize you? You’ve been on the receiving end of a commanding style. This doesn’t mean leadership styles are exclusive of one another; in fact, a synthesis of two or more can generate even greater resonance within the team.

While people gravitate towards a particular style due to their personality and history, it’s possible for a person to transition to another style as the situation demands. It is important for a leader, therefore, to recognize the climate of his team and lead accordingly. In this way the leader is able to generate resonance, or a positive emotional atmosphere ((Goleman, pg. 5)), among their followers.

For example, a decision that requires the active participation of many followers may best be handled democratically. Sister Mary demonstrated the value of this style when a decision will impact many stakeholders, such as the closing of their Catholic school. Even though it didn’t change the outcome, the people had agreed together that the school would have to close ((Goleman, pg. 66-67)).

Conversely, this style can be misapplied by leaders when the vision is not clear or there are many equal options, and can cause factions or decision overload. The visionary style may be more suitable in these cases, or complementary to the democratic style.

Whenever I’ve heard leadership styles referenced it was as a fixed characteristic about an indiviual. While there could be some shift from the leader’s core style, a leader is thought to act and react in one style only.

On the affirmative side, I’ve seen this with parents. Parents who act democratically when called upon to lead a group don’t lead their children in the same fashion. This seems to speak for styles as interchangeable when it’s demanded and if the leader has suffient emotional intelligence.

On the negative side, I’ve experienced leaders who show their flaws in the fact that they will not change their style. A warrant officer I served under while in Afghanistan is a powerful reminder, for his only style was command. This could be traced directly back to a nearly complete lack of emotional intelligence. This speaks to the underlying requirement for a leader to possess skills in several categories of emotional intelligence in order to be a multi-styled leader.

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