Imagine you just got a promotion or new job and you’re going to be a supervisor with eight people reporting to you. The only problem is you’ve never been a supervisor before. You’re going to be the boss, and while you know how to do the work, does that mean that you would make a great leader? If you ask me, I say no. Having a title like supervisor, team lead, or boss doesn’t automatically make you a great leader. Nor does it prepare you to lead a team. Obtaining and honing the skills needed to be an effective leader is something that takes time and training. Not to mention that there are many different types of leadership styles.
Preparing Yourself For the Job
If you are going to take a position of leadership, it’s imperative to take time and study your craft. Learning and improving one’s leadership skills can be done in many ways.
- Taking classes
- Joining professional organizations
- Attending conferences and workshops
- Subscribing to leadership publications
- Reading books and magazines (like Bibs & Business Magazine)
- Finding and working with a mentor
By taking the time to develop your skills, you can learn different styles of leadership as well as learn which style fits you best. You will also learn to recognize which leadership style is going to work best for your team.
Different Styles of Leadership
According to the Globe Project, a study on leadership across cultures, leadership is defined as the ability to influence others to achieve goals and contribute to the success of the organization. However, just as no two people are the same, no two leaders manage and direct others in the same style. There are many leadership styles out there, but here is an overview of three to give you a starting point for determining and developing your own leadership technique.
Value-Based Leadership
A person who uses value-based leadership is attempting to emphasize and utilize the values of those they oversee. Value-based leaders can successfully connect the tasks at hand with the organization’s goals as well as show that those goals are in line with the workers’ own value system.
The connecting of similar values between the organization and the workers helps to stimulate motivation among the group and helps to focus everyone’s efforts towards one common goal. For example, many leaders in non-profit groups use valued-based leadership to motivate their people to help combat hunger, homelessness, and other similar social issues.
Transformational Leadership
According to Bass (1990), transformational leadership is leadership in which the makes followers aware of task outcomes and persuades them to exceed their own self interest for the teams sake. Those who are transformational leaders, lead by example.
Not only are they unafraid to get their hands dirty, transformational leaders are the ones who are pushing to change current processes and aspects of the organization which are outdated or no longer working. They use new procedures and processes alongside those they manage to help improve the capability of the group as well as the individuals. In other words, the transformational leader is constantly trying to improve those they oversee as well as the organization in general by altering or changing what is no longer working.
Servant Leadership
Servant leaders first start from a place of serving. Serving the organization they work for, it’s constituents, and most importantly their staff are the main concerns for them. A leader using this style is an exceptional listener, shares power with those they oversee, and works to improve everyone around them in any way they can.
You may wonder,“Dr. K, why does it benefit me or my team for me to be a servant leader?” Studies show that teams with servant leaders tend to have an increased level of trust, an increased amount of engagement, and stronger relationships. Team members tend to feel like they are partners in the process instead of feeling like subordinates. The collaborative environment is nurtured by the servant leader taking the time to listen and to empathize with their staff. With the leader’s commitment to the growth and betterment of team, members feel that the leader has their best interests in mind.
What to Keep in Mind
Have you ever heard of the phrase happy wife, happy life? The same thought process applies to the work environment. When the team is happy, things just seem to work better. The day goes by faster, projects are completed more thoroughly and perhaps even ahead of schedule.
Remember, this happiness isn’t because team members are getting everything that they want. It happens because they are receiving fair treatment and their leader has the team’s best interest in mind when making decisions each day.
Finding one’s leadership style can seem like a daunting task, but all it really takes is dedication and determination. The amount of effort you put into learning and honing your skills in paramount to success. Whether you read books on the subject or take classes, you should always be trying to improve yourself. It will benefit you as a leader, as well as your team.
