What is a Leader? Webster Dictionary states that a leader is a person who has commanding authority or leadership.
Okay, well there is so much more that goes into leadership than just commanding authority. I have this conversation with my Husband a lot at home. Not to get political but true leadership is taking into account the well being of those around you & receiving results.
There are several different types of management styles claims Intense Minimalism as well as, other websites.
Firstly, there is the Coaching leader to me is more like a mentor. Someone that invests in their employees. Someone that takes them through entire processes & breaks it down so the individual gets a deeper understanding. Coaching leaders to me are those that manage a group as if they are managing a team sport. Look at examples such as Gregg Popovich that has been the San Antonio Spurs basketball coach since 1996. He has taken the team & won championships starting over numerous times with his players & still gains results. Have you had a Coaching leader in your past?
The affiliative leader is one that strives to create emotional bonds with each of their employees. This one I would assume can be tricky. I bet that an affiliative leader has a great emotional IQ & has a very warm yet charismatic stamina about them. I read examples like the Dalai Lama & Google show these attributes. One could most likely place church figure heads in this category. Religious heads could be placed in this category since they basis is faith & good morality.
A Visionary leader could be described as a leader that is constantly reaching for the sky! I can only think of one person that has literally tried to do exactly that. Elon Musk the CEO of SpaceX & Tesla most certainly has this trait. Someone that doesn’t say no to the idea but rather, how. He keeps on attempting the impossible because as he has been quoted in saying, “If things are not failing, you are not innovating enough.”
Democratic leadership is that in which you share the responsibility with others. Much like our government is ran here in the United States. Different processes are in place to ensure that the laws set in place are agreed upon by each individual appointed. Lets look at Apple & Steve Jobs. This is a great way to demonstrate leadership with out getting political. Ha! Steve Jobs is known for taking in everyone’s opinions. For listening! Such a simple thing. You listen, you take the opinion or thought in & let it settle. I bet that is what gave us such technologies as the iPhone, iWatch & iPod etc. He was able to innovate but with such evolution partly due to his ability to hear others out. Bring like minded individuals together to activate their ideas & streamline progress!
The Pacesetting leader reminds me of the lyrics to Kanye West’s song, Stronger. The chorus lyrics are, Now that don’t kill me, can only make us stronger, I need you too hurry up now, cause I cant wait much longer. I know I got to be right now, cause I cant get much wronger. Man, I’ve been waiting all night now, that’s how long I’ve been on ya. Does Kanye sound like your boss? I cant think of anything more suppressive & compounding in a leader then pacesetter-ship. Can you? Is your work environment like this? Or on the flip, are you a Pacesetting manager? Have you ever completed a survey to see if employees are responding positively to this management style?
Commanding leadership. These are the bulldogs, the ones that aren’t afraid to hurt feelings if it drives results. They don’t necessarily make you work faster like a Pacesetter leader but they are blunt & very direct in what they expect from their employees. Hop over to the article that Medium.com wrote about the 6 Types of Leaders that Inspire Action & you will see the likes of Winston Churchill who was able to strike change & promise by utilizing his gift of speech. I can only assume it was rather motivating to be a part of his organization back in the day. No wonder Queen Elizabeth was very close to him during her early reign.
