Leadership Style What is Leadership Style? What is Leadership Style? Sources of your leadership style? Sources of your leadership style? You: your personality and experiences You: your personality and experiences Your work: the work context and culture Your work: the work context and culture Followers: their skills and motivations Followers: their skills and motivations

Kaplan’s Model Forceful Leadership Forceful Leadership “Forceful leaders push others hard to perform. They take charge, make their presence felt, make expectations crystal clear, and let very little deter them from achieving objectives.” “Forceful leaders push others hard to perform. They take charge, make their presence felt, make expectations crystal clear, and let very little deter them from achieving objectives.”

Forceful Leadership Examples Leads personally. Is personally involved in solving his or her own unit’s problems. Leads personally. Is personally involved in solving his or her own unit’s problems. Lets people know clearly and with feeling where he or she stands on issues. Declares him or herself. Lets people know clearly and with feeling where he or she stands on issues. Declares him or herself. Makes tough calls – including those that have an adverse effect on people. Makes tough calls – including those that have an adverse effect on people. Makes judgments. Zeros in on what is substandard or is not working – in an individual’s or unit’s performance. Makes judgments. Zeros in on what is substandard or is not working – in an individual’s or unit’s performance. Is competitive. Is highly motivated to excel and have his or her unit excel. Is competitive. Is highly motivated to excel and have his or her unit excel. Has an intense can-do attitude. Expects everyone to do whatever it takes to get the job done. Has an intense can-do attitude. Expects everyone to do whatever it takes to get the job done. Is confident. Gives people the feeling that he or she believes in self and his or her abilities. Is confident. Gives people the feeling that he or she believes in self and his or her abilities. Is persistent. Stays the course even in the face of adversity. Is persistent. Stays the course even in the face of adversity. Raises tough issues. Acts as a “forcing function.” Raises tough issues. Acts as a “forcing function.”

Kaplan’s Forceful Leadership Benefits of this approach? Benefits of this approach? Stuff gets done. Stuff gets done. Costs of this approach? Costs of this approach? Who does the stuff? Who does the stuff? Performance is highly dependent on the manager. Performance is highly dependent on the manager.

Kaplan’s Model Enabling Leadership Enabling Leadership Enabling leaders tap into, bring out, and show appreciation for the capabilities of followers. They involve their people, give them plenty of latitude to do their jobs, and invest in their development. Enabling leaders tap into, bring out, and show appreciation for the capabilities of followers. They involve their people, give them plenty of latitude to do their jobs, and invest in their development.

Enabling Leadership Enables subordinates to lead. Is able to let go and give individuals the latitude to do their jobs. Enables subordinates to lead. Is able to let go and give individuals the latitude to do their jobs. Is interested in where other people stand on issues. Is receptive to their ideas. Is interested in where other people stand on issues. Is receptive to their ideas. Is compassionate. Is responsive to people’s needs and feelings. Is compassionate. Is responsive to people’s needs and feelings. Shows appreciation. Makes other people feel good about their contributions. Helps people feel valued. Shows appreciation. Makes other people feel good about their contributions. Helps people feel valued. Is a team player. Helps other units or the larger organization perform well. Is a team player. Helps other units or the larger organization perform well. Is realistic about limits on peoples’ capacity to perform or produce. Is realistic about limits on peoples’ capacity to perform or produce. Is modest. Is aware that he or she does not know everything and can be wrong. Is modest. Is aware that he or she does not know everything and can be wrong. Is flexible. Is willing to change course if the plan doesn’t seem to be working. Is flexible. Is willing to change course if the plan doesn’t seem to be working. Fosters harmony. Contains conflict and defuses tension. Fosters harmony. Contains conflict and defuses tension.

Kaplan’s Enabling Leadership Benefits of this approach? Benefits of this approach? Stuff may get done – better – because all are involved, are enabled and grow. Stuff may get done – better – because all are involved, are enabled and grow. Costs of this approach? Costs of this approach? Time, talent, tenacity? Time, talent, tenacity? Meetings? Meetings?

Kaplan’s Model Should we be one or the other? Should we be one or the other? Contingency Approaches Contingency Approaches “A strong, centrist, dominant leader doesn’t give up the capacity to take over; it is just done more selectively.” “A strong, centrist, dominant leader doesn’t give up the capacity to take over; it is just done more selectively.” It all comes down to knowing how and knowing when. It all comes down to knowing how and knowing when.

Versatility “She tries to foster harmony and to build a team. But on the other hand, she’s got confidence in her judgment and will make the tough call.” “This was a leader I was impressed with. Two-thirds of the people thought he was the sweetest guy in the world and one-third thought he was the meanest guy around.”

Versatility Question: What may turn a particular leadership style from a virtue to a vice? Question: What may turn a particular leadership style from a virtue to a vice? Answer: The extreme and unyielding application of the style in circumstances that don’t call for extremes. Answer: The extreme and unyielding application of the style in circumstances that don’t call for extremes. Which, by the way, is virtually all the time… Which, by the way, is virtually all the time…

Too Forceful Takes over. Doesn’t give people enough rope. Takes over. Doesn’t give people enough rope. Other people don’t speak out and aren’t heard. Other people don’t speak out and aren’t heard. Is insensitive, callous. Is insensitive, callous. Is harshly judgmental. Dismisses the contributions of others. Is an “unloving critic.” Is harshly judgmental. Dismisses the contributions of others. Is an “unloving critic.” Is parochial, a partisan, rivalrous. Is parochial, a partisan, rivalrous. Pushes too hard. Demands the impossible. Risks burnout. Pushes too hard. Demands the impossible. Risks burnout. Is arrogant. Fills his or her space and some of yours too. Is arrogant. Fills his or her space and some of yours too. Sticks rigidly to a course of action, despite strong evidence that it is not working. Sticks rigidly to a course of action, despite strong evidence that it is not working. Forces issues when finesse would work better. Forces issues when finesse would work better.

Too Enabling Empowers to a fault. Gives people too much rope. Empowers to a fault. Gives people too much rope. People don’t know where he or she stands. People don’t know where he or she stands. Is overly accommodating. Is nice to people at the expense of the work. Is overly accommodating. Is nice to people at the expense of the work. Gives false praise or praises indiscriminately. Is an “uncritical lover.” Gives false praise or praises indiscriminately. Is an “uncritical lover.” Sacrifices sharp focus on own unit. Sacrifices sharp focus on own unit. Is too understanding. Doesn’t expect enough. Is too understanding. Doesn’t expect enough. Is self-effacing or down on self. Doesn’t fill own space. Is self-effacing or down on self. Doesn’t fill own space. Is inconstant, changeable. Is too quick to change the course. Is inconstant, changeable. Is too quick to change the course. Avoids or smoothes over tense issues that need attention. Avoids or smoothes over tense issues that need attention.

Live in the Middle Look at: Look at: The Type of Work: Are there jobs that are more conducive to enabling styles? The Type of Work: Are there jobs that are more conducive to enabling styles? Employee Capacities: Are there employees who are more likely to require control? Employee Capacities: Are there employees who are more likely to require control? Company Culture: Are there companies that accept forceful styles or enabling styles? Company Culture: Are there companies that accept forceful styles or enabling styles?