Leadership StyleLeadership Style

What is Leadership Style?What is Leadership Style?

Sources of your leadership style?Sources of your leadership style? You: your personality and experiencesYou: your personality and experiences Your work: the work context and Your work: the work context and

cultureculture Followers: their skills and motivationsFollowers: their skills and motivations

Kaplan’s ModelKaplan’s Model

Forceful LeadershipForceful Leadership ““Forceful leaders push others hard to Forceful leaders push others hard to

perform. They take charge, make their perform. They take charge, make their presence felt, make expectations crystal presence felt, make expectations crystal clear, and let very little deter them from clear, and let very little deter them from achieving objectives.”achieving objectives.”

Forceful Leadership Forceful Leadership ExamplesExamples

Leads personally. Is personally involved in solving his Leads personally. Is personally involved in solving his or her own unit’s problems.or her own unit’s problems.

Lets people know clearly and with feeling where he or Lets people know clearly and with feeling where he or she stands on issues. Declares him or herself.she stands on issues. Declares him or herself.

Makes tough calls – including those that have an Makes tough calls – including those that have an adverse effect on people.adverse effect on people.

Makes judgments. Zeros in on what is substandard or is Makes judgments. Zeros in on what is substandard or is not working – in an individual’s or unit’s performance.not working – in an individual’s or unit’s performance.

Is competitive. Is highly motivated to excel and have his Is competitive. Is highly motivated to excel and have his or her unit excel.or her unit excel.

Has an intense can-do attitude. Expects everyone to do Has an intense can-do attitude. Expects everyone to do whatever it takes to get the job done.whatever it takes to get the job done.

Is confident. Gives people the feeling that he or she Is confident. Gives people the feeling that he or she believes in self and his or her abilities.believes in self and his or her abilities.

Is persistent. Stays the course even in the face of Is persistent. Stays the course even in the face of adversity.adversity.

Raises tough issues. Acts as a “forcing function.”Raises tough issues. Acts as a “forcing function.”

Kaplan’s Forceful Kaplan’s Forceful LeadershipLeadership

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 Performance is highly dependent on the

manager.manager.

Kaplan’s ModelKaplan’s Model

Enabling LeadershipEnabling Leadership Enabling leaders tap into, bring out, Enabling leaders tap into, bring out,

and show appreciation for the and show appreciation for the capabilities of followers. They involve capabilities of followers. They involve their people, give them plenty of their people, give them plenty of latitude to do their jobs, and invest in latitude to do their jobs, and invest in their development. their development.

Enabling LeadershipEnabling Leadership Enables subordinates to lead. Is able to let go and give Enables subordinates to lead. Is able to let go and give

individuals the latitude to do their jobs.individuals the latitude to do their jobs. Is interested in where other people stand on issues. Is Is interested in where other people stand on issues. Is

receptive to their ideas.receptive to their ideas. Is compassionate. Is responsive to people’s needs and Is compassionate. Is responsive to people’s needs and

feelings.feelings. Shows appreciation. Makes other people feel good Shows appreciation. Makes other people feel good

about their contributions. Helps people feel valued.about their contributions. Helps people feel valued. Is a team player. Helps other units or the larger Is a team player. Helps other units or the larger

organization perform well.organization perform well. Is realistic about limits on peoples’ capacity to perform Is realistic about limits on peoples’ capacity to perform

or produce.or produce. Is modest. Is aware that he or she does not know Is modest. Is aware that he or she does not know

everything and can be wrong.everything and can be wrong. Is flexible. Is willing to change course if the plan Is flexible. Is willing to change course if the plan

doesn’t seem to be working.doesn’t seem to be working. Fosters harmony. Contains conflict and defuses tension.Fosters harmony. Contains conflict and defuses tension.

Kaplan’s Enabling Kaplan’s Enabling LeadershipLeadership

Benefits of this approach?Benefits of this approach? Stuff may get done – better – because Stuff may get done – better – because

all are involved, are enabled and grow.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 ModelKaplan’s Model

Should we be one or the other?Should we be one or the other?

Contingency ApproachesContingency Approaches ““A strong, centrist, dominant leader A strong, centrist, dominant leader

doesn’t give up the capacity to take doesn’t give up the capacity to take over; it is just done more selectively.”over; it is just done more selectively.”

It all comes down to knowing how and It all comes down to knowing how and knowing when.knowing when.

VersatilityVersatility

““She tries to foster harmony and to build a She tries to foster harmony and to build a team. But on the other hand, she’s got team. But on the other hand, she’s got confidence in her judgment and will make confidence in her judgment and will make the tough call.”the tough call.”

““This was a leader I was impressed with. This was a leader I was impressed with. Two-thirds of the people thought he was Two-thirds of the people thought he was the sweetest guy in the world and one-the sweetest guy in the world and one-third thought he was the meanest guy third thought he was the meanest guy around.”around.”

VersatilityVersatility

Question: What may turn a particular Question: What may turn a particular leadership style from a virtue to a vice?leadership style from a virtue to a vice?

Answer: The extreme and unyielding Answer: The extreme and unyielding application of the style in application of the style in circumstances that don’t call for circumstances that don’t call for extremes.extremes. Which, by the way, is virtually all the Which, by the way, is virtually all the

time…time…

Too ForcefulToo 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 Is harshly judgmental. Dismisses the contributions

of others. Is an “unloving critic.”of others. Is an “unloving critic.” Is parochial, a partisan, rivalrous.Is parochial, a partisan, rivalrous. Pushes too hard. Demands the impossible. Risks Pushes too hard. Demands the impossible. Risks

burnout.burnout. Is arrogant. Fills his or her space and some of yours Is arrogant. Fills his or her space and some of yours

too.too. Sticks rigidly to a course of action, despite strong Sticks rigidly to a course of action, despite strong

evidence that it is not working.evidence that it is not working. Forces issues when finesse would work better.Forces issues when finesse would work better.

Too EnablingToo 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 Is overly accommodating. Is nice to people at the

expense of the work.expense of the work. Gives false praise or praises indiscriminately. Is an Gives false praise or praises indiscriminately. Is an

“uncritical lover.”“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 Is inconstant, changeable. Is too quick to change the

course.course. Avoids or smoothes over tense issues that need Avoids or smoothes over tense issues that need

attention.attention.

Live in the MiddleLive in the Middle

Look at:Look at: The Type of Work: Are there jobs that The Type of Work: Are there jobs that

are more conducive to enabling styles?are more conducive to enabling styles? Employee Capacities: Are there Employee Capacities: Are there

employees who are more likely to employees who are more likely to require control?require control?

Company Culture: Are there companies Company Culture: Are there companies that accept forceful styles or enabling that accept forceful styles or enabling styles?styles?