TYPES OF LEADERSHIP

There are as many leadership "types" as there are leaders. Many will work, but some are more

effective than others.

Generally, an effective leadership type will allow you to:

·       identify and target realistic and relevant goals;

·       produce realistic and relevant results;

·       align your goals to stated business objectives;

·       design performance requirements that are based on measurable items such as, quality,

     quantity, cost, timeliness, and profit;

·       revise plans as necessary;

·       keep lines of communication open.

If a management type hinders you, it is ineffective and should be changed.

WHAT TYPE ARE YOU?

As you read through the following characteristics of leadership types, mark with a blue pen

those attributes that describe you. Then, go over the items you circled in blue and mark with

a yellow highlighter any characteristics you believe may be detrimental to your effectiveness.

Finally, read the lists again and circle with a red pen attributes you think would be beneficial for

you to develop.

After you finish this exercise, you should have a clear picture of your current leadership assets and liabilities. Using what you have recorded, you can put together a plan to become a more effective leader. By reading the definitions you may realise that you already possess many of the characteristics that make great leaders

THE DECISIVE LEADER

This type of leadership is singled out by their action orientation. They excel in their willingness to make hard decisions and take firm action.

·         These leaders are innovative, entrepreneurial and forward thinking,

·         “Do it; fix it; try it.” They move quickly and always have a sense of urgency.

·         These leaders move quickly when opportunity presents itself.

·         They are bold. Boldness is the willingness to initiate action in the face of uncertainty and possible failure.

·         These leaders move to engage the competition (the enemy) in the marketplace, rather than wait for the competition to come to them.

·         They have the courage to “stay the course” when the going gets tough and when the outcome looks uncertain.

·         Leaders are willing to deal with conflict by confrontation rather than by evasion.

THE STRATEGIC LEADER

Leaders that are continually thinking through and planning their next moves and the consequences of those moves.

·         They are capable of grasping the "big picture."

·         Before acting, they consider all the possible consequences of a decision.

·         They can react quickly to changes in the situation; they remain flexible.

·         They articulate their visions, strategies and plans with clarity.

·         They make sure that everyone who is expected to help achieve the objective knows exactly what it is.

·         They constantly communicate values, ideals, standards - the “why" of what people are doing.

·         These leaders are excellent, low-pressure salespeople. They are always selling their ideas and their views of the situation.

THE INSPIRATIONAL LEADER

The ability to inspire and motivate. Leaders with an underlying vision of something greater, bigger, beyond and themselves.

·         They have vision and goals that excite and inspire people.

·         They set goals that give a clear sense of purpose and direction.

·         They arouse excitement and enthusiasm.

·         They are committed, intense, dedicated to their goals.

·         These leaders empower others to perform beyond their previous levels of accomplishment - by continuous encouragement and positive expectations.

·         Leaders inspire loyalty - by being loyal to their followers and to their organisations.

·         They know themselves, their strengths and weaknesses.

·         Because they have high self-esteem, these leaders have high levels of self-honesty. They are willing to be themselves and to be natural with others.

THE COMMITTED LEADER

These leaders are driven and committed to succeed.

·     These leaders never use the word failure. Instead, they use expressions like "learning experiences."

·         They are committed to excellence, to quality in everything they do.

·         They encourage and inspire everyone around them to think in terms of success.

·         They are future/opportunity orientated versus past/problem-orientated.

·         They believe that trust and credibility are the basis of modern leadership.

·         They stand up and speak out for what they believe in.

·         They keep their promises to their followers and to everyone else.

·         They set high standards of integrity throughout the organisation.

THE MOTIVATIONAL LEADER

These leaders put meaning and purpose into work

·         They make the job significant and important.

·         They focus attention on why people are doing what they are doing.

·    They are motivated by their vision of a greater potential in themselves and in their organisations.

·      They motivate themselves by continually setting higher goals, by striving to exceed their previous levels of accomplishment.

·         They motivate themselves by gaining the commitment and support of others.

·         They are sensitive to others and to the situation. They are inordinately perceptive.

·         They always err on the side of fairness to all concerned.

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