Did you know that leadership styles set the tone for the organizational culture and employee-employer relationships? That’s right; leaders determine how employees will engage with the management and their peers. Leaders also determine the relationship their employees have with the business vision, goals, and culture.
Organizations and managers that demand results often push employees to the brink of exhaustion without acknowledging or rewarding their efforts. Naturally, such companies often struggle with higher employee turnover and absenteeism rates.
Employee motivation is the key to higher productivity and efficiency, and consequently, increased profitability. A dynamic and visionary leader does not desire a flock of sheep, but rather, leaders inspire and create more leaders.
Each business demands a distinctive and appropriate leadership style that aligns with its vision and goals. Keep reading to learn about the right leadership style to support your entrepreneurial vision.
1. Motivational Leadership
Human resource is the most significant asset of a company, propelling it towards growth, advancement, and profitability. Despite the advent of automation technologies and innovative big data solutions, human intelligence remains integral in business activities.
Motivation and business activity work in a simple and straightforward equation: high motivation levels lead to higher productivity and vice versa. There are no other ways to it, and leaders who grasp the significance of this equation never deviate from it.
A motivational leadership style focuses on building connections and pushing professionals towards career advancement. In recent years, employers and business leaders encourage and facilitate higher education and skill-building. Companies encourage employees to pursue advanced training and education to build competence for lucrative promotions.
Young professionals turn to e-learning platforms to combine their work routines with flexible academic programs. It’s much easier to pursue an online MBA no GMAT requirements and explore career advancement opportunities within your department or organization. Organizations with motivational leadership cultures encourage employees to build market-relevant skills with the lure of reward and acknowledgment.
2. Authoritative Leadership
Most people confuse the authoritative style with autocratic leadership, explaining why it gets such a bad image. Authoritarian styles are necessary for organizations that must set realistic expectations with guaranteed results.
Many organizations require leaders and managers to train and closely supervise their employees. In addition, workers and professionals often look towards leaders for guidance to eliminate ambiguities and complex problems. Authoritative leaders are visionaries who inspire people to follow them, impressed by their confidence and work ethics.
Such leaders demand results and improvement without draining their employees, but rather by energizing and inspiring them. These leaders help their employees lift the fog by engaging them with creativity and mind-expanding challenges. In addition, they set the tone for their company and map out the responsibilities and requirements for each employee.
However, authoritative leaders are quite different from their autocratic counterparts. You see, they do not make rash and erratic decisions and always take into account their staff’s opinions and well-being. Most importantly, authoritative leaders do not issue commands, but rather, they drive their workforce towards the pursuit of shared goals.
3. Democratic Leadership
Much as the name implies, democratic leadership acknowledges and appreciates the opinions and voices of all. It’s a system that encourages inclusivity and creates a balance of power that allows each employee to stand out and shine. Democratic leadership is a model that helps talented and determined employees to succeed and grow unbelievably and without constraints.
Essentially, democratic leaders are very feedback-oriented, and they like to share information and get opinions from employees. They elicit one-on-one discussions with each staff member to learn about their experiences and struggles. Democratic leaders are very conversational and usually on a first-name basis with every employee working in their company.
Naturally, such leaders rarely make decisions without consulting their workforce and taking their opinions into account. Such leadership styles infuse the workplace with a family-oriented spirit, allowing employees to build lasting connections.
Employees connect with democratic leaders and share their vision with the same dedication they foster towards their individual goals.
4. Coaching Leadership
A coach is a leader who pushes a team towards success, growth, and development. Coaches help each player tap into their innate talents and unique abilities to give their absolute best to the game. But, more importantly, the coach places each player in a strategic position that allows their talents to shine.
Why does this sound like a football game? Because this example is the easiest and most straightforward way to understand the coaching leadership approach. Coaching leaders help their employees grow, learn, and improve with an empathetic yet firm approach. These leaders regard their workforce as a reservoir of human intelligence and talents. They invest in sharpening and developing this talent.
Coaching leadership styles prioritize investing in human resources and training initiatives to help employees build competitive skills. These leaders help their employees unlock their hidden potential with rewards, incentives, and learning opportunities.
Conclusion
HR fiascos and employee badmouthing can cast a severe dent in an organization’s public image. Therefore, all business leaders must find a style that aligns perfectly with their business model, the scale of operations, and commitments. It’s essential to get to know your employees and tap into their psyche to find the approach that works best. More importantly, your leadership style must connect with the brand’s image.