Leadership styles
"O, it is excellent, To have a giant's strength, but it is tyrannous. To use it like a giant."
William Shakespeare's Measure For Measure (Isabella, Act 2 Scene 2)
How far should you, the leader, share decision-making with your group?
Two eminent researchers - Robert Tannenbaum and Richard Schmidt - suggested that effective leaders operate along a continuum ranging from a very 'tell' style at one end to a very 'hands-off' style at the other.
​
1. Leader makes decision and states it - having reviewed alternative courses of action, the leader selects one and tells the group her/his decision. How the group will react may have come into the leader's calculations but the group have no direct share in the decision-making process.
2. Leader makes decision and 'sells' it - here the leader makes the decision, announces it and goes on to give reasons for it, and to state the advantages that accrue from it. Implicitly, the leader is recognising the group's importance in implementing the decision.
3. Leader presents ideas and invites questions - the leader presents some of the background thinking behind her/his decision, e.g. the factors and courses of action open. S/he then asks for questions and invites the group to truly enter into the decision, explore it and accept it. The discussion allows all concerned to become clearer about the implications of the decision.
​
4. Leader presents a tentative decision subject to change - a proposal is offered for discussion and review. Having heard the comments and questions from those affected by it, the leader reserves the final decision.
5. Leader presents problem, gets suggestions, then decides - the leader identifies the problem or optional courses of action that lead towards the goal and comes before the group without her/his mind being weighted towards any one solution or plan. The function of the group becomes one of increasing the leader's options. The purpose is to capitalise on the knowledge and experience of those on the 'firing line'. From the list of options, the leader then selects that which s/he regards as most promising.
6. Leader defines limits but asks group to decide - having set out the boundaries or limits that the group must respect, the leader hands over the decision to them. This does not amount to abdication. In fact, the group may agree to invite the leader to join them as an equal member.
7. Leader allows the group to decide within prescribed limits - this represents an extreme degree of group freedom usually only found in research groups and the like. Here the group undertakes the identification and diagnosis of the problem, develops options for solving it and decides on one or more alternative. The only limits directly imposed on the group are those specified at one level above the group, i.e. by the boss of the group's leader. If the group's leader participates in the decision-making process, s/he attempts to do so with no more authority than any other member of the group. S/he commits in advance to assist implement whatever decision the group makes.
In the past, the left, centre and right areas of the continuum have been identified as leadership styles - autocratic, democratic or laisser-faire. Today, this is seen as misleading. Research has shown conclusively that the most effective leaders are flexible - ranging up and down the scale according to a range of factors and matching the demands of the given situation.
It is generally agreed that there are advantages of going as far to the right as possible - the more you share decisions, the more motivated or committed will be those involved in the decision. That said, there may well be factors that limit how far to the right you feel you can go. Influencing your choice will be the characteristics of you, the leader; those of members of your group; the specific requirements of the task; and the prevailing 'culture' of your organisation.
YOU, AS LEADER
Your preferred style will depend on:
-
your value system - how much you feel that subordinates should be involved in planning, deciding, controlling;
-
your confidence in your subordinates - if you view them as technically competent and to be trusted, you are more likely to give them control;
-
your habitual style - yes, you have one! Though you probably hope that you can be flexible, you usually have a way of operating in which you feel most comfortable;
-
your assessment of your personal contribution - if you feel that your contribution to the group is vital, you'll tend to want to be more structuring and controlling;
-
your need for certainty. If you have a high need for predictability and/or a low tolerance for ambiguity, you'll probably seek tight control. Similarly, if you're a low-risk taker, you'll also be less willing to relinquish control;
-
your degree of stress - stress and tension will usually lead to tighter control.
MEMBERS OF YOUR GROUP
Each member of your group will have their own preference for a style of leadership. This will be influenced by:
-
their estimate of their own intelligence and competence. The more competent and professional they feel, the more control they'll want;
-
their interest in the problem and their view of its importance;
-
their tolerance of ambiguity and their need for structure;
-
the past experience of the group. Are they used to being involved? Are they used to working together and do they have respect for each other? New or inexperienced people tend to need closer control from the start;
-
cultural factors - younger people, more highly educated and perhaps more permissively reared, tend to want greater involvement and freedom. Democratic norms in most societies reinforce this tendency.
THE TASK
How much you wish to share decision-making will depend on:
-
the kind of task - is it decision-making or implementing? Does it require initiative or obedience? Is it a routine administrative function? Is it creative (e.g. R&D), or problem-solving (e.g. consultancy), or pioneering (e.g. new product marketing)? If it is a problem with an open-ended solution, it will tend towards loose, flexible control;
-
the time-scale - participation takes time. Short time-horizons will probably drive you towards tighter control;
-
the complexity - technical or conceptual complexity will usually push you to a flexible approach;
-
whether mistakes matter - in certain situations, tight controls may be necessary to prevent errors;
-
the importance of the task.
YOUR ORGANISATION
What is the prevailing 'culture' of your organisation: paternal, informal, bureaucratic, centrally controlled? Are practices and procedures so rigid as to permit only slight variation or are they flexible?
and it's probably worth restating that.....
​
it is generally accepted that no single leadership style is absolutely right for all situations. The most effective leaders are consistent (i.e. no major surprises) though flexible in terms of how they involve the group in decision-making. They range up and down the scale and match how they involve their group to the demands of the given situation.
​
​
something2ponder ...what is your habitual style? Does it chime with your team members' preference?
