There are plenty of people out there selling you books, courses, and quizzes telling you to pick a leadership style. They are well meaning, if incredibly wrong. There are so many things wrong with this approach that it is a wonder why anyone would advance it. That is until you look at the authors’ biographies. Most of these people have little to no experience as a manager. Categorizing leadership approaches can be useful, particularly for academics, but no one chooses their style when they start into management.
The main problem is calling leadership styles styles makes it seem as if all approaches are equally good; it is, after all, only a matter of style. It is as if we are being asked to pick a leadership style the same way we pick out a pair of sunglasses or a necktie that fits our tastes. If you found out that wearing a red tie made you 20% more productive, wouldn’t you wear red ties, even though you prefer blue ties? So why when you learn that asking your subordinates to do something rather than dictating it works better in most cases, would you choose being directive in those cases even if it’s your preferred “style”?
The truth of the matter is that some behavior is better than other behavior for a given situation. There are times when getting a lot of input from your directs is good, and there are times when the discussion is over and action is required. You have to give more direction to some people than others for a host of reasons. This is not a matter of style; it is about choosing to engage in effective behaviors over the less effective ones you may prefer. Part of being a professional is doing things that make us uncomfortable because those things are right.
If the premise wasn’t bad enough, no one can seem to agree on what leadership styles are out there. Then, once the person has defined their unique list, they stop and declare their job done, leaving the rest of us wondering, “How do I do this leadership style?” There are more books on how to ruin your life than how to be an “authoritative leader.” So even if you choose your leadership style, you are not any better off if you choose an unfashionable one. Your leadership style is not something you choose ex ante, it is something you develop over time and, more importantly, it is the behaviors you engage in that make you a more or less effective leader. This means you can learn and improve.
Your leadership and management style will evolve over the course of your career, as you gain more experience. You will also improve your understanding of different situations and discernment to choose the right actions to take in those situations. This is natural and good; incremental improvement is how the best get better and how the good become great.
How has the focus on style limited your leadership? What managerial behaviors and skills can you start improving?