When you think about leadership, what springs to mind? Most of us think about the top chief executives in companies, great visionaries and those high up in public view. For me, the likes of Barack Obama, Lord Sugar and Margaret Thatcher (whatever your thoughts on them individually) have demonstrated very different but definite leadership! However, if you look at both your working and personal life you might be surprised to find that for most of us, leadership is something we do regularly and often don’t realise! So what is your leadership style and who do you lead?
Whether it be a family gathering, parenting a child, organising a trip or supporting colleagues, we all lead in some way at some time. Does the same style always work? No. We must be adaptable to be successful!
Whether it be a family gathering, parenting a child, organising a trip or supporting colleagues, we all lead in some way at some time. Does the same style always work? No. We must be adaptable to be successful!
There are four main styles of leadership that most people will use at any one time:
- Directing/Telling
- Coaching/Selling
- Supporting/Participating
- Delegating
For many individuals I have coached, poor leadership at work can be an exhausting drain on energy and resourcefulness. More people leave managers than leave jobs! Whilst we cannot change the behaviour of others directly, knowing more about our own ability to lead and adaptable styles can help us to be more effective within our sphere of influence. What kind of leader would you like to work for?
If you want to find out more about your own leadership style try out ‘Inspirational Leadership: Insight into Action’ at www.inspiredleadership.org.uk and click ‘new user’. See what you discover today!
Source: Ann Skidmore: 'Coaching Leadership' at The Coaching Academy
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