Leadership Style
When we lead for the first time, we might adopt a style of leadership that we’ve experienced from
someone else, or that we’ve heard or read about. If it seems to work, we’ll likely stick with it – in effect,
it becomes “our” style.
We’ve based our questions on psychologist Kurt Lewin’s Leadership Styles Framework – a model
developed in the 1930s that is still popular and useful today.
What’s Your Leadership Style?
23
: 21-27
You lean toward a democratic or participative style of leadership. You tend to set the parameters for the
work and have the final say on decisions, but you actively involve your team members in the process.
This style can build trust between you and your people, as they’ll likely feel engaged and valued. But it’s
not great in a high-pressure situation that requires a fast turnaround, as it will slow you down. And, if
you dislike disagreement or conflict, you might struggle with how people respond to consultation. Read
more below.
Do you believe that you can adapt your style? Harvard University professor Ron Heifetz and leadership
experts David Rooke and William Torbert say that you can. So let’s look in more depth at Lewin’s
leadership styles, their strengths and risks, and how you might become more skillful in using them.
Authoritarian, Autocratic Leadership
This approach is helpful when your team needs to follow a process “to the letter,” to manage a
significant risk. It’s also effective when you need to be hands-on with people who miss deadlines, in
departments where conflict is an issue, or in teams that rely on quick decisions being made.
But you need to be aware that relying on control and punishment to maintain standards will likely drive
people away. Similarly, if you always demand that your team works at top speed, you can end up
exhausting everyone.
, Instead, you can show respect for team members by providing the rationale for your decisions. And they
will more likely comply with your expectations if you take the trouble to explain Why the Rules Are
There.
You can improve your ability to “lead from the front” by Planning for a Crisis, Thinking on Your Feet, and
making good decisions under pressure. But be sure to balance these skills with an awareness of their
potential negative impact on creativity, ideas gathering, motivation, and trust within the team.
Being too autocratic can also mean that you’ll find it hard to stand back from the detail and take a wider,
more strategic view.
Tip:
Did you achieve your leadership role thanks to your technical expertise? If so, you’ll likely be used to
getting things right, adding value, and having people’s respect. But your soft skills might be lacking, so
don’t be afraid to listen and collaborate more.
Democratic, Participative Leadership
With this approach, you set goals, guide team discussions, and make the final decision. But you also
acknowledge that your people can have valuable insight into a problem or process, so you actively
consult them. As a result, you’ll likely gain creative input and fresh ideas that you wouldn’t have come up
with if you were working alone.
You might wonder how to manage differing opinions in the team, once you’ve invited participation in
this way. Your goal is to build a culture in which people can have healthy debates with one another. So:
Set an example by being open and flexible yourself.
Make mutual respect a priority, to ensure everyone’s participation.
Learn some Conflict Resolution skills.
Read our article on Managing Emotion in Your Team.
Be aware that processes could become dangerously slow if you involve your team members in every
decision. You’ll need to judge carefully whether you need to adopt a more autocratic approach, even if
it’s only briefly.
When we lead for the first time, we might adopt a style of leadership that we’ve experienced from
someone else, or that we’ve heard or read about. If it seems to work, we’ll likely stick with it – in effect,
it becomes “our” style.
We’ve based our questions on psychologist Kurt Lewin’s Leadership Styles Framework – a model
developed in the 1930s that is still popular and useful today.
What’s Your Leadership Style?
23
: 21-27
You lean toward a democratic or participative style of leadership. You tend to set the parameters for the
work and have the final say on decisions, but you actively involve your team members in the process.
This style can build trust between you and your people, as they’ll likely feel engaged and valued. But it’s
not great in a high-pressure situation that requires a fast turnaround, as it will slow you down. And, if
you dislike disagreement or conflict, you might struggle with how people respond to consultation. Read
more below.
Do you believe that you can adapt your style? Harvard University professor Ron Heifetz and leadership
experts David Rooke and William Torbert say that you can. So let’s look in more depth at Lewin’s
leadership styles, their strengths and risks, and how you might become more skillful in using them.
Authoritarian, Autocratic Leadership
This approach is helpful when your team needs to follow a process “to the letter,” to manage a
significant risk. It’s also effective when you need to be hands-on with people who miss deadlines, in
departments where conflict is an issue, or in teams that rely on quick decisions being made.
But you need to be aware that relying on control and punishment to maintain standards will likely drive
people away. Similarly, if you always demand that your team works at top speed, you can end up
exhausting everyone.
, Instead, you can show respect for team members by providing the rationale for your decisions. And they
will more likely comply with your expectations if you take the trouble to explain Why the Rules Are
There.
You can improve your ability to “lead from the front” by Planning for a Crisis, Thinking on Your Feet, and
making good decisions under pressure. But be sure to balance these skills with an awareness of their
potential negative impact on creativity, ideas gathering, motivation, and trust within the team.
Being too autocratic can also mean that you’ll find it hard to stand back from the detail and take a wider,
more strategic view.
Tip:
Did you achieve your leadership role thanks to your technical expertise? If so, you’ll likely be used to
getting things right, adding value, and having people’s respect. But your soft skills might be lacking, so
don’t be afraid to listen and collaborate more.
Democratic, Participative Leadership
With this approach, you set goals, guide team discussions, and make the final decision. But you also
acknowledge that your people can have valuable insight into a problem or process, so you actively
consult them. As a result, you’ll likely gain creative input and fresh ideas that you wouldn’t have come up
with if you were working alone.
You might wonder how to manage differing opinions in the team, once you’ve invited participation in
this way. Your goal is to build a culture in which people can have healthy debates with one another. So:
Set an example by being open and flexible yourself.
Make mutual respect a priority, to ensure everyone’s participation.
Learn some Conflict Resolution skills.
Read our article on Managing Emotion in Your Team.
Be aware that processes could become dangerously slow if you involve your team members in every
decision. You’ll need to judge carefully whether you need to adopt a more autocratic approach, even if
it’s only briefly.
