Effective Leadership

4 Pages 1090 Words

‘Effective Leadership’

Styles
I have so many ideas of what an effective leader should be that I often feel overwhelmed and cannot imagine how I will become the ‘ideal’ leader that I want to be. There are many ingredients of effective leadership styles. I have read several books and articles on leadership and management. I have also participated in a few leadership training/education modules offered through my employers. There are many theories on what makes an effective leader. In my research I have discovered that there is many leadership styles and most are effective if used in the right situations. Information on the subject of leadership is plenty with some resources being quite in-depth, but most describe a specific type of leadership. I did find one book that was both easy to understand and made a lot of sense. In the book, Leadership and the One-Minute Manager, the theory and use of Situational Leadership is described. I think that this style of leadership is most effective. It describes that different forms of leadership are needed in different situations. The book defines leadership style as “how you behave when you are trying to influence the performance of someone else” (p. 46). Therefore, one of the most important ingredients of any leader would be flexibility. The second most important ingredient would be understanding when to use a specific leadership style. The four basic leadership styles described are directing, coaching, supporting and delegating.
The directing leadership style would be needed for new hires, or less competent employees that show commitment and a desire to be productive. The employees at this development level would require very clear directions, and a lot of supervision. The atmosphere must be controlled and structured until these employees develop some competence.
The coaching style would be useful for existing employees who have lost their sense of commitment. ...