101: Unlocking your leadership style
Congratulations, you’ve landed the managerial role you’ve been working toward. Now comes the real challenge, defining who you are as a leader. Your leadership style isn’t one-size-fits-all; it’s shaped by your personality, life experiences, and the skills developed along the way. Understanding your unique approach is essential to leading with confidence and competence.
Look inside for answers. Before you can effectively lead others, you need a clear understanding of your own strengths and areas for growth. Self-assessment tools can offer actionable insights to help you sharpen your skills. Tools like the Myers-Briggs test and other personality assessments provide objective perspectives on your leadership tendencies. “Using these tools in partnership with a coach is an added bonus because you will be able to practically apply the findings into your work and find ways to leverage your strengths while upskilling and refining in your areas of improvement,” Rachel Wells writes in an article for Forbes.
Be honest about your motivations. Are you driven by external rewards like promotions and career advancement, or do you find motivation through internal factors such as a belief in your team or a personal drive for excellence? Understanding your motivation is key to shaping your leadership style. “An example in business where leadership motivation and management style work synergistically to achieve a positive result could occur when an organization’s workforce responds most effectively to a democratic style — and the senior management of the organization recognizes this and rewards the leaders’ efforts in exercising this style for optimal results in ways that satisfy their extrinsic and intrinsic motivators,” the American Management Association explains on its website.
Practice makes perfect. Autocratic, bureaucratic, coaching, democratic, laissez-faire, and servant are just a few of the leadership styles. With such a wide range of approaches, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming. That’s why it’s essential to try different styles in real-world settings and seek feedback from your team. “Test out styles over short periods of time. Observe how workplace morale, relationships, and productivity shift with each style,” Lian Parsons writes in a blog for the Professional & Executive Development Department of Harvard Division of Continuing Education.
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