It is common for supervisors and managers to confuse leadership with power. Effective leaders, however, don’t have to rule with an iron fist. Ensure that your leadership training development program helps leaders learn how to create the right balance between power and influence, while also being able to apply the right leadership style to the right situation.

Leadership Training Development: Is Yours all about Power and Style?

Finding the Right Balance

When it comes to being a great leader, two qualities stand out: power and influence. The key is finding the right balance between the two. A leadership training development program can help develop great leaders using some principles to abide by.

Command but Understand

Yes, it is the job of a supervisor or a manager to give employees direction on the job. At the same time, each employee has his or her own needs. A great leader has to be able to direct employees while considering these differences.

Direct and Ask

Some situations call for leaders to give direct orders to employees. Other situations create less of a dictatorship style, where leaders ask employees to complete a task instead. At times, asking an employee to cooperate compels them to complete the task with more zest than receiving a direct order to complete the task.

Stay Strong But Be Flexible

A decisive leader that stands behind their own decisions can earn a great deal of respect from employees. At the same time, a good leader knows when they have to be flexible in their own decisions and ways of doing things.

Along with learning to possess these characteristics, supervisors and managers also need to learn about different leadership styles.

Strong but flexible leadership

Styles of Leadership

Four different styles of leadership exist. Each leadership style can be effective, but the effectiveness depends on the corporate culture, the employees and the situation.

1. Authoritative Style

The authoritative style comes in handy in two primary situations. First, if the leader is dealing with a crisis. The second situation is when the leader is managing new employees or employees that do not have a lot of experience.

Benefits:

  • Offers concrete instructions
  • Creates an effective timeline for completing the work
  • Organizes the working environment, which creates efficiency

2. Laissez-faire Style

The best situations for this type of leadership style are when leading self-sufficient, experienced and trained employees.

Benefits:

  • Employees provide ideas based on their own experiences
  • Assigns more responsibilities to employees
  • Employees take pride in their work and the outcome of their work

3. Social Leadership Style

The leadership style tends to focus on inclusivity and supportiveness of employees.

Benefits:

  • Encourages participation among employees
  • Spurs innovation and creativity
  • Rewards accomplishments

4. Team Leadership Style

Similar to a social leadership style, this style also tends to spur participation and initiative from employees.

Benefits:

  • Turns employees into decision makers and problem solvers
  • Supports a two-way street of communication
  • Creates a corporate culture of understanding, trust, and respect

When your leadership training covers these two topics, it turns out great leaders. This is something your company and your employees can benefit from having.

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