To improve your company’s bottom line, it’s important for managers to put effort into hiring the right talent. But once you have put a strong staff in place at your organization, the way you lead and manage them also has a huge effect on your company’s bottom line. As a manager, you are responsible for making sure your employees are properly trained, are developing new skills on a continual basis, and completing the job they were hired for. All the while making sure you are giving the compensation and accommodations necessary to keep your employees healthy, happy and productive.
To do this, there are several effective leadership styles you can use in the workplace. To perform well as a manager, it’s best to combine different leadership styles. Which leadership style you choose to use depends on the work situation and personality/work style of the employee you are dealing with. Some employees respond better to direct instructions, while another employee may respond better to being given a task and the freedom to find their own method of accomplishing it. In some situations, you may want to approach your team as a friend, while another situation may call for a more authoritative approach. Here are five of the most effective leadership styles in the workplace:
1) Charismatic Leadership Style
Instead of relying on power and authority, a charismatic leader motivates and inspires the team to perform their necessary function. The leader makes team members aware of what they are working towards, and the impact their work will have on the greater good of the company and the world. What makes this one of the most effective leadership styles in the workplace is the excitement and inspiration it gives employees. As a result, the team is likely to work well together and produce quality results. The drawback is that since the leader is the person motivating everyone, the team may not perform as well if the leader is absent. But if you plan to be present during all aspects of the project, this can be a very effective leadership style.
2) Autocratic Leadership Style
If as a leader you feel you are the most knowledgeable person in the room regarding the task at hand, and that it would be best for you to have high control over decisions made, this is one of the most effective leadership styles for managers to use in the workplace. The autocratic leadership style is particularly effective when you need your goal accomplished quickly, and are already aware of the results you are looking for and how to get there. The risk you take is that since you won’t have time to get input from others on the team, your employees may feel inferior and less invested in their job.
3) Coaching Leadership Style
A good manager not only leads, but is continually grooming others in the organization for leadership positions. The coaching leadership style focuses more on the future, developing team members skills so that they will be more successful in the long run. For this leadership style to be effective, you must have a team that is willing to learn new ways of doing things and has the patience to try out different things until they find what works the best for them. This is not, however, one of the most effective leadership styles for managers in the workplace that are looking to reach a decision or complete a project quickly.
4) Laissez-Faire Leadership Style
In laissez-faire leadership style, you allow your team complete freedom to do their work with little direction from you. If you have a highly skilled team of self-starters and don’t plan on being present with your team all the time, this is one of the most effective leadership styles. Of course, make yourself approachable so that your team feels comfortable coming to you with any questions or guidance they need along the way.
5) Democratic Leadership Style
This is one of the most popular as well as effective leadership styles in the workplace, since the leader includes all employees in decision making. Different roles are assigned to employees and they are held responsible for their specific role. Employees’ feedback is encouraged, and their opinions are highly valued in business decisions. Using this leadership style often results in high employee satisfaction. But if you need to reach a decision quickly you are better off using a different leadership style, such as autocratic.
Author: Jessica Cody
Jessica Cody, a native of Fairfield County, Connecticut, has a background in online marketing and public relations. Currently, she works at VHMNetwork LLC in the role of Marketing Analyst. She is a graduate of the University of Connecticut, where she studied Journalism and Political Science. She is also an avid runner with a passion for the outdoors.
