What is Leadership Style?

Advertising Schools

the

Learning Management System, LMS

Professional Employer Organization

Leadership Style - what does it mean and is there such a thing?

Situation-based leadership is founded on a top-down view of leaderhsip.
Traditionally it refers to how you manage people and make decisions.
But this view is past its use-by date.
When the notion of leadership style was first invented, writers on leadership did not differentiate between leadership and management. Today, we need to recognize that what used to be called leadership style is really management style.
Management style is about how you make decisions for your team.
The fundamental argument of this website is that leadership means promoting new directions, not managing people. You can promote new directions aggressively, by example or through any number of other influencing styles.
The only leadership style is influencing style.
Some influencing styles:
- Direct appeals using logical arguments and evidence.
- Expressing enthusiasm and conviction for your idea.
- Making rousing speaches to large audiences with stirring images and music.
- Quiet but persistent persuasion over time.
- Enlisting the support of persuasive others.
- Asking open questions designed to lead others to your conclusions.
- Setting an example - the old adage ''actions speak louder than words'' is very true.
- We follow the example of others perhaps more than any other leadership style.
- Unlike conventional notions of leadership, using authority is not a leadership style.
Using authority is not leadership - unless you equate leadership with being in power.
We don't actually need the term ''leadership style''. There is really only influencing style.
The term ''leadership style'' arose in the days when showing leadership was associated with particular persons in positions of power. We defined leadership as being a certain type of person. Today, leadership is better thought as an occasional act that anyone can show in certain circumstances - like temporarily leading in a tennis match. Conversely, management is a position of responsibility - hence it still makes sense to speak of management style.