In Leadership Styles Part 1 we looked at how both Ghandi and Churchill employed very different leadership styles to achieve success. Moving on from servant and visionary leaders, here we explore three more contrasting approaches to leadership.
Strategic Leader
Strategic leaders instinctively present a challenging vision in achievable steps, enabling the organisation to move forward with minimal disruption.
Whilst visions will compel action, unless people see progress toward the fulfilment of that vision they become disenchanted. The strategic leader forms a game plan everyone can understand and participate in, one that will eventually lead to the achievement of the vision. The strategic leader challenges the organisation to work to the plan, ignore distractions and do what needs to be done to achieve the next step, and then the next. The strategic leader coordinates the various departments of an organisation so that the entire community is focused on the prize.Strategic leaders can be prone to micro-managing the process and focusing so much on the present that the end goal can appear to fade.
Pastoral Leader
This man or woman is primarily motivated by the needs and development of others. They are especially willing to nurture, support, listen to and coach their team members. They favour a consensual approach to decision making and can be most effective when leading groups with shared values. This approach generates such good will amongst team members that they follow the leader without question so long as their values aren’t compromised.
In times of change Pastoral leaders may struggle to meet the needs of the team and those of the wider organisation.
Entrepreneurial Leader
These leaders combine vision with boundless energy and an appetite for risk and innovation. Opposition and being told ‘it can’t be done’ is likely to fuel their passion; they are at their best during the start-up phase of a project or enterprise.
Beyond the excitement of launch and early growth Entrepreneurial leaders quickly become bored, they resist discussions about policies, systems or controls. The Entrepreneurial leader looses energy, focus and even confidence and will probably start exploring new ventures. If forced to take the role of Managing Leader, an Entrepreneurial leader may neglect and damage the very business they created.