For most of my life, I was under the impression that good leaders need to be authoritative. In order to lead a team, the person in control must be loud, extroverted and make every decision with ease. Having experienced leadership in multiple settings, I took the time to reflect on what I've learnt so far.
There have been many scenarios where I have been thrust into the role of a leader. The baffling part is; despite my preconceptions of what a good leader should be, I was everything that my idea of a leader was not. I wasn't loud. I would actively avoid confrontation with clients or colleagues (or anyone for that matter). I was, and still am, a poor decision maker. The list goes on...
So why am I still finding myself in situations of control? About two years ago, on one of my university modules, I was elected to be the leader of the group. Which doesn't sound like a big deal, but considering what I just mentioned, it took me by surprise.
An important ability I began to understand had an influential role in leading a group was Emotional Intelligence (EI). Being able to understand others needs and manage emotions is what every leader should be good at, and should strive for.
One highly cited study indicates that when a leader has a higher emotional intelligence, the employee will: 📈 Perform better 🗣️ Communicate more effectively 😌 Show an increase in calmness and stability ☀️ Want to stay (in the group or employment)
Something that I rarely do, and I think we all neglect to some degree, is reflect on our strengths and weaknesses. After evaluating what I do well (and the areas to improve), I came to the realisation that I had empathetic qualities and am able to understand others personality types effectively.
So you're saying I shouldn't be an authoritative manager?
When it comes to your workplace, sports team or group setting- there isn't a one size fits all approach. You don't need me to tell you that your group is comprised of multiple complex personality types and skills that all desire differing leadership styles to thrive.
There were many times in my two years as an event manager where I had to employ aspects of authoritarian leadership (or it definitely feels that way). Often characterised as minimising creativity to enhance supervision of the group, I, like many others (see below), didn't identify with this type of leadership.
Authoritarian leadership has a detrimental impact on group social outcomes and negatively impacts on individual task performance, so it's no surprise that participants in the poll reacted negatively to authoritative managers.
When it comes to leadership approaches, it sounds like I'm advocating against authoritarian leadership. However, this style can be effective in certain environments and, as the poll sample suggests, some people prefer this style of leadership.
Concluding thoughts
From a workplace perspective, I believe employees prosper in environments with inclusive leaders. This can be likened to authentic leadership, and how it places an importance on facilitating cross-cultural learning and comfortable workplace settings. But as mentioned, it depends on the workplace culture and whether there is an existing desire for a type of leadership style. Next time you find yourself in a position of leadership, reflect, and ask yourself, am I being the leader that I want to be?
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