What type of leader are you?
Are you a democratic Obama, a charismatic Branson or a situational Doctor Who? Katie Puckett shuffles the deck to find out.
The autocratic or challenging leader
Margaret Thatcher
Source: Bill Greenhead
Autocratic leaders, perhaps typified by Britain’s Iron Lady, are feared for their ‘do as I say’ style of management and complete intolerance of dissent but grudgingly admired for their ability to get things done, albeit with much grumbling in the ranks.
But Barbara Dennis, leadership consultant at Housing Quality Network, thinks such leaders don’t always deserve a bad press.
‘People talk about an autocratic leader as if it’s a bad thing, but I like to define it as someone who has a lot of self-cwonfidence. They’re able to galvanise people. Their style may be “I have decided”, but it doesn’t mean they’re hard-nosed or not a people person.’
Besides, she adds, autocratic or ‘challenging’ leaders also inspire a great deal of loyalty among some of their team - Mrs Thatcher still has a devoted band of followers. And circumstances can make all the difference - in a crisis situation people tend to prefer strong leadership and quick decisions to an endless consultation on how to rush for the lifeboats.
You know you’re an autocratic leader if: people cower as you walk towards them - and grumble when you’ve gone past.
The charismatic leader
Richard Branson
Source: Bill Greenhead
You can’t miss a charismatic leader. Energetic and magnetic, they are invariably surrounded by a hoard of admirers hanging on their every word.
‘You just know when you meet them,’ says Janet Hale, who recruits senior executives as director of Consult CIH. ‘They almost have an aura.
hey’re all very happy people, they greet you with a smile. They’re people you want to be with, there’s something about them.’
But they can also polarise opinion, she adds - you could say charismatic leaders are the Marmite of the management world. ‘You either love them or hate them. It’s difficult to feel neutral about a charismatic leader.’
Virgin supremo Richard Branson is an obvious example and his hot air ballooning antics and many media appearances have won him as many detractors as fans.
Ms Hale warns that the flamboyance of charismatic leaders can sometimes be their downfall, as organisations looking for a safe pair of hands may be put off by that superstar reputation. ‘It’s not necessarily a positive thing that they are well known. It doesn’t mean they aren’t safe, but it can work against them.’
Charismatic leaders are falling from favour at the moment, says Donna Ladkin, senior lecturer in organisational learning and leadership at Cranfield School of Management. ‘In a stagnant context, you need someone who has a bit more drama about them to inspire people and disrupt things a bit. But in turbulent times, people need a leader who is very emotionally resilient and able to work with uncertainty. What you don’t want is a charismatic leader who’s very volatile.’
You know you’re a charismatic leader if: you inspire extremes of love and loathing.
The democratic leader
Barack Obama
Source: Bill Greenhead
US president Barack Obama is the most famous democrat in the world right now, and not just because of his political allegiances.
Democratic, or consultative, leaders tend to consult their teams before making decisions and gather people around them who can complement their own strengths and weaknesses. President Obama’s choice of an older, more conservative running mate, and then an eyebrow-raising but well-rounded coalition of talents in his government, demonstrates that he knows how to build good teams and - hopefully - listen to them.
Team players tend to be popular among their staff, who enjoy the chance to express their views and follow their own initiative. Democratic leadership also goes down particularly well in public sector organisations, and is increasingly found on the wish lists of top-brass recruiters.
‘The benefit is that it gives people ownership, they feel important in the business,’ says Samantha Grady, deputy chief executive of consultancy Housemark. ‘But the downside is that it can be quite time-consuming if you want to talk to everybody before making a decision.’
Beware of gender stereotyping: Ms Hale says it used to be a common assumption that women were consultative leaders and men autocratic ones. But as women have risen up the ranks there has been ample evidence that this isn’t true, as well as many examples of male bosses who demonstrate great skill at working with other people.
You know you’re a democratic leader if: you find yourself saying ‘we’ more often than ‘I’.
The mentoring or authentic leader
Gandhi or, er, Meatloaf
Source: Bill Greenhead
This leader is defined by two separate but linked traits. Like the democrat, the mentor will focus on developing his or her staff and empowering them to become leaders themselves.
The distinction is that in this case it’s the tip of the iceberg - a demonstration of their deeply held egalitarian principles, as espoused by Indian spiritual leader Mohandas Gandhi.
‘Quite a lot of mentor leaders have really strong ethics and there’s no compromising on their approach and commitment,’ says Ms Dennis.
‘They’re very clear about what they will or won’t do because of the depth of their commitment to their values.’
Authentic leaders, she says, can be identified by their rigidly held boundaries - a bit like Meatloaf, they may do anything to make their organisation successful but they ‘won’t do that’.
Authentic leadership skills are much in demand right now, as a conscious rejection of the dubious morals and practices that have led to recent corporate scandals.
Many people working in housing joined and remained in the industry because of their commitment to social justice, so you’d expect to find quite a few of this breed in the sector.
On the other hand, for a demonstration of inauthentic leadership and a complete lack of integrity just flick through the sports pages.
Here you’ll often find football managers doing exactly what they were adamant they would never do only weeks before.
You know you’re an authentic leader if: you have your succession plan worked out for the next 20 years, and you often find yourself taking a principled stand in meetings, the pub or the supermarket queue.
The situational leader
Doctor Who or Jonathan Porritt
Source: Bill Greenhead
The shape-shifting situational leader is the hardest to spot as they change their style to suit whatever a situation demands. You’d be right in thinking this sounds like a desirable, even essential skill, and indeed many bosses do aspire to situational leadership.
But according to Ms Hale, there are few true practitioners. ‘A lot of people claim to be a situational leader, but when you do a personality profile you find they’re not. Most people will have a comfort zone in which they operate most effectively.’
Genuine situational leaders can be disconcerting for long-term colleagues - just as the time lord’s loyal viewers may take a few episodes to accept that their hero has morphed into a completely different actor.
‘It can be very frustrating,’ says Ms Hale. ‘We all respond to leaders who meet our needs - some people like strong direction and some like to be consulted. If you have a leader who changes, it can be a concern if you thought they were matching the leadership style you wanted.’
But situational leaders can bring great diplomacy to a role, which is invaluable when they have to deal with many internal and external stakeholders - a common challenge in the public sector. Ms Ladkin admires the environmentalist Jonathan Porritt - particularly for his work with sustainable business charity Forum for the Future. ‘He’s got to talk across stakeholder groups that include deep greens and big corporates. He needs to be constantly talking different languages to make the green agenda fit with the business agenda.’
You know you’re a situational leader if: in a room full of colleagues no one can agree on how to describe your style.
