Out of the six leadership styles on pages 171-172, there are styles that could definitely help promote change, but other styles which could deter change in organizations. The authoritative styles would be useful in organizations where the commitment is high for employees in the organization, but the overall organization lacks focus and the coherence of a vision. A leader with a strong authoritative style could help move change in the organization by mobilizing others to go with them towards a goal. The affiliative style is helpful when a team atmosphere needs to be created within an organization in order to move the group forward. When a leader creates an atmosphere where people mattered and are valued it creates a strong bond to the group and the goals the group strives to achieve. The democratic style is also beneficial to use in terms of promoting group interaction and coherence towards the goals of the organization. It is also good in terms of developing talent among members of the group. When I served on a board for an honor fraternity, our President used to say, "Good ideas will be smiled upon, bad ideas will be smiled upon, no ideas will be frowned upon." It was her way of encouraging participation and that the best ideas should be open to debate amongst all of us. The coaching style can be used to develop capacity in employees, especially if the employee is learning new roles within the organization and to develop future leadership potential.
The two styles noted in the text as having an adverse affect on climate in the organization were the coercive and pacesetting styles. The coercive style, or "do as I say" style was noted as promoting resistance and resentment, while the pacesetting style made employees more overwhelmed and burned out (Fullan, 2001). There are times, though, when these styles may need to be used. For example, if schools are underperforming severely, there is a lack of discipline, and students are not learning, a coercive style may need to be used in order to bring order back to the school. A pacesetting style may need to be used too, if an organization does not have high goals for itself or is behind in terms of the forward progress of the organization.
Overall, I think that each one of these styles can be used in specific circumstances to promote change of the organization and to develop the capacity and buy-in of the employees of the organization.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Dena, I think you're right in that all six styles may be appropriate depending on the needs of the organization in light of the situation.
ReplyDeleteIronically, I have observed the coercive/controling style to be very effective when utilized appropriately. I think part of the challenge for the leader who chooses to use that style is being able to sense when to retreat from that style as it cannot be the enduring leadership style over the long-term.
I especially liked your last "overall" statement. I think that it is important to know when to use which style...probably even more important than knowing the details/differences between the styles. I believe that it's EXTREMELY important to be able to read people if you're in a leadership position.
ReplyDeleteDena –
ReplyDeleteI agree with your assessment – a leader must be adept at using all of these styles of leadership depending on the situation. When I think about the coercive leadership style I think about the movie titled “Lean on Me.” The movie is a true story about a principal, Joe Clark, who insults and angers every person in the school in order to bring the school up to standards. It had to be done. You are right, all of these leadership styles can be used when the situation dictates.
Ed
I too like your last comments, that in the right time and place each of these styles is appropriate
ReplyDelete