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In one form or another, we are all thrust into a leadership role during the work day. Whether we are leading an organization or a youth soccer team, leadership is one of those intangible, almost immeasurable qualities that make us who we are. Our personal leadership style is shaped largely by the myriad situations we encounter daily. While no two people are alike, we all have principles that guide our decisions. It is these principles that make up our specific leadership styles.
The Age-Old Question
The principles or style by which someone leads has been a topic of discussion for many centuries. The 15^(th)-century philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli wrote at great length in answering the question with which all leaders are confronted: “Is it better to be loved or feared?” While most of us have never sat up late at night thinking about this quandary, I am sure you know at least one person you have worked with who has led through discipline and fear. Many years ago, all of the managers in our park district were called in to participate in a workshop. While I can’t remember the topic or who sat next to me, I do recall the speaker asking for a show of hands as to how many managers had administered a written reprimand in the past year. He started with one and worked his way up. Very few of us had one, let alone two, but as we all surmised, the same two managers who were synonymous with disciplining their employees had their hands up long after everyone else. This even surprised the speaker, making him offer a piece of advice. He said very plainly, but sharply to these managers, “It’s not them, it’s you.” Although this was over 10 years ago, I still think he was dead-on. I remember sitting in meetings with these managers and listening to them boast of how they would sit on the bluffs overlooking the parks with binoculars, watching their employees, or how they would search the phone and alarm records looking for discrepancies. Their behavior turned the employee/employer relationship into a prisoner/warden one.
There are numerous avenues afforded to a supervisor to correct bad behavior, or to instruct an employee before a written reprimand is necessary. While this leadership style may be effective in the short term, it does not promote the values that build quality employees, such as:
