Excerpted from The New Psychology for Managing People
By Mortimer R. Feinberg et al
Excerpt from The New Psychology for Managing People
by Mortimer R. Feinberg et al.
By Mark Murphy
It’s often forgotten that a leader’s style is not the immutable characteristic we tend to think it is, like their height or eye color.
A leader’s style is a means to the end of most effectively maximizing the potential of whatever group of people they happen to be leading.
So, if a leader oversees a group of burned-out and despondent employees, for example, their style will need to be quite different than if they’re in charge of a team of high-energy, highly ambitious go-getters.
The problem is, too many leaders use their single style of leadership as an excuse to keep doing what they’ve always done.
“This is just who I am as a leader,” they’ll often say.
However, the data very clearly says that some leadership styles work for some people and not others.
More than a million people have taken the test, What’s Your Leadership Style?
And the data reveals that the most desired leadership style is the Idealist – that is a visionary leader, characterized by optimism, creativity, and ability to inspire and encourage innovation within their teams.
The next-most desired leaders are harmony-driven Diplomats. These leaders are known for their empathy, focus on building strong interpersonal relationships, and fostering a supportive and collaborative work environment.
Coming in third are the Pragmatists (these are goal-oriented, decisive leaders who thrive on challenges and excel in situations that require direct action and high standards), and finally we have Stewards. This latter leader is dependable, process-focused. They prioritize structure, support, and the cohesive functioning of their teams.
Now, while some styles are more popular than others, more important is the reality that every one of those styles has its adherents.
‘You’ may not love the hard-charging Pragmatist, but some people do.
‘You’ might adore the creative Idealist, but others would prefer the process-focused Steward.
The key for leaders is to recognize that their style doesn’t fit every single employee.
And if that leader wants to achieve the best results from their unique team, they’ve got to understand the kinds of people and situations where their particular leadership approach will suit the best.
Type:
1) Idealist leaders excel in environments that require innovation and creative problem-solving. These leaders are perfect for roles within organizations that value out-of-the-box thinking. The Idealist style shines in situations that require brainstorming new ideas or solutions, such as product development or creating a marketing campaign. Their approach nurtures a creative, collaborative work culture where team members feel valued for their contributions.
The employee response – Positives
Employees who desire this type of leadership are often creative, autonomous, and intrinsically motivated individuals. They are professionals who seek a mentor-like leader who encourages personal and intellectual growth and values individual input and ideas.
The employee response – Negatives
However, this leadership style may struggle in highly regulated or extremely hierarchical environments, where creativity and individual input are less valued or sought.
Type:
2) Diplomat leaders function best in environments where team harmony, morale, and internal relationships are crucial to success. Diplomat leaders are particularly needed in scenarios that require mediating conflicts, facilitating teamwork, or ensuring customer satisfaction. They excel in situations where employee well-being is a priority and where their skills in nurturing a positive, collaborative atmosphere can lead to overall success
The employee response – Positives
Employees who thrive under Diplomat leaders are those who value a supportive work environment, prioritize teamwork and mutual respect, and prefer a cooperative approach to competition.
The employee response – Negatives
However, this approach may falter in cutthroat competitive environments or places where individual performance and quick decision-making take precedence over consensus-building.
Type:
3) Pragmatist leaders thrive in environments characterized by high stakes and the need for direct action. These leaders are well-suited for fast-paced industries or startup companies where rapid innovation, decisive action, and high levels of risk are the norm. Scenarios best suited for Pragmatists involve crisis management, significant organizational change, or aggressive business goals, such as a company needing to make a substantial market impact in a short time. In these situations, the clarity, decisiveness, and high standards of a Pragmatist leader can drive teams to achieve exceptional outcomes
The employee response – Positives
Employees who flourish under Pragmatist leaders are typically resilient, driven, and thrive on challenge. They are individuals who are not only comfortable with rigorous expectations but also eager to engage in continuous learning and personal development.
The employee response – Negatives
However, this environment might be stressful and unsuitable for individuals seeking a balanced, stable, and collaborative workplace, as the relentless pursuit of goals can overshadow individual well-being or the need for a harmonious team dynamic.
Type:
4) Steward leaders are most effective in environments that require operational stability, consistency, and adherence to rules and standards. These leaders often thrive in traditional corporations with established hierarchies or institutions that rely on trust and dependability. This leadership style is beneficial in scenarios where process and stability are paramount.
The employee response – Positives
The ideal employees for this leadership style are those who value structure, support, and clear directives. They appreciate a work environment that is predictable and where loyalty, duty, and internal cohesion are emphasized.
The employee response – Negatives
The Steward’s focus on unity and process can create a reliable and successful work environment but may not be stimulating for those seeking high levels of excitement, radical innovation, or individual recognition.
Leaders need to understand that their preferred style may not resonate with every team member, and success is often tied to one’s ability to pivot and tailor their approach based on the needs of the group.
While certain leadership styles might be more popular or desired, every style has its own merits and suits different scenarios and individuals.
Ultimately, the most effective leaders are those who recognize the unique strengths of their style, the situations where it’s most beneficial, and when to adjust in order to bring out the best in their team.
https://www.tlnt.com/
Your people may have all the expertise in the world but, if they're not motivated, it's unlikely that they'll achieve their true potential.
Motivated people have a positive outlook, they're excited about what they're doing and they know that they're investing their time in something that's truly worthwhile. In short, motivated people enjoy their jobs and perform well.
It is, therefore, no surprise that there are countless blogs, articles, scientific papers and podcasts that all attempt to address this topic with much, but varied, success.
Everything from “setting small, easily-measurable goals” to “having fun” and “staying fuelled” are suggested as worthy advances in improving individuals’ motivation. These may well bring success on an individual level, but it is important to note that a critical element of motivation and performance centres around the team itself.
As was proposed by psychologist Albert Bandura in his later papers on social cognitive theory and found and replicated in many academic studies since, group confidence (or group potency) is considered to be one of the key components of team motivation. This in turn improves team effort and is a major predictor of team performance.
So, if we improve the group’s confidence in themselves, then we can improve the overall motivation and performance of the team.
Brilliant, it makes perfect sense, but how can we easily do that?
Well, an interesting recent study by Canadian psychologists Caroline Aubé, Vincent Rousseau and Sébastien Tremblay, looking into teams and motivation may have provided a clue.
They collected data from 101 teams in a Canadian public safety organisation and sought to analyse the effect on individuals and teams of knowing that fellow employees share an understanding of the work that needs to be accomplished.
Put plainly, they looked to find out if you knowing that everyone is on the ‘same page’ makes a difference to your work motivation and performance.
Perhaps not suprisingly, what they found is that a team is more effective when employees have a shared and agreed understanding of the work that needs to be accomplished.
Being aware that they share the same vision for the work that needs doing appears to have a motivating and stimulating effect on team members. They are then more likely to believe in the potential of their team and exert more effort in achieving the team goals. This gives them the confidence needed to succeed and encourages them to provide the necessary effort.
In contrast, lacking a perception of a shared awareness of group goals and techniques can be frustrating, demobilising and inefficient. Leading to team members to doubt their ability to align their efforts and to achieve success.
With that being said, it is not purely about the amount of effort put in by the team. The research suggests there are other factors to consider. The study suggests that a willingness to help others and engage in extra-role behaviours also play a key role in instigating positive work mentality and behaviours.
Importantly, the study suggests that overall team effort is more important for tasks where the goals and the activities being completed are more routine. For less routine tasks, other factors such as flexibility and creativity are better indicators for success.
However, regardless of the routineness of the tasks, perceived group understanding of the work that needs doing was a strong indicator of team performance.
This recent research from Canada strongly indicates that when employees perceive their colleagues all to be on the ‘same page’, they then believe more fully in the capability of their team. This leads to greater effort, helpful co-worker behaviours, and, in turn, to a better team performance.
Here are 3 ways you will improve your team motivation and performance:
Ensure employees have an appropriate understanding of their colleagues’ roles in each task.
As indicated by the research, understanding each other’s roles, and knowing that the team all know each other’s roles, will lead to a greater belief in the team’s capabilities. This positivity in itself will breed success.
Enable communication, don’t force it.
Providing an environment where colleagues can discuss challenges freely can only help your team's sense of ‘togetherness’ and possibilities for success. So ensure some online meetings are just about catching up and getting to know what is going on. With that being said, not all employees thrive on constant interactions with others. Allowing people time to quietly ponder their work challenges without gathering to highlight every possible idea may often be a more efficient route to a solution.
Understand the personality of your team.
Managing work behaviours to maximise productivity requires leadership that changes depending on the individuals in the team. Leaders who run successful teams are able to understand the individuals in the team and use that knowledge to intrinsically and extrinsically motivate individuals. Take time to understand your team and change your leadership style to suit the team not vice versa.
Aubé, C., Rousseau, V. and Tremblay, S., 2015. Perceived shared understanding in teams: The motivational effect of being ‘on the same page’. British Journal of Psychology, 106(3), pp.468-486.
https://www.ebwglobal.com/
Dennis Muilenberg was made the CEO of $34B Boeing Defense Security and Space in September 2009. He subsequently was made the CEO of all Boeing in Chicago. One of his key mantras, as he moved to implement his own vision for the organizations, was:
People First, Customers Always!
He believes that executing upon the People First theme includes the following:
Employee Development
Employee Engagement
Employee Health & Well-Being
Employee Focused Culture
