How to make the shift from employee manager to respected leader

Doctor Brené Brown needs no introduction to most. Buoyed to fame by queen of daytime television, Oprah, Brené is famous for her innovative views on leadership, empowering leaders to be brave through vulnerability, and having the courage to lead with empathy and compassion.

Ditching the traditional hierarchical or authoritarian approach to employee management is a relatively new concept in mainstream corporate culture, but it's gaining traction due to its positive effect on staff retention, motivation, and productivity.

In this blog, we discuss how to become a good leader even when managing people might not come naturally. Contrary to popular belief, being a people-first leader can be taught. So can the emotional intelligence required to be respected and effective, such as reading and responding to emotional cues and understanding tone and body language.

What are common leadership styles?

We all have an inherent style that has evolved over time and is influenced by our personalities, upbringing, and school environment. There is no point forcing a square peg into a round hole. Knowing your innate leadership style means understanding how to learn and apply the values of empathetic and compassionate leadership in a way that works with your natural skills.

Leadership styles can be generally grouped into five categories:

1. Authoritarian leadership

A clear and definitive style of leadership where leaders are very much in command and control of the team. Authoritarian leadership provides clear rules and expectations and can work well when there is a strict deadline. However, this style can cause friction within a team and reduce creativity, innovation, and collaboration.

2. Participative leadership

A democratic style of leadership where the whole team is involved in the decision-making process, and creativity and innovation are encouraged. This leadership style leaves employees feeling engaged and motivated, but the decision-making process can be time-consuming, and sometimes lines of communication can be confusing.

3. Delegative leadership

This method relies on delegating tasks and responsibilities to team members and can be successful when employers are good at their job and thrive on taking responsibility, working independently, and are naturally self-motivating. Innovation and creativity are highly valued, yet some employees may become resentful if the leader is delegating too much responsibility. This style can also make adapting to change less agile.

4. Transactional leadership

Uses rewards and punishments to get the job done. There are clear goals and tasks to complete, and employees know ticking the boxes gets rewarded. This leadership style creates motivated employees with specific, measurable goals, and there’s a clear line of hierarchy between the team and the leader. However, these leaders are more concerned with current procedures rather than transformational change, and innovation and creativity come second to efficiently finishing tasks.

5. Transformational leadership

Inspires team members with a clear vision and empowers employees to achieve this vision. Transformational leadership places high value on relationships and the corporate mission and can lead to low employee turnover. However, it can sometimes slow processes and decision-making.

What are the qualities of a good leader?

Some people are naturally good leaders, but employees often work their way up the ranks because they are good at their job as individuals, and being promoted to lead a team can feel overwhelming. An emerging leader’s technical abilities might be expert, but they could be lacking the people management skills needed to be a respected and influential leader.

A good leader has a strong sense of self, recognises their strengths and weaknesses, and is willing to adapt their leadership style to encompass people-first values. This means they’re able to:

• Communicate the business’s vision
• Motivate employees
• Be empathetic
• Lead with compassion
• See beyond the company’s strategic goals to recognise challenging circumstances with employees, whether that be professional or personal.

Learning to lead with emotional intelligence builds trust within your team. It increases staff retention, loyalty, and motivation. It also builds confidence in your team that you’ve got their back, inspiring creativity, problem-solving, and innovation.

Expert leaders can also effectively communicate a vision and have confidence in their team to achieve business goals.

Can I change my leadership style?

The short answer is yes! It’s important to know what your natural style is and adapt the principles of successful leadership in a way that suits your strengths and weaknesses.

Everyone can find areas to improve in leadership, and acknowledging that you want to adapt and grow to become a people-first leader is a great first step.

How can The People Practice help?

In both start-up and corporate worlds, we’ve found that emerging leaders are highly knowledgeable in their field of expertise but often need a helping hand through mentoring and coaching to grow as an effective leader. The People Practice offers executive mentoring and leadership coaching to help you develop people management skills. We are experts in guiding you to strengthen your ‘soft skills’, which aren’t often taught as you move through your career.

We offer training and development sessions to identify your natural leadership style either one-on-one at the executive level or in a group session of emerging talent as a professional development opportunity. We also offer HR courses on how to apply emotional intelligence in the workplace.

At The People Practice, we are HR consultants focused on fostering the people-first skills and values essential to successful leadership. Chat to us today about how we can help you nurture your potential.

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