The basis for business success is honest connections and ethical principles. Being optimistic and encouraging transparency in a company will help you achieve your objectives. Many people assume that leadership skills are innate, but here at Clubnet, we believe you can learn to be the greatest leader you can be.

Leadership styles quadrant

There are a variety of leadership styles and even more models to describe them. A few months ago, our founder Iliana Rocha, adapted a version of Blake-Mouton’s managerial grid for Brainz magazine, sprinkled with her interpretations, as she said. It works in two axes: an X-axis indicating the growing concern for results and a Y-axis indicating the growing concern for individuals.

The Chaos Manager

Complete lack of focus results in chaos. Managers that use this strategy neither achieve results, nor motivate team members to excel.

As a result of the leader’s lack of care for team happiness and performance, conflict and disarray dominate throughout the business. Leaders seem ineffectual when their actions are oriented toward retaining their position and seniority.

The Dictator

Focusing solely on results not only makes you a dictator but also gets you subpar results. Employees’ needs are not met, and they are only a means to an end.

The leader feels that productivity can only be achieved by efficient work system structure and the absence of individuals’ input whenever possible. In the short run, such a style will boost the business’s productivity, but due to rigid regulations and procedures, turnover is unavoidable (think “The Great Resignation”).

The Pushover

You can’t be all kind either. You must give direction and, at times, constructive criticism. Otherwise, your staff will regard you as a softie. This is a style distinguished by low task and high people orientation, in which the leader pays careful attention to the needs of others, creating a pleasant and comfortable workplace.

The leader believes that such treatment of employees would result in self-motivation and individuals working hard on their own. A lack of attention to duties might stymie output and produce uncertain outcomes.

The Servant Leader

On the other hand, a servant leader focuses on results while looking to grow people, encourage them, and ensure they enjoy their work environment. A servant leader is focused on providing direction and removing obstacles while allowing the team to do their best work.

This leader believes that empowerment, dedication, trust, and respect are critical components in fostering a team environment that will result in high employee satisfaction and output.

A little bit of insight

We are sure some situations call for different management styles, but as Iliana puts it, you can see she has her preferred leadership style. Still, it is important to improve leadership skills to become a Servant Leader.

Younger employees, Millennials and Gen-Zers, have a strong preference for companies and leaders that believe in them and will collaborate to enhance their skills. So, if you want to be a good leader, you’ll need to develop a strong leadership style sooner or later. The development of agile methods is a testament to the importance of Servant leadership.

Having said that, you must be true to yourself. If you can’t adopt a Servant Leadership style, it would be best if you operated someplace in the middle. If you try to imitate a leadership style rather than embody it, you will come out as unauthentic, not benefiting you or your business. To improve as a leader, you must adopt a growth mindset and take tiny steps to growing yourself as a leader.