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Becoming a 3D leader

Everyone has their own leadership style, writes Paul Thornton, who outlines the advantages of directing, discussing and delegating styles.

4 min read

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leadership style

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My college professor, Paul Hersey, said over and over, “There is no one best style of leadership. Use a style that fits the needs of the situation.” 

I have learned effective leaders adapt their style based on the task and the individual’s ability and motivation.  

Your job as a leader is two-fold:

  1. Help people succeed and achieve the desired goals. 
  2. Help people develop the knowledge and skills needed for continued success.  

When you use the appropriate leadership style, you accomplish both goals.   

The directing style

You provide clear instructions on what needs to be done, how to do it and when it should be completed. At times, you also demonstrate the process to ensure understanding.    

Providing clear directions is crucial in situations like training a new employee, responding to a crisis, guiding a medical team during surgery and helping a novice do an unfamiliar task.  

For the most part, communication is one way. You talk; they listen. 

Avoid over-explaining. Provide only the essential information needed for success.   

Monitor the person’s performance closely and provide immediate feedback.  

When you use a directing style, people learn to pay attention, listen, ask questions, accept feedback and follow directions. These are important skills for every employee.   

The leader should recognize people when they follow directions, make progress and learn new skills.  

The directing style should not be used when people know what to do. Do not micromanage people who are capable and confident. Overuse of the directing style can result in people always waiting to be told what to do. They never take the initiative or think for themselves.  

The discussing style

You ask questions to engage people and solicit their ideas on issues such as establishing priorities, planning a new project and solving problems. 

Communication is two-way.  

Prepare your questions before the meeting. Better questions lead to better discussions. 

Anticipate where follow-up questions will likely be needed. 

The answers employees provide give you an opportunity to understand their thought process and approach to planning and problem-solving.   

You can learn a lot by asking good questions and listening.   

When you use a discussing style, people learn to listen, think, formulate answers, collaborate, build on the ideas of others and when it is time to make decisions. 

You should recognize people when they openly share their ideas and collaborate with others.  

The discussing style is appropriate when people have some experience and confidence to present their ideas.   

Overuse of the discussing style results in long, unproductive meetings.  

The delegating style

You assign tasks and let the employee determine what needs to be done and how to get it done.  

In some cases, the leader describes the goal, but in all cases, the “how to get it done” is left up to the employee. 

However, it is always critical to establish a deadline as to when tasks must be completed. 

Elon Musk’s leadership at SpaceX often involves delegating significant responsibility to his engineering teams, trusting them to solve complex problems related to spacecraft design and mission planning. 

Employees learn to work independently, plan, negotiate and solve problems on their own. These are valuable skills. 

Praise people for taking ownership of the task and doing whatever is needed to get it done on time.  

The delegating style is appropriate when you are dealing with experienced and confident employees.

This style can also be used for professional development. Empower the employee with a chance to show what they can do on a challenging project. 

Once you delegate, do not jump back in and start helping and directing. Be mindful not to over-delegate to your top performers. Give all employees the opportunity to showcase their potential. 

Adapt and change

As employees gain experience, you need to adjust your leadership style.   

The skillful application of the directing, discussing and delegating styles will engage and motivate your employees. They will efficiently get work done, develop their skills and become more confident. 

Opinions expressed by SmartBrief contributors are their own.

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