Your Homework Assignment

Discovering Your Leadership Style

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Answer the following statements as accurately as you can. Circle the number that most closely aligns with your

current behaviour.

1. Leadership Style:

a. I believe in taking people with me, not just telling them what to do. 1 2 3 4 5

b. I like to be involved in setting the direction of travel. 1 2 3 4 5

c. I like to set out a clear vision for the future. 1 2 3 4 5

d. I like to make sure that everyone understands where we’re going. 1 2 3 4 5

e. I’m good at helping people to change direction. 1 2 3 4 5

TOTAL

2. Leadership Style:

a. It’s always worth putting time into developing people’s skills. 1 2 3 4 5

b. I enjoy seeing my team achieve. 1 2 3 4 5

c. I like to help people think through issues for themselves. 1 2 3 4 5

d. I believe that everyone can work out the answers to their own problems, with a bit of help. 1 2 3 4 5

e. I think that people should be allowed to try things out and make mistakes in order to learn. 1 2 3 4 5

TOTAL

3. Leadership Style:

a. The needs of my team are more important than achieving our objectives. 1 2 3 4 5

b. My goal is a united team, because I believe that we’ll achieve more that way 1 2 3 4 5

c. We work best when we work together in harmony. 1 2 3 4 5

d. I value team harmony and try to avoid confrontation. 1 2 3 4 5

e. I make a real effort to ensure that everyone in my team is happy. 1 2 3 4 5

TOTAL

1= Strongly Disagree 2= Disagree 3=Neutral 4=Agree

5=Strongly Agree

4. Leadership Style:

a. I like to make sure that everyone takes ownership of team projects. 1 2 3 4 5

b. I draw on the skills in my team to get things done. 1 2 3 4 5

c. I always ask what others think before making decisions. 1 2 3 4 5

d. I make sure that everyone knows what’s going on at all times. 1 2 3 4 5

e. I believe teams work best when everyone is involved in making decisions. 1 2 3 4 5

TOTAL

5. Leadership Style:

a. I set high standards for my team. 1 2 3 4 5

b. I am strongly driven to succeed in life. 1 2 3 4 5

c. I expect the best from those around me. 1 2 3 4 5

d. I set high standards for myself, and expect others to meet those standards too. 1 2 3 4 5

e. I expect my team to take responsibility for their own work. 1 2 3 4 5

TOTAL

6. Leadership Style:

a. I pride myself on getting things done. 1 2 3 4 5

b. I usually think that I know best. 1 2 3 4 5

c. I can usually find solutions to problems. 1 2 3 4 5

d. Usually, the best way to do things is my way. 1 2 3 4 5

e. I like to tell people what to do. 1 2 3 4 5

TOTAL

Scoring Your Assessment – Add up the total points in each of the six sections.

NOTE: Please do not read the following descriptions of the six leadership styles until AFTER you have

completed your assessment. Then insert the name for each of the six leadership styles above as the

descriptors below are in the same sequence as your assessment. Finally, proceed to the Leadership Styles

Reflection page and complete.

Leadership Styles

There are many different models of leadership styles, from those that look at how much ‘control’ you want, to others based around ‘potential’.

One of the best-known models is Daniel Goleman’s Six Leadership Styles. Goleman is probably best known for his work on Emotional Intelligence, but he also carried out a ground-breaking study on leadership, published in the Harvard Business Review in 2000 as ‘Leadership that Gets Results’. Based on a three-year study of over 3,000 executives, Daniel Goleman identified six different leadership styles:

1. Visionary / Authoritative

2. Coaching

3. Affiliative

4. Democratic

5. Pace-setting

6. Commanding / Coercive

Six Leadership Styles

1. Visionary / Authoritative leaders move people towards a vision

This style is probably best summed up as ‘Come with me’.

These leaders are visionary and it’s the most useful style when a new vision or clear

direction is needed, and is most strongly positive. Authoritative leaders are high in self-

confidence and empathy, acting as a change catalyst by drawing people into the vision

and engaging them with the future.

2. A Coaching leader will develop people.

The phrase that sums up this leadership style is ‘Try it’

Coaching leaders allow people to try different approaches to problem solving and

achieving a goal in an open way. The coaching leader shows high levels of empathy,

self-awareness and skills in developing others. A coaching style is especially useful

when an organisation values long-term staff development.

3. An Affiliative leader values and creates emotional bonds and harmony.

Affiliative leaders believe that ‘People come first’.

Such leaders demonstrate empathy, and strong communication skills, and are very

good at building relationships. This style is most useful when a team has been through

a difficult experience, and needs to heal rifts, or develop motivation. It is not a very goal-

oriented style, so anyone using it will need to make sure others understand that the goal

is team harmony, and not specific tasks. It is probably obvious from this that it cannot be

used on its own for any length of time if you need to ‘get the job done’.

4. The Democratic leader builds consensus through participation.

Democratic leaders are constantly asking ‘What do you think?’

Such leaders show high levels of collaboration, team leadership and strong

communication skills. This style of leadership works well in developing ownership for a

project, but it can make for slow progress towards goals, until a certain amount of

momentum has built up. Anyone wishing to use this style will need to make sure that

senior managers are signed up to the process, and understand that it may take time to

develop the consensus.

5. Pace-setting leaders expect excellence and self-direction.

This style can be summed up as ‘Do as I do, now’.

The Pace-setter very much leads by example, but this type of leadership only works

with a highly-competent and well-motivated team. It can only be sustained for a while

without team members flagging. Like the Coercive leader, Pace-setters also show drive

to succeed and initiative, but instead of self-control, these are coupled with

conscientiousness.

6. Commanding / Coercive leaders demand immediate obedience.

In a single phrase, this style is ‘Do what I tell you’.

These leaders show initiative, self-control, and drive to succeed. There is, of course, a

time and a place for such leadership: a battlefield is the classic example, but any crisis

will need clear, calm, commanding leadership. This style does not, however, encourage

anyone else to take the initiative, and often has a negative effect on how people feel.

Leadership Styles Reflection

1. What are your ‘typical’ style(s) at work?

2. What style(s) are you good at?

 Visionary

 Coaching

 Affiliative

 Democratic

 Pacesetting

 Commanding

 Visionary

 Coaching

 Affiliative

 Democratic

 Pacesetting

 Commanding

3. What style(s) do you want / need to develop?

 Visionary

 Coaching

 Affiliative

 Democratic

 Pacesetting

 Commanding

4. Select one leadership style from #3 and make your responses below.

Leadership Style I Want to Develop:

Intention or Reason for Using This Style:

Specific workplace situation that would benefit from this style:

Skills and Behaviours I May Need to Develop for this Style: e.g. self-awareness,

confidence, empathy, impulse control, conflict management

Personal Values

Digging Down to Grit

Review this chart of values and select five that are most important to you as guides for how to

behave. Look for values that inform both your personal life and professional practice. Feel free

to add others.

Accountability Spirituality Friendship Perfectionism Hope Peace

Assertiveness Caring for others Trust Kindness Health Authority

Respect for others

Participation Loyalty Influence Pride Education

Cohesiveness Competition Security Integrity Passion Status

Commitment Creativity Appearance Power Truth Joy

Social recognition Love Problem Solving

Fame Fairness Risk

Compassion Enthusiasm Courage Justice Acceptance Decisiveness

Happiness Forgiveness Tolerance Religion Family Pleasure

Authenticity Success Authority Fun Wisdom Education

Open- Mindedness

Results Balance Equality Optimism Innovation

Wealth Achievement Teamwork Conforming Career Prevention

Unity Honesty Excellence Relationships Progress Humour

Accomplishment Harmony Practicality Orderliness Independence Aesthetics

Adventure Speed

Choose 5 values that are most important to you.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Choose 2 that you believe you demonstrate regularly.

Choose 2 that you believe you could consciously demonstrate more often.

STRENGTHS

STRONG WEAK

❑ Powerful

❑ Confident

❑ Natural

❑ Smooth

❑ On fire

❑ “I’ve got this wired.”

❑ Great

❑ Authentic

❑ “That was easy”

❑ Awesome

❑ “When can I do this again?”

❑ Drained

❑ “Time’s going by so slowly.”

❑ “I can’t concentrate.”

❑ Frustrated

❑ Wiped out

❑ Forced

❑ “I’m getting a migraine.”

❑ “How much longer?”

❑ Irritated

❑ Bored

❑ “Why can’t the new person

do this?”

Task: Review the descriptors above, then list below a few work activities that energize you (make you

feel strong) & a few work activities that drain you (make you feel weak).

I felt strong (confident, natural) when…. I felt weak (drained, bored) when….

1.