Leadership Style

Before I can describe my leadership style, I must first speak to the kind of person I am.  Although I aspire to be a leader, I find myself more often acting the role of manager.  Concepts like rational, analytical, business-like, structured, authoritative, implementer and focuses on results, describe me well.  Leaders on the other hand are thought of as visionaries, passionate, creative, imaginative and inspiring.  They often have a certain level of charisma that help them to persuade and unite people towards a common cause.

The results from taking the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test suggest I am a "reliable realist", meaning I am extremely thorough, responsible and dependable, and have well developed powers of concentration.  I am well-organized and hard working to achieve identified goals.  The solutions I offer, for accomplishing both long term and short term goals, are grounded in reality.  In my mind, what is probable and likely will overshadow what is possible.  Therefore at times people me may view me as pessimistic, rather than passionate or courageous.  The way I behave as an individual translates to how I operate in a position of leadership and the level of expectations I have for everyone under my supervision.  (Un)fortunately we are not all alike and it takes a lot of patience, really understanding the strengths and weaknesses of those who work for me and adjusting accordingly to accomplish great things.

As a leader, I strongly desire to do what is right.  Ethical behavior, both as an individual and operating as a company, is paramount.  I play by the rules and believe in absolute honesty.  I value hearing and speaking the truth, being transparent and straight forward.  You must be tactful in your communication, but in the end you must convey the message how it is and deal with the consequences.  I see myself particularly strong in expert power, as I am able to influence others due to my specialized knowledge and skills.  However I am less capable of motivating others and being inspirational.  To be an effective leader one must have vision, the ability to imagine different and better future conditions and ways to achieve them.  I consider myself adept at seeing better ways of doing things, when the need is there or when new opportunities present themselves.  However, when talking about "seeing the bigger picture", I would say I am typically nearsighted.

I believe that how you perform as a leader can be significantly influenced by the environment you are in.  Who are working with and what power do you hold over them?  In a school team, we are all peers and have little leverage over one another.  Using facts and logic, as well as emotional appeal, are required to persuade others to follow you and the direction you wish to head.  Enough of my teammates are excellent followers, capable of self-management, committed to something beyond themselves, willing to take initiative and independent, to make my role as leader a success.  In the workplace things can be quite different.  Although your title or position may give you some power over your subordinates, how you wield it and force those to do your will can work against you.  It is better to convince your workers of the value of change and to embrace your vision willingly, if not enthusiastically.  Help them to participate and encourage them to be a part of the solution.

So what leadership style do I use most often?  In the workplace I believe people would say I tend towards autocratic or task-oriented leadership.  My position in the company allows me to dictate what must be done, how and when.  Although I do make an attempt to listen to the suggestions and ideas of staff and team members, and may on occasion incorporate them into what I have planned, the reality is that I usually persist and go with what I have come up with for solutions, for better or worse.  I realize this approach has many drawbacks, including the possibility and likelihood that people will resent me.  Yet it is also incredibly efficient, since decisions are made quickly and the work gets done.

At WPI I tend to utilize a democratic/participative leadership approach.  I do believe in the concept of collaboration, where it is win-win for everyone.  I try to include everyone in the decision-making process, encouraging creativity and honest participation.  To the extent that they take advantage of the opportunity to express themselves, this can work well.  Often I will run into individuals who prefer to follow and are not willing to offer opinions or recommendations.  Sometimes this can really bog down the decision-making process.  There are times when the more strong-willed people have opposing points of view and a democratic vote to decide the course to pursue must be taken.  The problem then is that people who "lost" are not invested in the solution and may not give the effort required.

In almost every course I have taken at WPI, I have found myself forced into a leadership role.  By this I mean that I take control due to the inactivity of others.  No one seems to want to lead and they have no sense of urgency to get the ball rolling, to attack the goals we share.  Some experiences have been more positive than others, but the results have all been the same... a quality deliverable at the end of the class.  I have to learned to "expect" nothing from my teammates and am prepared to do what it takes to succeed.  I come prepared to every meeting with written thoughts or actual deliverables in progress, trying to lead by example.  I believe that people respect my dedication and work ethic, as well as my experience and the quality of work I provide.  My interaction with team members varies from group to group.  Some teams are very serious and all about business.  Others have a more casual feel and joking banter relieves a lot of the tension, while we are still able to get the job done efficiently and professionally.  Having a number of extroverts in the group makes a big difference.