Understanding Leadership Roles and Leadership Styles Dr. Bob Milligan Dairy Strategies, LLC www.alearningedge.com Whatever your position in your business you are a leader. In fact we are all leaders. The misperception that leaders are only those in formal leadership positions fails to recognize the important role of informal power in leadership. This proceedings paper will help you better understand your leadership roles and styles. Each leadership situation poses a unique challenge; you will learn to utilize the best style for each situation. We begin with a definition of leadership as applied to manager of a farm, agribusiness, horticultural or other business: Establishing direction, gaining commitment to that direction and increasing individual and team capability to contribute to the direction To enhance your capacity to lead, we consider the roles of a leader and the power a leader has available. These will then serves as the basis for understanding and utilizing leadership styles. Leadership Roles The following leadership roles are presented from the perspective of the leader of a farm, agribusiness, golf course or other business. For all other leaders most but not necessarily all of the roles will remain important. As you read, open your mind to the enormous potential for leadership: The leader as commander. Think about the captain or commander of a ship. Similarly you have a crucial role as the captain or commander of your dairy farm or agribusiness. The ship s captain steers a course that stays away from dangers such as shallow or turbulent waters and provides a safe and enjoyable journey; you as the dairy farm leader must steer your business in a direction that avoids being blindsided by changes in the dairy and business environment and provides a financial return to the owners and a great place to work for everyone associated with the business your commander responsibilities include understanding the world around you, setting business direction (compelling vision and strategy), fashioning the culture of the business and establishing the rules the business will live by. The leader as conductor. Picture the conductor of a band or an orchestra. He or she must select the right person for each position a
great drummer may be a poor trumpet player and then orchestrate exactly when each member plays their part. Similarly, in your conductor role you must select the right person for each position a great feeder may be a poor milker. You also must direct the assignment and flow of people and tasks. It is the leader s responsibility to see that each person is assigned the roles and tasks that best match his or her talents, skills, experience and interests. You orchestrate your people to enable you business to prosper The leader as team builder. Think about sports for a second. Does the team with the most talented players always win? The answer is NO. Winning sports team must have talent AND they must work together as a team. Team success requires that the totality of the team accomplishments far exceed what the individuals could have accomplished alone. Teams whether in sports or in business including a dairy farm do not succeed by accident. You, the team leader, must instill in the team a commitment to a common end vision, goal, outcome and a team spirit such that they strive to meet both team and individual goals. The leader as supervisor and coach. Leaders soon realize that their success depends on the people they lead. In your role as supervisor and coach you must provide nurture the employee s self motivation, be clear about performance expectations, provide abundance feedback and continually provide opportunities for the employee to develop. The leader as motivator and cheerleader. The leader sets the tone and nurtures morale, commitment, and motivation. The leader is the motivator for the dairy farm or agribusiness s workforce. This role requires that the leader be positive, upbeat, and proactive even in difficult times. The leader as promoter and spokesperson. The leader is the face of your dairy farm or agribusiness to the outside world. For you this includes your neighbors, member of your community and consumers of your products. This role is becoming increasingly crucial as environmental, social and political issues become more important YOU are a leader! YOU can be a better leader! You can be a great leader! Make plans today increase you success in each of your roles as a dairy farm or agribusiness leader. Formal and Informal Power As farm or business leaders, our goal is for our employees to follow to work -- because they want to rather than because they feel they have to. To effectively accomplish this challenge, leaders must understand power. We
can define power as influence potential. Leaders can use the power they have because of their position owner, manager, supervisor to force their employees to do their work. This is referred to as formal power (see table below) and all leaders must use formal power at least on some occasions. Effective leaders, however, minimize the use of formal power and instead maximize the use of informal power, especially reward, personal, and expert power. Note that of the seven forms of power in the table below, six are informal power sources and are not derived from the formal position of the leader. Effective leaders utilize a variety of informal power to gain commitment, enthusiasm and passion from their employees and only resort to the use of formal power when absolutely necessary. Forms of Power Formal power is based on the position held by the leader. A leader with formal power induces compliance from or influences others because the employee feels that this person has the right, by virtue of position in the organization, to expect that instructions or suggestions be followed. Coercive power is based on fear. A leader using coercive power often resorts to punishment, reprimands, or dismissal. Dictatorships almost always survive primarily through the use of coercive power. Connection power is based on the leader s connections with influential or important persons inside or outside the organization. A leader who demonstrates connection power induces cooperation from others because they wish to gain favor or avoid the disfavor of the powerful connection. Reward power is based on the leader s ability to reward people. Followers believe that their cooperation leads to gaining positive incentives such as promotions or recognition. Personal power is based on the leader s personal traits. A leader high in personal power is generally liked and admired by others because of personality. This liking for, admiration of and identification with the leader influences others. Information power is based on the leader s access to information that is valuable to others. This power base influences others because employees need this information or want to be let in on things. Early access to financial information is an example of information power.
Expert power is based on the leader s possession of expertise, skill and knowledge which, through respect, influences others. A leader with expert power is seen as possessing the expertise to improve the work behavior of others. Leadership Styles In the two sections above we discussed six roles of a leader and the seven types of power available to the leader. How then does a leader effectively succeed in all of these roles? One important leadership skill is to utilize the appropriate leadership style for each unique situation. An analogy is that when we plant a crop, there are available numerous varieties of seed and formulations of fertilizer. There is no best variety for all situations nor is there a best fertilizer formulation for all situations. Given, however, that we have all of the information about the field and the crop, we can select the best variety and the best fertilizer formulation. Similarly, there is no best leadership style for all situations but there is a best style or combination of styles for every unique leadership situation. You must first understand the different leadership styles and be able to select and utilize the appropriate style depending upon the situation, the individual you are leading and the relationship you have with that person. Six leadership styles constitute our leadership options. They are : Coercive: This style is used when the situation requires immediate compliance with the directions and there is no reason to solicit much input. Managers relaying heavily on the coercive style manage by controlling subordinates tightly and tend to influence with discipline. Authoritative: This style is referred to as firm but fair. Managers relying heavily on the authoritative style tend to manage by providing clear instruction, soliciting some input (while leaving no doubt as to who is boss), monitoring behavior, and motivating with both discipline and rewards. They see influence as a key part of the manager s job. Affiliative: This style is used in situations where people come first and tasks second. Managers relying heavily on the affiliative style see the manager s job as one of maintaining a pleasant working environment and providing job security and other benefits. They want to be liked and they tend to provide little direction, especially feedback about unsatisfactory performance.
Democratic: This style is used in situations where participation is advantageous. Managers relying heavily on the democratic style tend to believe that individuals and groups function best when allowed to work together and, therefore, tend to feel that close supervision or very detailed instructions are not necessary. These managers tend to hold many meetings, reward adequate performance, and dislike disciplining employees. Pacesetting: This style is used in situations where the manager can lead by examples. Managers relying heavily on the often prefer to perform technical activities. These managers have very high standards for themselves and expect the same of others. These managers usually expect their employees to develop a keen sense of personal responsibility. They often have little concern for interpersonal relations and may reassign work if employee ability or willingness hampers performance. Coaching: Managers using a coaching style see themselves as developing their employees and have high standards of performance. They delegate authority and allow followers flexibility in setting goals and completing tasks. They provide strong support when needed. The table on the following page summarizes several advantages and disadvantages of each style. As you review the descriptions above, the advantages, and the disadvantages; you will begin to recognize leadership situations where each of the styles could be effective and appropriate. You will also begin to see combinations of situations and styles that could be disastrous.
LEADERSHIP STYLES ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES Style Advantages Disadvantages Coaching Coercive Encourages growth and development Long-term productivity People respond well Short term efficiency fast Clear line of authority know who is in charge and desired action is usually taken Time consuming Costs are high if you have high turnover due to the development investment that is lost. Most people don t like it Inhibits employee growth and development May lead to high staff turnover Authoritative Efficient Clear who is in charge A way of exercising power without intimidation Not conducive to personal growth and development Some people may not like it Can lead to turnover Affiliative Keeps people happy (short run) Allows people freedom Change is avoided Change becomes a source of conflict Low productivity Decisions may not be in best interest of the organization Little encouragement for personal growth Democratic Involves people Opportunities for growth Time consuming Antagonist may sabotage organizational goals Majority decisions aren t always in the best interest of the organization
Pacesetting Can be productive short term Works well with committed followers Doesn t work well with unwilling or unable followers Followers may not follow Problems in absence of the pacesetters As you review the styles, there are probably two or three that feel very comfortable. These are your default styles or the ones that you are most likely to use. There is also a danger that you will utilize these comfortable styles when other styles would be more effective. You should be especially aware of the disadvantages of these styles as they are the risks you take when you overuse these styles. Similarly, you probably recognize two or three styles that make you a little uncomfortable. These are the styles that you are likely to overlook in situations where they could be very effective. You should carefully review the advantages of these styles. They will provide clues as to when you should be using these styles. Since you are less comfortable using these styles, you will have to plan carefully even practice their use when preparing for situations that call for these styles. The following suggest leadership situations where each leadership style tends to be effective: Coercive - protect, ensure safety Authoritative - chalk the field, correct (negative and redirection feedback) Affiliative - build trust, show you care Democratic - involve and empower Pacesetting - lead the way, be a role model Coaching - teach, encourage, develop Leadership Styles A Concluding Note Leadership is both an awesome responsibility and an incredible opportunity. Effective leadership literally can change people lives, dramatically alter the direction of a farm or other business, and even have major impact on a community. As you encounter formal and informal leadership situations, consider the roles of a leader and the power available to you. Also, carefully
consider which leadership style or combination of styles will maximize your success in that leadership situation. Do not be afraid to try new leadership styles. Like everything else, the more we use it the better we become. YOU can be a more effective leader. References and Additional Reading Lencioni, Patrick. 2002. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco. Milligan, Robert A. and Maloney, Thomas. 1995. Human Resource Management for Golf Course Superintendents, Ann Arbor Press, Chelsea, MI. Useem, Michael. 1998. The Leadership Moment: Nine Stories of Triumph and Disaster and Their Lesson for us All, Three Rivers Press, NY Weinstein, Matt. 1996. Managing to Have Fun, Simon & Schuster, New York. Wellins, Richard S., W. Byham and G. Dixon. 1994. Inside Teams: How 20 World-Class Organizations are Winning Through Teamwork, Jossey-Bass Publishers, Inc.