Adapt your leadership style to how people want to be managed

As a leader it is your responsibility to ensure that your unit’s goals are clearly established, the work is properly structured and there is a clear path to success.?Just as leaders have differing styles, so do followers. To maximize performance, figure out team members’ followership styles and how to best lead each person on your team.

Followership styles define the differing ways people want to be led including level of detailed task definition and the amount and pace of performance feedback. It is your responsibility as a leader to make sure that the work steps are sufficiently defined, but some people require more task definition than others.?Adapt your level of detailed task definition to the level needed by the individual.?In addition, some people want frequent feedback and oversight.?Others sense they are on the right track and are more comfortable with delegation with periodic check-ins.?

Avoid the trap of establishing “one leadership” style.?The best leaders have multiple leadership styles and flexibly adapt their style to the needs of the person they are leading.?