Push and Pull style Leadership

Simply defined, push leadership is more directive-based and closes the loop on creative influence. Pull leadership offers more collaboration and input.

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Defining Pushing and Pulling

Push=?Pushing the business from the back. Setting expectations and holding your crew accountable – i.e. traditional management.? Pushing?involves giving direction, telling people what to do, establishing a deadline, and generally holding others accountable. It is on the “authoritarian” end of the leadership style spectrum.

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Pull=?Leading the crowd towards an end goal by setting the example. Pulling, on the other hand, involves describing to a direct report a needed task, explaining the underlying reason for it, seeing what ideas they might have on how to best accomplish it, and asking if they are willing to take it on.

Pushing is all about helping; assisting and. Pulling is about asking for help and support.?

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Push or Pull Management style:

Push Management is the classic vision of “I’m the boss, do what I tell you”; it is directive and holds authority closely. Pull Management is the vision “We are a team, how will we tackle our challenge”.

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Traits of Push Leadership - Whenever you talk about push and pull in any context, ‘push’ is typically the older-school, more traditional, potentially negative one. In this case, leadership traits connected to ‘push’ include telling, directing, and delegating. It’s all very old school, etc. It’s hierarchy, chain of command, and rank and yank.

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Traits of Pull Leadership -These leadership traits would include empowerment, collaboration, and coaching — although let’s ignore for a second the dirty little secret that no one really wants to collaborate at work.? - This is a new school focus on what ‘leadership’ or ‘management’ should be?

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"Push" leadership will push people right out the door. We need leaders who inspire others to follow, who engender loyalty. We need leaders who practice "pull" leadership. Pull leaders don't give orders; they create social systems that inspire people to join.

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When to apply a leadership style can be a challenge for leaders. Are you a push or pull leader? Can you be both? As the landscape changes, so does the approach. Push or pull? Use both.? I believe you need to be both and it needs to fit the situation.

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Thanks.

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