Short Example Solution
Developing Your Leadership Styles
Introduction
Effective leadership plays a critical role in organisational success. Leaders influence employee performance, workplace culture, motivation, and the achievement of strategic objectives. In modern organisations, leadership is no longer solely about directing people. It also involves engaging employees, encouraging collaboration, and creating an environment where individuals can perform at their best. This assignment evaluates the importance of performance and engagement, reviews personal leadership styles using a recognised diagnostic tool, assesses leadership effectiveness, examines factors affecting leadership performance, and develops an action plan to improve leadership capability and organisational effectiveness.
Evaluate the Importance of Performance and Engagement with Followers in an Organisation
Leadership effectiveness is closely linked to both organisational performance and employee engagement. While performance focuses on achieving organisational goals, engagement focuses on the commitment, motivation, and involvement of employees in their work.
High performance is essential because organisations must achieve objectives, maintain competitiveness, and deliver value to stakeholders. Effective leaders establish clear expectations, allocate resources appropriately, and monitor progress to ensure targets are achieved. Without strong performance management, organisations may experience reduced productivity, poor service quality, and financial challenges.
Employee engagement is equally important because engaged employees are more likely to contribute positively to organisational success. Engaged employees demonstrate greater commitment, lower absenteeism, higher productivity, and stronger customer service. Research by the Gallup consistently shows that highly engaged teams outperform less engaged teams in areas such as productivity, profitability, and employee retention.
Performance and engagement are interconnected. Employees who feel valued and supported are more motivated to achieve organisational goals. Leaders who focus only on performance targets without considering employee wellbeing may create stress and dissatisfaction, ultimately reducing performance. Conversely, leaders who focus solely on engagement without maintaining accountability may struggle to achieve business objectives.
Effective leadership therefore requires balancing performance expectations with meaningful engagement strategies. Leaders who communicate clearly, recognise achievements, provide development opportunities, and involve employees in decision-making often achieve stronger outcomes for both individuals and the organisation.
Review Own Leadership Styles by Using a Diagnostic
To assess my leadership style, I used the Leadership Styles Questionnaire based on the leadership framework developed by Daniel Goleman. The diagnostic identified my dominant leadership styles as democratic and coaching, with some elements of transformational leadership.
The democratic leadership style involves consulting team members before making decisions. This style encourages participation, values employee opinions, and promotes collaboration. The coaching style focuses on supporting individual development, helping employees improve skills and achieve long-term goals.
The diagnostic indicated that I frequently seek input from colleagues before making decisions and place considerable emphasis on employee development and continuous improvement. Team members are encouraged to contribute ideas, and I often provide guidance rather than direct instructions.
The results also showed moderate transformational leadership characteristics. I enjoy motivating others, communicating a vision, and encouraging innovation. However, I scored lower in autocratic leadership behaviours, suggesting I prefer collaboration rather than exercising authority through strict control.
Assess the Effectiveness of Own Leadership Styles
My leadership style has several strengths. The democratic approach creates a positive working environment where employees feel respected and valued. Team members are more willing to share ideas, which often leads to better decision-making and improved problem-solving.
The coaching aspect of my leadership style supports employee development. By providing feedback, guidance, and learning opportunities, I help individuals improve performance and build confidence. This contributes to long-term organisational capability and employee retention.
Transformational elements of my leadership style help create enthusiasm and commitment within teams. Employees are often more motivated when they understand the wider purpose behind their work.
Despite these strengths, there are limitations. Democratic leadership can sometimes slow decision-making, particularly during urgent situations where immediate action is required. Seeking extensive consultation may delay responses to critical issues.
Similarly, coaching requires significant time and effort. In busy operational environments, it may be difficult to provide the level of support and development that employees require. As a result, some situations may demand a more directive leadership approach.
Overall, my leadership style is effective in collaborative environments that value employee involvement, development, and innovation. However, greater flexibility is required when responding to rapidly changing circumstances.
Evaluate the Implications for Self and Own Organisation
The self-assessment highlights several implications for both personal leadership practice and organisational performance.
For myself, the diagnostic confirms that I value collaboration and employee development. These strengths help build positive relationships and create trust within teams. However, it also highlights a need to develop greater confidence when making rapid decisions independently. Improving adaptability would allow me to respond more effectively to different situations.
For the organisation, my leadership style contributes positively to employee engagement and workplace culture. Team members are more likely to feel involved in decisions and motivated to contribute. This can improve morale, retention, and productivity.
However, organisations also require leaders who can act decisively when necessary. Excessive consultation may reduce organisational agility during periods of change or crisis. Therefore, developing a broader range of leadership approaches would strengthen my ability to meet organisational needs while maintaining employee engagement.
Evaluate the Impact of Changes in the Situation on the Effectiveness of the Adopted Style
Leadership effectiveness depends heavily on context. Different situations require different approaches.
One situation that could affect the effectiveness of my leadership style is organisational change. During periods of restructuring or major transformation, employees often seek reassurance and clear direction. While democratic leadership encourages participation, excessive consultation during uncertainty may create confusion. In such situations, a more directive approach may be necessary to provide stability and confidence.
Another situation involves emergency decision-making. For example, operational disruptions, health and safety incidents, or service failures may require immediate action. Coaching and democratic leadership styles may not be appropriate when rapid decisions are required. A more authoritative leadership style may be needed to ensure swift and effective responses.
These examples demonstrate that leadership effectiveness depends on adapting behaviour to changing circumstances rather than relying on a single leadership style.
