Different Leadership Styles in the Same Person

Leadership Style The author of this report has been asked to select from among a list of ten leaders and assess their leadership style including whether it is effective or not whilst using four to five sources. From the list, the author of this report has chosen Mary Barra, the current CEO of General Motors in the United States. The primary article that shall be used from a reference standpoint is Darling and Leffel, authored in 2010. However, other sources will be looped in as well.

While Barra's style may be critiqued and criticized by some, her inclusive style is no less than a good start for other leaders to mimic and follow. Of course, leadership is the act and process of leading a group of people. In the context of this report, a leader would be a person who guides a corporation in a given direction as a means to help sell a product, service or idea. In the case of General Motors, they sell cars and the parts and service associated with those cars.

According to many, Mary Barra utilizes an "inclusive" leadership style. Further, she has been with General Motors for more than thirty years. She makes heavy use of collaboration. Just one example of this are town hall meetings. However, she is not afraid of tension. If complete unanimity is not present, she is more than willing to make a hard choice. Even so, he is open to a wide range of input and is not afraid or disinclined to listen to the voices of her employees.

She also has a strong preference and disposition to innovation and this would include when it comes to renewable/alternative energy that helps raise fuel economy and/or lowers emissions (Englemeier, 2014). When it comes to the first figure in the Darling article, Barra is more responsive yet also more assertive. As such, she would be in the lower right quadrant of the matrix, at least most of the time. This would make her a creator.

The strengths of this style include the fact that she is outgoing, imaginative, friendly, enthusiastic, excitable, persuasive and spontaneous. However, she might also be a bit of a director. As made clear earlier, she is more than willing to make a choice if a clear consensus is not reached. This would indeed give her the facets of a director, which include independent, candid, decisive, pragmatic, determined, efficient and objective. When she is actively engaging in feedback sessions, town halls and so forth, she is more of a connector.

This is because she is being cooperative, supportive, diplomatic, patient, easygoing and respectful. Finally, one could suggest that she is also an analyzer at times. This would mean she is logical, thorough, serious, systematic, critical, precise and prudent. When she does have to step back and make a hard choice that others cannot or will not make, this would probably be where she resides when she makes her choice (Darling & Leffel, 2010).

Given the above, one thing that has to be kept in mind is that the same style of leadership should not be used at all times. Indeed, there are times when being decisive and assertive is the wiser course. However, there are other times where being more reserved and receptive to feedback is the better way to go.

Barra seems to know this as she's willing to be the decision-maker and assert herself should it be needed but she's also typically predisposed at the same time to being a sounding board for the concerns and suggestions of employees. Indeed, this is the proper way to go. She needs to be the final say on things that matter but she should not be dismissive and top-down only when it comes to addressing and otherwise interacting with her subordinates.

Part of developing and learning as a leader is knowing when to use which style and why given the facts and conditions that exist at the time. Many times, the right choice will not be the popular one but having established a level of trust and respect will go a long way towards insulating one's self from such potential blowback (Getha-Taylor, Fowles, Silvia & Merritt, 2015). Also, a true leader will be a beacon of influence and change when it comes to organizational culture.

Indeed, something mentioned in the prior-cited Barra article is that the 2012 Malibu redesign was a flop and she was pivotal in rescuing the model through her leadership and her delegation of authority. A problem was spotted and Barra helped mobilize the people involved in the Malibu model to create a car that was more attractive and more well-liked by the buying public. In the end, it worked. Further, her practice of seeking out feedback and assistance in making decisions shows she is not out of touch.

However, her willingness to make the hard decisions when she comes proves she is not tepid about doing what needs to be done. From an organizational culture standpoint, this makes it clear that she is in charge and she's willing to put her neck on the line for.