Supervision and Management Style

Leadership Style

Supervision and Management Style

My leadership style: Realism-quality

I would describe my leadership style up to this point as a 'realism-quality' leader. This has partially been a function of the types of leadership positions I have been called upon to occupy over the course of my career. Because my leadership positions were generally at the entry level, I was unable to set policy or focus upon injecting creativity into the organization. Instead, I was required to encourage my subordinates to meet specific organizational benchmarks. Meeting financial and quality standards was demanded from those under my charge, so I had to stress the need to meet these practical, definable goals rather than focus on personal development. "A unique way of assessing one's culture is to find the monetary value of an institution's culture" (Mott 2008:90). Given that the organizations in which I have functioned have measured productivity as a function of physical output, I have given a great deal of emphasis to this when stressing that my followers should meet performance goals.

Although the idea of 'realism' may not sound as compelling as being a 'creative' leader, it does have many managerial advantages. For example, having clear roles for all members of the team can be very valuable in reducing personal conflicts and charges of favoritism. The most unhappy team experiences I have endured as a follower have been on teams where there were no clear roles, and every member was intent upon serving his or her agenda or vision for the final project at the expense of the team. I also believe that leaders have a responsibility to set reasonable, feasible goals for team performance. I not only set clear goals, but whenever possible I try to make sure those goals, exactly as written, can actually be achieved by the team I am managing. Having goals with unrealistic deadlines and output targets merely dispirits the group. Whenever possible, I have tried to renegotiate different targets with upper level management, to ensure that the team can function effectively to the maximum degree possible. I consider this an integral part of my practical, realistic style.

I also think a practical, realism-quality leadership style is highly conducive to letting the creativity of other team members flourish. Most team members have great ideas and a great deal to offer. Organizing and channeling these disparate, diffuse forces is the job of a leader. The job of the leader is to create a structure in which team members can function in an optimal fashion. A true leader has quiet confidence in him or herself yet knows that the leadership process is not 'all about me.' Without a leader, often a group of people is simply that -- a group, not a team. Sometimes as a leader I have had to be the 'bad guy' and have allowed myself to be disliked (such as when making a decisive decision or silencing debate that was not productive or relevant to team goals) to accomplish a higher mission and focus the group.