Leading high-performing teams

The much discussed topic of leadership style. We have travelled through Beckhard, Tuckman and LaFasto, and where would a leadership theory training day be without a good dose of Goleman and a practical leadership task (in this case build a tower out of a Metro newspaper and masking tape to hold a chocolate bar). Although Beckhard’s hierarchial model may at first seem ‘upside down’ the more time I considered the model I more I felt it had the most potential to contribute to my current role; supporting the Directors for Learning in PE and ICT.

Goals, roles, process and relationships.

The course ended with a verbal commitment to how we plan to use and apply the knowledge collected on the course. Apart from an improved self awareness of one’s own leadership style the task really is putting learning into practice.

First I plan to share the model and set the nomenclature of  ‘goals, roles, process and relationships’ for discussing and reflecting on their own leadership dilemmas. The next step is to use those four labels to lead structured conversations with my lines, to help them direct their efforts and promote conversation between them, and encouraging a peer coached model.

Reflections on the day…

So when your next asked ‘what is your leadership style?’ One would suggest that you consider which is your preferred style but also how flexible and adaptive your leadership style is, to both the members of the team and the situation.

The business environment is continually changing and a leader must respond in kind.  Hour to hour, day to day, week to week, executives must play their leadership styles like a pro — using the right one at just the right time and in the right measure.  The payoff is in the results. – Goleman