Ten types of leaders and their potential for change

Not there at all, or far too close. Executive coach Boris Grundl identifies ten leadership personalities that inhibit the development of empowering corporate cultures. But it doesn't have to stay that way, because it's important for everyone to build a positive attitude toward change. "Empowering people to take responsibility and making that visible through results" is how the Leadership Institute (GLI), founded by Boris Grundl, describes leadership. According to Grundl's own account, the "Leading Simple" system provides leaders with tasks, tools and principles for leading themselves and others responsibly and developing sustainable corporate cultures.

Absent ...

To lead a team well, managers need a certain amount of distance. But some overshoot the mark and hand over responsibility completely to their employees - even in an emergency. By doing so, leaders eliminate the possibility of communicative errors and seemingly give free rein. In reality, however, they are refusing to do their job as guides. The "principle of distanced proximity" applies here: In terms of a motivating work climate, leaders take care to maintain a balance between distance and proximity.

... and favorites

Everybodys Darling avoids conflict. Instead of playing with open cards and addressing mistakes, this type praises or appeases and sympathetically takes the position of his counterpart. But the need for harmony stifles development opportunities: Only those who know that and where things are going wrong can change something. If leaders swallow critical words without saying them, they give away the potential of employees and reduce the appreciation for services rendered. If you follow the principle of distanced proximity, you open up space for constructive discussions.

Waiting

Let's see what happens - freely according to the motto: Someone will do it. Such action, like absence, leads to a misinterpretation of freedom and trust. In reality, those who wait fail to respect the work of others. Those who do not stand by employees neither know who is doing a good job, nor do they register discrepancies. Positive control over the team's performance keeps employees on their toes.

Shooting stars

Especially new to the company, these leaders are happy to take on any tasks that are called out to them in order to look good. If you get a lot done, you do a good job? No, this is where action and actionism get confused - a mistake that many succumb to and which, in the worst case, leads to spongy performance. Good leaders focus on results and unflinchingly answer the question: What helps to achieve the next step?

Know-it-all

The lament "I always have to do everything myself" succinctly and accurately describes this type of leader. Their knowledge ranges - as they feel - from labor law to interest calculation. So why should someone else take on the job in hand and possibly do it worse? Many years of experience show that knowledge does not mean ability. Distributing tasks according to core competencies brings more for the individual and the team - a transformation towards trusting delegation allows self-makers greater acceptance of results.

Lone wolf

Always with their sights set on the goal, some leaders block out second opinions. Their motto is: My way or no way; if no one goes along, then they go it alone. Attention: Such leaders quickly find themselves lonelier than they should be! Good leaders understand or learn the necessity of concretely defined areas of responsibility. If everyone is allowed to contribute his or her share to the project, employees develop. Therefore, leaders formulate a purpose with whose core each individual can identify and define clearly distributed tasks.

Ruling

Other views do not exist in the regiment of the ruler. An announcement comes from above, and the followers are guided by it. Some speculate on prestige in higher echelons; for others, governing is in their nature. But authoritarian delegation does not serve the advancement of a company and a team. Instead of giving orders, those who are inclined to govern learn to listen at the other person's pace and to ask questions. This allows interlocutors to think about problems and finally tackle solutions themselves instead of passively waiting for the boss to make a decision.

Workhorses

They shine with professional competence and take over when there is a need. Fulfilling tasks is what drives them. They start their day with "What's on the agenda?", tick boxes, scurry here, help there, rush to meetings. Only to wonder at the end of the day what they have actually accomplished. Human resources research calls such people "watering cans." Their counterpart, the "burning glasses," is focused on desired results. In the understanding of the Grundl Leadership Institute, being results-oriented means focusing on the part of the results that I can influence and becoming the best I can be there.

Scattered

Your schedule is about to burst? No matter. The absent-minded can't say no. Only in emergencies do projects change areas of responsibility. The result is nothing half and nothing whole. If leaders focus on a few task areas and approach the "burning glass", they achieve significantly better results with the same effort.

Skimming

They reap all the laurels - even those for which others have toiled. They channel their energy into personal advancement and also live this control. In this way, egoists squander trust and waste the energy of their employees. The desire for networking and recognition puts the brakes on an honest interest in good results for the company. Mental transformation away from oneself to the desire for good company results generates sustainable motivation: This intrinsic desire releases positive forces in oneself and the team. Convincing performance follows, which in turn raises the status.

More under www.grundl-institut.de, www.verantwortungsindex.de and https://lernwelt.grundl-institut.de/