Identifying what sort of leadership style one intends to follow can be a challenge. There is no single method that fits everyone, so it is essential for anyone to think it over carefully, decide on a fitting technique and begin to exhibit their idiosyncrasies from the moment that they first address their team.
Aman Maharaj, a renowned entrepreneurial leader in Toronto, Ontario, has revealed a few things to look at when working towards building your leadership style. Understanding what feels right for you and how you want your team to react to your leadership style is a big part of the success of many great leaders. Majaraj continues to add while there are many different types of leadership styles, you don’t have to choose just one. In addition understanding that your leadership style might change from role to role as your industry, economy and teams change.
Observe Your Role Models
Look to the people who have influenced you throughout your life, Aman Maharaj says, as their behavior often shapes your personality to a degree. Parents and teachers are the original sources for such inspiration. Afterwards, bosses and managers who you previously worked with play a similar role and help to nurture you further.
Your decisions, behavioral tendencies and ability to overcome issues are partially stemming from you being in the presence of these individuals. Use their talents, particularly the ones that relate to your own personality, and apply them to your leadership.
Look Within
Naturally, a huge piece of your preferred leadership style will be determined by your own personality traits. Assess your chief characteristics that stand out and consider how they can be effective in your leadership. Any influential leader plays to his or her strengths, as these traits factor into decision-making, social interactions and the ability to handle stress. For Aman Maharaj, confidence and communication are the attributes that largely contribute to his successful leadership of a company.
Sticking to the inner reflection aspect of your search, you must ponder whether you seriously want a leadership position and if you will commit exhaustively to the role. Too many companies are guilty of spontaneously promoting a person into a leadership spot without much thought given to his or her merit. Or there are people, somehow trusted to act in an authoritative capacity, who simply view it as a means to an end, a place to scoop up a check.
“Follow what you want to do,” says Aman Maharaj. “Find what you are passionate about and then really focus on that and the jobs will come. It is easy to see when someone is passionate about something. Find what you really believe in and then really push yourself into that area and push hard.”
Aman Maharaj on Employee Expectations and Treatment
The performance and results-oriented expectations that you maintain for employees will also be crucial in forming your leadership style. Some bosses are unreasonable in demands, while others are fair up to a point. Aman Maharaj’s leadership allows people the freedom to work around their schedule, as long as the final product is delivered on time.
“You have to be accountable and you have to be dependable to deliver,” says Aman. “If you need to take four hours out of your afternoon for a dentist appointment or to drive your kid to something, that means you might have to do fours of work in the evening to be able to catch up. I am not looking for people I have to micromanage. I am looking for people that are accountable and can deliver.”
Similarly, your treatment of co-workers, in good times and bad, will shape your leadership style. How do you react when a deadline is not met? What repercussions will there be for uncooperative, unproductive personnel? Do you employ a zero-tolerance policy or provide second chances, a shot at redemption?
By keeping these aspects in mind, you should be able to discover and establish your own leadership style.
