Navigating Leadership: The Six Styles for Situational Success

In this episode of the People Performance Podcast, T2 consultants James Cooper and Spencer Locker, deep-dive into leadership styles based on the situational leadership model used by T2.

The key takeaway is that effective leaders must be able to adapt and deploy the most appropriate leadership style for a given situation and the mindset of the person they are leading, rather than relying on a single, default style.

The six leadership styles discussed are:

• Visionary : Getting people behind the long-term dream or "flag on the hill". It sells the why without giving day-to-day steps. Deploying it inappropriately can be ineffective if people are missing strategy or need immediate answers.

  
  

• Amiable : Focuses on peace, harmony, and promoting trust within the team and environment (psychological safety).

  
  

• Coaching : Utilising coach-like skills for development and improvement. It involves helping people find their own ways to address strengths and weaknesses. It is deployed when people are open to development but may not be performing as desired.

  
  

• Collaborative : Proactively bringing people together to be inclusive and involve them in decision-making, especially in newly established but knowledgeable teams. This style can establish a collaborative culture where the leader may eventually step back to be just the decision-maker.

  
  

• Pace Setting : Setting high standards and moving at pace, but only when appropriate and with competent people. It should not be mistaken for micromanaging; it is about providing high-quality intelligence and giving people the freedom to apply themselves. It is used to challenge and push people beyond competency to avoid complacency.

  
  

• Directive : Characterised by a lack of ambiguity and absolute clarity, not aggression or confrontation. It's a "call to action" and is appropriate in critical situations, like emergency services, where clear instructions are paramount. In a performance context, it gives a clear choice with consequences for growth or further conversation.

  
  

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