8 Times A Leader Should Avoid A Directive Leadership Style
- Jul 4, 2023
- 4 min read
Updated: Jun 14, 2024
Expert Panelists are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within the areas of Business, Mindset, Leadership, Lifestyle, and Sustainability. Members of The Brainz Magazine community of experts will share their best tips, advice, ideas, and hacks on different topics.
Expert Panelists
1. Foster Empathy In The Workplace
More than ever, we need agile leaders who understand and empathize with the diversity of experience and unique abilities of each person on their team. According to a WHO Global Study, 70% of people experience a form of trauma in their life. Applying this to the workplace, trauma is incredibly prevalent with staff. In the new world of work, leaders must understand a trauma-informed approach, which includes establishing emotional safety, prioritizing regular check-ins, and providing for more choice & collaboration rather than being directive. Trauma-informed leaders bring people into the process of making change and creating policies and ask people what they need rather than telling them what to do.
2. Enhance Team Morale And Ownership
To succeed as a leader, leading at the speed of business is important. When using the directive leadership approach, you may be stifling the creativity and innovation that comes with thinking outside of the box. You may also be contributing to the low morale of your team, as they feel disconnected and have a lack of ownership of the work. This breeds resentment. I don't know anyone who can work their best when they resent their leadership.
3. Transform Into An Influential Leader
Identify your core vision. A powerful vision has three elements: a significant purpose, a clear picture of the future, and a strong set of values. Goals speak to our brains, guiding us through the path, telling us what to do and when. Vision speaks to our hearts, propelling you forward through a compelling sense of what you can anticipate.
Rosalind Panda, CEO, Founder, Author
4. Nurture Individual Vision And Growth
A great leader is someone who inspires and motivates, not bosses around. Directing people is archaic. A top-tier leader needs to invest in assisting every person of their team to find their best vision and version.
Ketan Kulkarni, SavvyPhysician
5. Cultivate Collaboration, Engagement, And Creativity
There are many forms of leadership styles, all of which have their respective pros and cons. A directive leadership style is one in which the leader is solely in control and in addition, makes all the decisions. This style of leadership can sometimes be seen as cold and impersonal. Although this leadership style suggests the directive leader should be the most knowledgeable as well as possess the most skills, this is not always the case. You may find others who have a superior skill set and would therefore be better suited to the job. In this situation, a directive leadership style may be best avoided as it is easy to lose the engagement of others as well as reduce any positive collaborations that could have been nurtured. In addition to this, the lack of discussion and limited communication may also lead to a place of low morale. A directive leadership style will also most surely reduce creativity.
6. Adapt To Effective Remote And Hybrid Teams In The Modern Workplace
As a leader in a hybrid work environment, it is necessary to know your team and any challenges they may be facing, either at work or home. Your leadership and guidance will play a role in their success and the success of the goals for the team. A Supportive and Participative Leadership Style will allow the team to reach goals without feeling overwhelmed or threatened if life happens. If a critical project is on the line the team should be brought together for a more Directive Approach.
7. Optimize Team Performance
A directive leadership style should be avoided when the leader is dealing with a highly experienced team or when the team needs to be creative and innovative. In these cases, a more coach-first approach rooted is needed in order to get the best out of the team. A directive leadership style can also be counterproductive in situations where the team members need to take ownership of their work and develop their skills. This is because it does not allow for sufficient autonomy and can lead to demotivation. Furthermore, if used too often, it can lead to an environment of fear and lack of trust between the leader and their team. Finally, a directive leadership style should also be avoided if there are complex problems that require creative solutions. In this case, the leader needs to be the coach in order to tap into the collective intelligence of the team. This will enable them to come up with better ideas and solutions than what any individual could have achieved on their own.
8. Foster Leadership For Flourishing Futures
In the realm of leadership, it's essential to recognize that effective leadership extends beyond the workplace. As a parent, you want to lead your children to empowerment so they grow strong and healthy, from emotional intelligence to physical and spiritual health. Showing up as the leader is your goal, but you want to do this in the best way possible to ensure your children become the best version of themselves. Here are 5 Ways to Cultivate Leadership as a Parent:
Patience and Communication
Learn From Mistakes
Show Affection
Play and Rest
Adapt to Environments
A parents’ guide to leadership for empowerment is critical to ensuring our children grow to be valuable and happy members of society! A person who strives to help others and be the person that others look up to.
Faith Abraham, Founder
