Five Leadership Models that Can Help You Define Your Style
You’ve likely had both good and bad bosses as a working adult. Leadership comes in many forms, from the manager who encourages and supports you, to the supervisor who critiques your every move while micromanaging every project.
If you are on a career path that will lead to higher managerial responsibilities, it can be helpful to identify your leadership identity. If you struggle with your type you can pay for dissertation online so an expert can figure it out for you. After that, you will be able to identify the leadership style of a colleague to help you better understand how to work together.
This post will discuss leadership models and the unique application of them in healthcare management. We also examine 12 common styles you might have seen in your workplace. Jump to our visual to see the styles of famous leaders so that you can draw inspiration from them.
The leadership models can be used to help you choose the best management style for your personality and work style. Your personal leadership style and goals will help you make the right adjustments to improve your effectiveness and impact. You can draw elements from multiple models or shift between them over time. Leadership models are not static.
While leadership models and leadership styles are often confused, they are distinct concepts. The model is a conceptual framework that explains what makes a leader great. However, the style describes the leadership behavior they display in pursuit of greatness.
- Transformational
Transformative leaders are known for their integrity and vision. Transformative leaders will communicate openly with their staff to achieve their goals. This shows your integrity as well as the respect you have for their experience and knowledge. This mutual respect results in increased staff satisfaction and retention which leads to improved patient care.
You must present your vision and motivate others to realize it. You could neglect the needs of your staff in order to fulfill your larger mission.
- Autocratic
When making decisions, autocratic leaders don’t consult or consider the opinions and suggestions of others. With full confidence that your staff will follow your instructions, you decide a course of action. This leadership style works well when you need to make quick decisions.
It is crucial that doctors, nurses, or other healthcare professionals can quickly make decisions in emergency situations. However, the autocratic leader must also remember that patients and employees may feel neglected and invisible if they are not treated with respect for their needs.
- Democratic
Autocratic leadership is replaced by democratic leadership (also known as “participative leader”). As a democratic leader you will seek the opinions and input of your staff. However, the final decision rests with you. Collaboration and discussion can lead to innovation and creativity. You may feel overwhelmed when you have to manage multiple perspectives and ideas.
Healthcare leadership decisions often require input from staff and brainstorming to find a creative solution for a problem. Employee participation is encouraged by the democratic leadership model.
- Bureaucratic
To be a successful bureaucratic leader, you must follow the rules. This is the most basic of leadership models. You have a job title, responsibilities and a method of responding to immediate needs. Employees can feel stressed if they are required to adhere to certain rules and protocols.
Some areas, such as finance and data security, can see bureaucratic leaders being effective. A minor deviation from the protocol in healthcare can result in serious repercussions from regulators and government oversight agencies. This makes the detail-oriented nature bureaucratic leaders a valuable asset.
- Charismatic
Are you able to attract and motivate people to help you achieve your company’s goals? A charismatic leader can be built on conviction and magnetic personality. It takes talent to inspire your team members to support your vision. However, it can reap rewards in the form higher employee engagement and better financial results.
Charismatic leaders in medicine can make a positive difference by encouraging staff to take part in your initiatives more often. You may become too focused on your goals and lose sight of the bigger picture, or succumb to self-absorption. Organizational efforts can be hindered by a distracted focus.
- Find Your Personal Leadership Model
It doesn’t matter what leadership model you like, it is smart to study them all in order to better understand yourself as a leader. Get inspired by the great leaders of today and learn from their stories to discover the right model for you.
