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There are various styles of leadership and all leaders portray some version of them. Whether they stick to a particular style, or if use a combination of styles, it is important for a leader to develop a style that is beneficial to their team and that will prove to be effective in leading their projects. Hodgkinson (2009) states that leadership styles are “a soft skill which is often neglected in training” (Hodgkinson, 2009). The problem is that leadership skills cannot be accessed by reviewing a resume or completing a training session. Leaders typically must demonstrate this skill on the job, and in sometimes in situations that warrants urgency and strong management. A leader should therefore work on their leadership style according to their team and the scope of their project.
The most common types of leadership styles that I have experienced while working on project management teams have been the Charismatic leadership style, the Servant leadership style and the Autocratic leadership style. These styles are quite different but are very prevalent in the workplace. The Charismatic Leadership Style is a type of leader who motivates and inspires their team members. The team relies on their leader’s personality to drive the project. While this is a good leadership style, the team could fall apart if the leader is replaced or loses his or her direction for the project.
The Servant leadership style focuses on the leader meeting the needs of the team members without actually being appointed the formal leader of the team. According to Manktelow (n.d.) these people often lead by example. They have high integrity and lead with generosity. Their approach can create a positive corporate culture, and it can lead to high morale among team members (Manktelow, n.d.). While this leadership style boasts morale and motivates employees, one of the cons is that the employee does not have “true” leadership or management authority within the organization. The individual could be lead into a false sense of leadership during the project phase, only to be return to their regular duties and position after the team has disbanded.
The Autocratic leadership style (also referred to as Authoritative) is a common leadership style seen in many organizations. Hodgkinson (2009) defines the Autocratic Leader as someone who makes decisions without input (Hodgkinson, 2009). This type of leadership has serious flaws and is usually seen in situations where the team is inexperienced or is not well educated about the project scope. The team members can also feel as though they have no voice in project decisions and that they are not part of the solution.
While it is difficult to choose one leadership style that is best, the Transformational leadership is the most effective in project management. Transformational leadership uses the visionary leadership style to encourage team members to visualize the completed project. This leadership style focuses on change and motivating team members to enhance their performance. The transformational leadership style also encourages creativity and problem solving. Because project management is so challenging and detailed, it is essential for leaders to be innovative and have the ability to provide their team members with fresh ideas.
The individuals demonstrating these leadership styles are change oriented and they tend to think out of the box; meaning they do not follow the norms. Johannsen (2009) states that Transformational leaders are men and women of action who understand that good enough [will not suffice]” (Johannsen, 2009) in a project management team. Transformational leaders are effective in many ways. This leadership style allows team members to “escape the trap of the status quo, and to change others” (Johannsen, 2009) in addition to changing themselves. The members work as a team and are highly motivated. Team members encourage each other by acknowledging members’ performance and by identifying goals that have been met or exceeded by the group. The output of groups under this leadership style is very high, because team members not only rely on motivation from other members, but they motivate themselves.
The team leader serves as a mentor to the group and encourages passion and insight from the team members. Under this leadership team members are able to grow and learn from their team leader. Team members are given specific roles and tasks to perform that enhance their thinking skills and leadership skills. The Transformational leadership style ultimately prepares individuals to become future leaders and gives them the tools needed to be successful in that role. Team members are not dictated to or a silent member of the team, they are assigned pertinent duties which affects the outcome of the project. These assignments allow the team member to demonstrate their capabilities, to infuse new ideas into the project and to use their new responsibilities in future projects. The Transformational leadership also benefits the team leader, in that they can further demonstrate their leadership skills and delegate workload to team members efficiently. The team leader would be credited with a successful project and also for motivating the team and keeping them on track.
The transformational leadership style has enhanced many projects that I have worked on. This leadership style has given me the opportunity as a team member to voice my opinions regarding a project and to use my critical thinking skills. In one of my project management groups the team leader assigned each team member a task, then asked each person to list three ways to improve the task. This excited the team members because it gave us a chance to be innovative and work on mini tasks within the overall project. The project allowed me to brainstorm and suggest new ideas that were not previously presented. I was able to perform research and ask hypothetical questions all while gaining additional experience and fulfilling the project scope. I think the Transformational leadership style should be used in all project management team assignments. This leadership style will definitely keep the team enthused and the product produced will be highly effective and exceed general standards.
References
Hodgkinson, J. (2009). Leadership Styles for Program and Project Managers.
Retrieved December 3, 2014, from http://www.asapm.org/asapmag/articles/LeadershipStyles.pdf
Johannsen, M. (2009). A Guide To Transformational Leadership. Retrieved December
3, 2014, from http://www.legacee.com/on-transformational-leadership/a-guide-to-
transformational-leadership/
Manktelow, J. (n.d.). Leadership Styles: Choosing the Right Approach for the Situation.
Retrieved December 3, 2014, from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_84.htm
