Different Leadership Styles: Do They Make a Difference?

Research to Measure If a Situational Approach to Leadership Matters
Recent leadership research by our leadership development partner, Blanchard, studied the impact of different leadership styles to see if the below behaviors impact employee perceptions of trust and well-being.

• Goal setting.
• Listening.
• Decision-making

Three Key Findings About Different Leadership Styles

1. People Experience Some Leadership Styles Far More Often
   One of the four leadership styles was used very frequently by managers. Providing only highly directive (task) behaviors occurs, but very infrequently. Only 3 percent of employees reported receiving Leadership Style 1 (S1, high direction/low support). This suggests that managers are very sensitive to the sole use of directive behaviors.
   
   The other three different leadership styles occurred more frequently. 33 percent reported receiving Style 2 (S2, high direction/high support), 22 percent reported receiving Style 3 (S3, low direction/high support), and 42 percent reported receiving Style 4 (S4, low direction/low support).
   
   While Style 4 (low directive and low supportive leader behaviors) was the most frequent style received (42 percent), it is important to note that only 12 percent of the respondents reported needing Style 4. Some managers may be rated by their followers as providing S4 because they are stretched to their limits and do not have the time to be more than an S4 leader.
2. Employees Tend to Prefer Different Behaviors from Their Leaders
   Only 2 percent of the respondents reported needing S1 (high direction/low support), 59 percent reported needing S2 (high direction/high support), 26 percent reported needing S3 (low direction/high support), and 12 percent reported needing S4 (low direction/low support).
   
   Similar to our action learning leadership findings, the balance between high direction and high support is at the core of finding the right leadership style.
3. A Leadership Style Fit to A Followers Needs Creates Better Outcomes
   When followers reported a fit between their manager’s leadership style and their needed leadership style, they demonstrated more favorable scores regarding trust in their leaders, positive feelings about their job and work intentions, intent to perform, intent to endorse, intent to stay, intent to be a good organizational citizen, and positive feelings.

The Bottom Line
In developing new managers, a situational approach to leadership is essential. Leadership simulation assessment data consistently show that leadership effectiveness depends on context. By consciously aligning the behaviors leaders provide with what employees need, organizations can create workplaces that are not only more productive but also more engaging and emotionally satisfying.

To learn more about becoming a better leader, download 8 Reasons Why Leaders Need 360 Feedback

by Tristam Brown: CEO

Tristam Brown is an executive business consultant and organizational development expert with more than three decades of experience helping organizations accelerate performance, build high-impact teams, and turn strategy into execution. As CEO of LSA Global, he works with leaders to get and stay aligned™ through research-backed strategy, culture, and talent solutions that produce measurable, business-critical results. See full bio.