TIP OF THE MONTH - LEADERSHIP

There are many styles of leadership. Visioncasters or managers. Leading up front or leading from behind. Leading by giving direction or leading by modeling. There is no end to the styles and that is why there are so many conflicting leadership theories. You need to find one that fits you.

Regardless of your style the objective is the same – caring for the spiritual, emotional and physical needs of your group. This means understanding each individual in your group. Each one has a complex personality. One way of understanding is to use the attachment theory for classifying people. This will help you be more effective. Be very careful of classifying people too quickly before you really know them. Assume everyone is in the “Secure” category until you see otherwise.

Attachment Theory:

1)      Secure Style – People who are secure are moving forward in their relationships – open, transparent, and positive.  They are O.K. with their emotions and O.K. with yours. These people become the core of your group. They make good caregivers.

2)      Avoidant Style – Inflated view of self and negative view of others. They suppress their feelings and over-control them. You cannot get through to them no matter what approach you take because their ego is always in the way. They are frequently “talkers” and will dominate the meeting if not controlled. They make poor caregivers but are good at other assignments.          

3)      Ambivalent Style – Negative view of self and inflated view of others. Their feelings are out of control. They cannot get enough from you so you must limit the amount of time you give them. They need a lot of encouragement to share. They are unable to lead a project but are good and loyal supporters of a leader.

4)      Disorganized Style – Negative view of self and others. Mixed feelings. They are difficult to classify because sometimes they have their act together and other times they are totally dysfunctional. They are good at short term projects but not  permanent assignments.

Your group is a unique mixture of personalities so do not become discouraged if they do not immediately bond. It frequently takes longer than you would like. They may never bond so be prepared to move on to a new group.  Being ready to move on is a quality of a “called” leader.