We have long separated directive from participative leadership. The idea of situational leadership has also been around for a long time. Some situations call for a participative style, others are better served by being directive.
The concept of participative leadership can be upgraded with more emphasis on being proactively engaging so that decisions are made on a shared basis. To decide when to be directive, be strategic about yourself.
Ask yourself regularly:
- What is the best use of my time here?
- How can I add most value in this situation?
- What leadership style is most appropriate at this time?
- What are the broader implications of my doing this now?
Directive or Engaging
An engaging leadership style is best in the following circumstances:
- To overcome resistance by fostering shared ownership
- To gain wider input to make the best decision
- To develop people by getting them to do more thinking
- To show team members or partners that you are willing to listen
- To motivate people by showing them that you value their input
A directive style is better in these situations:
- Time is short and you expect no resistance
- Only you know what needs to be done
- Top management has issued a directive that you must implement
- You don’t need input to make a better decision
- Delegating to a team member who has no idea what to do
How to be Directive
A directive leadership style can simply amount to telling people what to do by issuing instructions. However, you can be directive by selling a course of action, in addition to telling people what to do.
Vision and Leadership Directiveness
Providing your team with a vision sells them on the wisdom of a particular direction or destination but it can also serve to motivate or inspire them to pour themselves into it wholeheartedly. A vision is a sales pitch because you are painting a picture of its benefits, you are not simply telling people what to do. A vision is directive in relation to the team of people who report to you.
A vision can come from three sources:
- Top management has developed a vision and it is your job to sell it to your team
- You developed a vision yourself just for your function or team
- You used an engaging leadership style to develop the vision with your top team
That is, you could use an engaging leadership style to get input from your senior team to develop a shared vision with them, then a more directive/selling style to get your broader team on board.
The main point here is that, however valuable it is to be a participative leader, it is not always the best or only style to use. Being strategic about yourself means thinking through which style is best in which situations.