A Comparison of Leadership
2.2a Changing Leadership Models
By Olivia Pedersen
What does it mean to be a leader? What is the best leadership style? How can I become a stronger leader? These are the questions we might ask ourselves when taking the steps towards becoming a leader.
In this weeks assignment, different leadership styles are analyzed against the "classic leadership model," for example, Henry V in Band of Brothers, where the fearless hero takes charge of his fleet of men in a time of crisis. The classic leadership model could be described as the guiding force that never shows weakness; has all the answers; is bold, brave, well-spoken and charismatic; focus on individual gain. A setback with this style of leadership is the lack of empathy that it emits which could shut off allowance for innovation, creativity, discovery or progress.
Below I take a look at specific individuals that have achieved great things through their unique style of leadership and how they differ from the CLM (classic leadership model) *please view linked interview for context of the discussion:
Nelson Mandela: Leading from behind. Mandela went through much hardship through out his career as a leader. Was it because of this influence that he led with flexibility and pragmatism. He projected strength in mind and body much like the CLM, but he also had a great sense of self-awareness.
Barack Obama: Similar to Mandela, Obama has a humble manner to him that still projects self-assurance and strength. He additionally was able to appeal to many different groups because of his leadership style. Similar to the CLM he asks people to step up to the challenge, but it is in the way he asks that differs from the CLM. He doesn't approach with an "us versus them" mentality but instead provokes unity and collaboration when asking his followers to rise to the occasion.
Desmond Tutu: After watching the interview of Tutu you get a strong sense of a humble, inspiring man. The main thing he focuses on is leading as a servant. This concept greatly differs from the CLM. Leading for the betterment of the community is something that is lacking from the CLM, as the main focus is self-betterment and success. Tutu states a great leader is not one that is seeking self-glorification.
Richard Branson: Has a unique leadership style. From his interview, you get a sense that he doesn't expect to be the smartest man in the room. He is well spoken but not in the traditional sense. His primary focus is supporting his team to be the best they can. By concentrating on the little details, "and getting them right," he is successful because he focuses on the positive, praising hard work instead of weaknesses. Whereas the CLM concentrates on penalty, e.g., being a coward if you don't run into battle as in the example of Band of Brothers.
Madeline Albright: A true trailblazer as the first women to ever serve in the United States Government as the Secretary of State. Without role models similar to herself she still found areas of support and guidance through diverse support groups. By strengthening her sense of self through self-reflection and advice from her support group she was able to become an influential leader. The "we instead of me" mentality is not recognized in the CLM where a leader is expected to already know the path. Another distinction to her leadership skills is her push toward support over competition.
With all of these great leaders exemplified above the way leadership is approached has evolved away from the classic leadership model. Instead of leading at the head of the pack Mandela "lead from behind the herd." Obama asked America how can WE make a difference. Tutu leads with group betterment in mind instead self-fulfillment. Branson looks for the best in people instead of questioning their flaws. Madeline looked for community instead of competition. All of these unique approaches to leadership has changed the way that leadership is recognized. It also shows that leadership is not a stagnant practice but a dynamic tool to achieve goals. For future leaders that look to the greats that have come before them, it can be inferred that a universal style is not the key to being an effective leader, but instead exercising your unique traits and knowing how people respond to them is what ultimately will make you a strong leader.