How I Lead & Who Leads Me?

Sep 15, 2015

quoteA leader is defined as a person who guides or directs a group according to dictionary.com. While this is a simple enough definition, leadership styles vary significantly and generationally. Conferences and classes, seminars and videos are dedicated to improving the approach and technique of leadership.

If you Google leadership styles you will find 31,500,000 articles, books, blogs and videos on the subject. People are searching to change their leadership style, questioning their employer’s leadership style or trying to understand a peer’s leadership style. There is an extravagant amount of focus on this subject and truthfully, that’s a fantastic thing! There is always room to learn and grow and change especially in something so fundamentally important as how we lead.

Knowing our own leadership style is important as we engage our world personally and professionally. Understanding how to engage with different personalities, within the context of generational gaps and gender roles is a tricky thing to master. Those who stay open and flexible are the best leaders of our time. Eva Rykrsmith calls this style of leadership, Adaptable Leadership.

“Adaptable leadership is about being ready for change. While you may have an end-goal and a basic strategy to reach it, the path that you plan to take is not set in stone. This allows appropriate responses to the demands of the moment. Detours and unforeseen circumstances are welcomed and viewed as opportunities. Adaptable leaders make the most of such change and take advantage of variety.”

So what kind of leader are you and what kind of leadership styles are you most inspired and motivated by?

Here is a great quiz to help you discover your leadership style and learn more about how you best lead. If you are surprised or alarmed, there is always room to change, grow and adapt. Learning how you lead will help you also discover the leadership style you are also most prone to follow and be inspired by. While we cannot always control who are bosses, employers, government officials or family members are, learning their leadership and managerial styles can be a great tool in best engaging them at work and at home.

Happy learning, leading and ADAPTING.

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