Best practice
leadership
Commander one day, coach the next
SIR ALAN SUGAR'S television
persona has been a big hit with the
millions of viewers of The Apprentice.
But his style of leadership hits a bum
note with UK entrepreneurs,
according to a recent survey by
Wliance & Leicester Commerciai
Bank.
Of the 699 UK-based small
business owners polled, only 37 per
cent think Sir Alan is a good
business role model. Of those who
watch the show, one in five (19 per
cent) claim they've learnt nothing
new about leadership by watching
him in action, while over a third (36
per cent) say that the show has
taught them "what not to do".
Of course, there's a big
difference between what makes for
good television and what makes for
a positive working environment.
Even Amstrad insiders happily
admit that, in real life. Sir Alan's
style is actually less confrontational
and more consensual. And HR
experts praise the onscreen Sir
Alan's respectful behaviour to his
team of advisers.
In fact, a mix of leadership styles
is the approach that gets the best
results from employees, says John
Frost, operations director at Values
Based Leadership, a provider of
leadership development training to
companies including Balfour Beatty,
Royal & Sun Alliance and Mars.
"These days, best practice is
generally considered to be
situational leadership—that is to say,
understanding the situation that
you're facing at any given moment
and dealing with it using the most
appropriate style of leadership,"
explains Frost.
Frost favours the styles proposed
by Daniel Goleman, the US
psychologist best known for his
bestseller. Emotional Intelligence. In
his 2002 book. Primal Leadership,
Goleman identified these styles as
commanding, pace-setting,
visionary, coaching, affiliative and
democratic [see panel, right].
"When you watch The Apprentice,
Sir Alan typically adopts the
DIRECtOR
commanding and pace-setting
styles and, in crisis situations, these
can be extremely useful tools," says
Frost. "The trouble is that, if they're
the only styles you use, you're going
'1f the [commanding
and pace-setting] styles
are the only styles you
use, you're going to
come across as a bully"
to come across as a bully who
fosters a fear culture within their
organisation."
The ability to decide how
to respond to any given
situation is a measure of
what Wendy Lord, chief
psychologist at psychometric
testing specialist Hogrefe, likes to
call "leadership wisdom".
Hogrefe publishes the Leadership
judgement Indicator (LJI), which
measures accuracy of judgment
In his 2002 book. Primal Leadership (with Richard Boyatzis and when dealing with any sort of
Anr}ie McKee), psychologist Daniel Goleman introduces six leadership situation.
leadership styles. Based on the work of
i THE COMMANDING LEADER management psychologists Victor
Style: Gives clear directions and expects compliance. Vroom and Philip Yetton, the L)l
Best used: In times of crisis, to kick-start a turnaround, and in presents 16 complex scenarios and
dealing with "problem employees" who don't respond to other
four alternative ways of dealing with
methods.
Most likely to say: "Do as I tel! you!" each. Respondents must rate each
of the four responses for its
Style: Sets goals and expects them to be achieved.
appropriateness, from "totally
Best used: For getting results from a motivated and competent inappropriate" to "highly
team. appropriate". There is a correct
Most likely to say: "Go for itl" response (based on Vroom and
3 THE VISIONARY LEADER Yetton's theories) for each
Style: Moves people towards a shared vision. alternative strategy.
Best used: When a new strategic direction is needed.
Most likely to say: "Come with me."
"If you can test for leadership
wisdom, you can track how far
younger people in your
Style: Develops peopie for the future.
organisation have progressed in
Best used: To help employees improve performance and
develop long-term strengths. terms of developing leadership
Most likely to say: "Try this." ability, and what situations they still
t LEADER need to learn to handle better,"
Style: Creates harmony and builds emotional bonds based on explains Lord.
loyalty and trust. A useful tool, perhaps, for
Best used: To heal rifts in a team or to motivate people during unsuccessful Apprentice hopefuls
stressful periods.
Most likely to say: "People come first." who need more constructive
criticism than "you've cocked it up
royal".
Style: Forges consensus through participation.
Best used: To build "buy-in" and encourage Input.
Most likely to say: "What do you think?" Jessica Twentyman