Are you a determined leader?
• Do you push for action with results?
• Are you quick to make decisions?
• Do you get stressed when nothing is being accomplished?
Then you may have the Mobiliser style:
Leaders with the Mobiliser style push for action with results:
• they tend to move briskly, speak quite quickly and appear straightforward and determined
• they need to accomplish actions and they mobilise resources (including people) to get an achievable result
• they make quick decisions with confidence
• it tends to come naturally to them to decide, direct, mobilise, execute
• they lead the group to the goal and help to get things accomplished
• they may get stressed when others do not share their urgency or nothing is being accomplished or if they feel out of control
Determined, mobilising Leaders want to get on with the task as quickly as possible and they often have clear ideas about what needs to be done. They come across as energetic and decisive, straightforward and direct, confident and in control.
These are great attributes, but there can be downsides when you want to have a positive influence on others. Leaders with this style sometimes try to forge ahead without allowing consultation and getting buy-in. They may be seen by others as impatient or demanding.
For leaders, this style works well in some situations:
• An emergency or crisis
• With new employees who need direction
• Where obstacles have to be overcome
• Where clarity and structure is required
• In rapid trouble-shooting
It’s not so suitable for situations when:
• The problems are complex
• Many options exist
• Buy-in from others is needed
• Others should own the responsibility
• Team members want to be empowered
So how can you flex your style?
Here are two people (names changed) who learned to adapt their style.
Joseph often felt frustrated and stressed when his managers didn’t do things as quickly as he would have liked. He started to micro-manage them, giving them daily tasks and checking they had done them. But this meant they had little control over their work and did not feel accountable for it – if anything went wrong, it became Joseph’s fault. The strategy wasn’t working, so Joseph tried a different approach. When he delegated tasks, he gave them the responsibility for deciding how to do it and when it would be done. They learned to keep him informed of progress and he didn’t ask about it until the due date. At first he found this difficult, but gradually he learned to let go and trust them and he had a more motivated team of managers as a result.
Clare wanted to find a way to become more influential with her colleagues without over doing the Mobiliser style – she wanted to engage people rather than instruct them. She realised she needed to make time to talk to them and get to know them better. She decided to try out some of the strategies of other Styles, particularly Energiser, and she consciously paid attention to involving other people rather than rushing ahead with the task. This awareness of other Styles and the option to adopt another Style worked well for her in the relationship building she needed to do to achieve her work goals.
So What?
Being aware of your natural style means that you can rely on your strengths for the right situations, and can flex it in other situations to have the positive impact and influence that you want.
Now what?
You can find out more about styles of leadership and influencing in my book.
Or pick up a set of my cards for specific tips for each of the four styles.
Learn about another style – Gareth Southgate’s Focused leadership style