Lead Your Way: Strategies for Developing your Unique Leadership Style

Effective leadership is an essential aspect of success in any organization or business. However, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to leadership. Each individual has their own unique personality traits, skills, and experiences that shape their leadership style.

Developing a leadership style that works for you can be a challenging and ongoing process as participants often suggest in our Leadership and First-Time Managers training programs.

In this article, we will explore some strategies for developing a leadership style that is authentic and effective.

Craft your Unique Leadership Style: 5 Steps Closer to Success

Understand Your Personality Type

One of the first steps in developing a leadership style that works for you is understanding your personality type. Understanding your personality type can help you identify your natural leadership style and determine areas where you may need to adapt or improve.

There are many personality assessments available, such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and the Big Five Personality Traits, which can provide insights into your natural tendencies, strengths, and areas for improvement.

Delving deeper into leadership styles per se, situational leadership, a leadership theory developed by Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard in the late 60s, provides 4 distinct styles and uncovers your subconscious tendencies.

Identify Your Leadership Values

Effective leadership is based on a foundation of strong values. It is essential to identify your personal leadership values and align them with the values of the organization or team you lead.

Some common leadership values include integrity, accountability, transparency, and empathy. By understanding and embodying your core values, you can develop a leadership style that is authentic and trustworthy.

Leadership values are also important for creating a strong organizational culture and contribute to an individual's sense of purpose and fulfillment. As per Brené Brown, a renowned author and researcher on the topics of vulnerability, courage, and leadership, it is of adamant importance to identify and live in alignment with your personal values.

By leading from a values-driven perspective, you can create a more meaningful and impactful leadership experience for yourself and your team.

Learn From Successful Leaders

Learning from successful leaders can provide valuable insights and inspiration for developing your own leadership style. Role Models are super important!

As a new leader you can study leaders who inspire you and analyze their approach to leadership. Take note of their communication style, decision-making process, and how they motivate and empower their team.

It's important to remember that while studying successful leaders can provide valuable insights, it's equally important to remain true to your own personality and strengths.

Trying to emulate another leader's style without taking into account your own unique qualities can come across as inauthentic and ultimately be counterproductive. Instead, use the lessons you've learned from successful leaders as a foundation for developing your own approach to leadership.

Being open to learning and adapting is crucial for effective leadership, and by leveraging the wisdom of successful leaders while staying true to yourself, you can create a leadership style that is both authentic and effective.

By understanding what makes these leaders successful, you can adapt their strategies to fit your own leadership style.

Seek Feedback and Continuously Improve

Seeking feedback from colleagues, peers, and team members is a crucial aspect of developing a leadership style that works for you. Encourage honest and constructive feedback from those you lead and work with.

Reflect on this feedback and use it to continuously improve your leadership approach. This feedback can help you identify blind spots and areas for growth, as well as reinforce areas where you excel.

Furthermore, seeking feedback not only benefits you as a new leader but also benefits your team. When you personally demonstrate a willingness to receive and act on feedback, it encourages your team members to do the same, creating a culture of continuous improvement.

It's important for new leaders to not only listen to feedback, but also to act on it and communicate any changes made. By demonstrating a commitment to growth and improvement, you can inspire your team members to do the same, ultimately leading to greater success for the organization.

Practice Self-Awareness and Emotional Intelligence

Effective leadership requires self-awareness and emotional intelligence. Self-awareness involves understanding your emotions, motivations, and behavior patterns. Emotional intelligence involves the ability to recognize and manage your own emotions, as well as the emotions of others.

By practicing self-awareness and emotional intelligence, you can build strong relationships with those you lead, make sound decisions, and create a positive work environment.

Unleash Your Unique Leadership Potential

Developing a leadership style that works for you requires a combination of self-reflection, learning and it is a continuous process since you as well as your team will change and evolve through the years.

By understanding your personality type, identifying your leadership values, learning from successful leaders, seeking feedback, and practicing self-awareness and emotional intelligence, you can develop a leadership style that is authentic and effective.

Embrace your individual strengths and leadership style as there is no one correct way to lead. By doing so, you can become the best version of yourself as a leader, and inspire others to do the same!