Is Leadership all about Style?
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Co-creator of Perceptual Style Theory
Do All Effective Leaders Share the Same Traits?
Do all effective leaders possess the same essential qualities? For centuries, people have searched for the characteristics that distinguish successful leaders from everyone else. The ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu identified five important qualities of a general in The Art of War: wisdom, sincerity, benevolence, courage, and strictness or discipline.
But does possessing a particular set of traits guarantee effective leadership? And what happens when two equally successful leaders approach their responsibilities in completely different ways?
Modern leadership research has explored these questions by examining not only the qualities leaders possess, but also the behaviors they demonstrate. Leadership style theories recognize that effective leadership can take different forms depending on the individual, the people being led, and the circumstances involved. Rather than assuming there is only one correct way to lead, they encourage us to examine how different approaches produce results.
Different Leadership Styles Can Achieve Similar Results
Consider two project managers, Greta and John. Greta leads through energy, urgency, and direct involvement. She sets ambitious expectations, monitors progress closely, and motivates her team through determination and personal example. John takes a different approach. He emphasizes planning, establishes dependable systems, and gives team members room to work independently within clearly defined expectations.
Both may achieve excellent results, even though their approaches are noticeably different. Greta's strengths may be particularly valuable when rapid action is needed, while John's approach may be especially effective when consistency and coordination are priorities. Their success reminds us that effective leadership cannot always be reduced to a single preferred set of behaviors.
What Traditional Leadership Style Theories Overlook
Style theories of leadership were designed to avoid the shortcomings of the trait-based leadership approach, but they also present their own set of issues. Because while their behaviorally based approach to leadership may more accurately reflect what “works”, they do not address a core issue—how do we develop our particular style of leadership?
Another problem: while style theories of leadership pay lip-service to the concept of diversity, the names chosen in most style theories reveal a bias that ultimately suggests that there is one “preferable,” if not “best” style of leadership. In this way, they’re not so different from Sun Tzu, who was convinced that there was one right way to lead.
One of the earliest influential studies of leadership styles was conducted by Kurt Lewin, Ronald Lippitt, and Ralph White in 1939. Their research examined authoritarian, democratic, and laissez-faire approaches to leadership. These categories helped establish an important principle: the way leaders behave can influence how groups function and respond.
Later, Robert Blake and Jane Mouton introduced their Managerial Grid in 1964, describing leadership behavior along two dimensions: concern for people and concern for production. Their model identified approaches commonly described as impoverished management, country club management, authority-compliance management, middle-of-the-road management, and team management. Although the model favored strong attention to both people and production, it also illustrated how leadership behavior can vary across important dimensions.
Understanding Leadership Through Perceptual Style
Perceptual Style Theory offers another way to understand why people approach leadership differently. Rather than beginning with a prescribed set of ideal leadership behaviors, it explores the natural ways individuals perceive the world, recognize opportunities, respond to challenges, and engage with others.
Each Perceptual Style brings its own natural strengths and perspectives to leadership. Understanding those strengths can help individuals recognize the approaches that come most naturally to them while developing the additional skills needed to respond effectively to different situations.
The goal isn't to identify one superior leadership style. It's to help people understand how they naturally lead, appreciate the strengths others bring, and become more effective without assuming they must imitate someone else's approach.
What Really Makes a Leader Effective?
Effective leadership isn't necessarily about fitting a particular mold. It's about recognizing the strengths we naturally bring to a leadership role, understanding the needs of the people we lead, and developing the flexibility to respond to different circumstances.
Think about two effective leaders you've known. Did they approach leadership in the same way? Or did each achieve success through a different combination of strengths, behaviors, and perspectives?
What do you believe made each of them effective? I'd welcome your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.
Please share your thoughts on this topic in the comment section below.
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About Dr. Gary M. Jordan, Ph.D.
Gary Jordan, Ph.D., has over 35 years of experience in clinical psychology, behavioral assessment, individual development, and coaching. He earned his doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology – Berkeley. He is co-creator of Perceptual Style Theory, a revolutionary psychological assessment system that teaches people how to unleash their deepest potentials for success. He’s a partner at Vega Behavioral Consulting, Ltd., a consulting firm that specializes in helping people discover their true skills and talents.
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