Is Your Leadership Style Helping or Hurting Team Performance?

Leadership is at the heart of every successful team. The way you lead not only influences morale but also impacts productivity, collaboration, and the overall success of your organisation. According to a study by Gallup, 70% of the variance in employee engagement hinges on an individual’s manager. Which begs the question: is your leadership style enabling your team to thrive, or is it holding them back?

We explore the connection between leadership styles and team performance. We’ll help you identify your approach to leadership, teach you how to create a psychologically safe environment, and share actionable strategies for building high performance teams.

The Impact of Leadership Styles on Team Dynamics

Your leadership style is a powerful factor that shapes team dynamics. It can foster trust, creativity, and collaboration, or lead to disengagement and frustration.

How Leadership Styles Influence Morale and Communication

Each style of leadership interacts uniquely with team morale and communication. Here’s a breakdown of some common leadership styles and their impacts:

1. Authoritative Leadership

• Positive Impact: When clear direction is lacking, authoritative leaders step in with a vision, guiding their team towards specific goals. This style works well for teams that need structure.
• Negative Impact: Too much emphasis on control can stifle creativity and discourage contributions from team members.

2. Democratic Leadership

• Positive Impact: Encourages active participation, making team members feel heard and valued. It often leads to innovative solutions and strong collaboration.
• Negative Impact: Decision-making can be time-consuming, which means this style struggles in fast-paced situations requiring immediate action.

3. Laissez-Faire Leadership

• Positive Impact: Highly skilled teams may thrive with the autonomy offered by this style, leading to innovation and self-accountability.
• Negative Impact: Without adequate guidance, some teams may falter, lacking direction or support.

Leaders need to adopt a dynamic approach, tailoring their style to the team and situation at hand. Flexibility and awareness are key.

Identifying Your Own Leadership Style

First, you can’t fix what you can’t see. Understanding your leadership style is the first step to improving your approach to team performance.

Self-Assessment Tools

There are various assessment and profiling tools that can help to identify your leadership style. Here are some examples:

• Leadership Style Questionnaires: Tools such as the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument® or Leadership Excellence Scorecard provide valuable insights in helping you reflect on how you respond to challenges, manage stress, and interact with your team.
• 360-Degree Feedback: Gathering feedback from your team, peers, and superiors can offer a multi-dimensional view of your leadership. Honest input often uncovers blind spots and identifies areas for improvement.

The Importance of Self-Awareness

Self-awareness is the foundation of great leadership. It allows you to align your management approach with your team’s needs, reducing friction and enabling growth. With a realistic understanding of your strengths and weaknesses, you can better adapt to different challenges.

Creating Psychological Safety

Did you know that teams with high levels of psychological safety are more likely to take risks and innovate? According to Amy Edmondson from Harvard, psychological safety is a shared belief that the workplace is safe for interpersonal risk-taking.

Practical Steps to Foster Psychological Safety

• Encourage Open Dialogue: Actively listen to your team without interrupting or dismissing their ideas. Create an environment where diverse perspectives are welcomed.
• Model Empathy: Show empathy for your team by being approachable and acknowledging their challenges. Building a human connection strengthens trust.
• Celebrate Mistakes and Growth: Normalise failures as learning opportunities by holding post-project reviews that focus on lessons learned rather than assigning blame.

Strategies for Building High Performance Teams

High performance teams don’t just happen; they’re built with intention and care. When they function well, these teams become significant assets to organisations, driving innovation and achieving exceptional results.

Steps for Developing a High Performance Team

1. Assess Team Health: Our High Performance Team Scorecard provides insight into how teams rate across a multitude of factors that affect team health and performance.
2. Set Clear Goals: Ensure that everyone on the team understands the purpose of their work and how it contributes to the bigger picture. 
3. Promote Accountability: High performing teams thrive when each member knows their responsibilities and takes ownership of their tasks.
4. Prioritise Diversity and Collaboration: Diverse teams bring unique perspectives to the table. Encourage collaboration by sharing knowledge across skillsets.
5. Invest in Development: Schedule regular training and leadership development programs. A team that learns together grows together.

Benefits for Organisations

Investing in high performance team development yields dividends for organisations, from increased productivity to enhanced employee satisfaction and retention. The synergy achieved through such teams enables businesses to respond to challenges with agility and creativity.

The Role of Leadership Development Programs

Even the best leaders need continuous improvement. Leadership development programs can elevate your ability to connect with your team and achieve better results.

How Leadership Development Programs Enhance Teams

• Skill Building: Learn advanced leadership techniques to inspire and motivate your team.
• Networking Opportunities: Engage with other leaders to exchange ideas and strategies. Shared experiences provide new perspectives.
• Mentorship: Gain access to seasoned mentors who can provide guidance tailored to your leadership challenges.

Investing in these programs demonstrates a commitment to growth; not just for you, but for your team as well.

Lead with Intent, Build with Care

Leadership shapes the very foundation of team performance. By understanding your leadership style, fostering psychological safety, and adopting strategies to build high performance teams, you can drive measurable success within your organisation.

Remember, leadership isn’t about perfection – it’s about growth. Take the first step by assessing your leadership style and applying the insights shared here. Your team’s future depends on it.