Today, let’s explore the story of the 4 leadership styles.
I was recently asked by one of my clients to lead them through a program on understanding leadership styles.
What are the various styles? How do various leaders employ these styles from one stage of the business to the other? How are these applied in a specific change program to achieve the desired results and outcomes?
For context, this client recently experienced exponential growth; promoting a number of staff very quickly into managerial positions in line with the growth.
Great leaders always develop their managers so they can step up and be the best they can be.
Below is the story of the 4 leadership styles that I led them through this during this conscious leadership program (adapted from the Liberating Leadership Model).
The Visioning Style
This is a style that a leader uses when they are at a stage where things need to shift or change. The vision for the organization needs to be reset. The leader employs more of their visionary skills and style to enable the organization to be clear about the vision and to buy into this vision. More of this is shared in the video below.
The Mobilising Style
The mobilizing style of leadership can be aligned to the mobilising stage of an organization. This is usually after the vision is set, communicated and well-bought in by all. This style involves a leader to actually roll up their sleeves a bit and show everyone how to do things. It’s a time when we are shifting the culture
The vlog below goes in the detail of how culture can be truly shift by a conscious choice do things differently for desired results and bring out the highest potential in people.
The Developing Style
At the developing stage, the leader’s style is about taking a step back from the actual activity a bit. It’s assumed that most people now know what they’re doing. The culture has been embedded and they know how to get to the vision. The leader assesses and plugs their own skills gaps (learned and innate) and the gaps within the organisation too. Time to plug these skills gaps consciously in a way that brings out the best in people. Time scout for innovation too – new talent, new products and services? The video shares additional subtle techniques to employ too!
The Enabling Style
The fourth and final style that a leader employs is the enabling style. It’s sometimes rumoured that not every leader is necessarily able to get to this stage of leadership development. It’s a slightly challenging style; especially for a leader who wants control and micro manage others.
For true leaders who consciously develop this style, they feel that they have also enabled the people within the organization as well as the organization as a whole. 
They leave other people in charge. This then frees them to explore other opportunities to
bring into the organization. Perhaps they’re ready to acquire a new company as part of their growth
journey? You may want to check out our other blog on ‘Leading in Extraordinary Times‘.
Your Actionable Advice
Take a moment to reflect and write down your predominant, natural leadership style from the options above. Then write down one more leadership style that you who’d love to develop more within yourself.
Share it with us Here – I’d love to hear from you!
So, there you have it! The Story of The 4 Leadership Styles
- Visioning
- Mobilizing
- Developing
- Enabling
To conclude our story, I must say that this particular client really enjoyed their tailored programme. They put tangible steps in place to move leaders and managers along this continuum. We created specific assessments and suggested development opportunities for those that needed them.
Lastly, they are now consciously writing their own story, clearly aligning it to their fast-paced growth as a tech company; evolving the organisation at every stage!
Maggie Sarfo is an international bestselling author, speaker, advisor and mentor for inspirational individuals, leaders and entrepreneurs who are looking to explore new ways of being, leading and growing their business exponentially. This blog is her playground, where she explores the topics of leadership, business growth, personal growth, purpose and the Akashic Records. Meres Consult
