What defines trendsetting leadership?
The motto of this leadership style is “Do as I do, not as I say,” as managers lead by example and pave the way for employees to follow. Leading leadership focuses on high efficiency, speed, and great results, and leaders communicate this message by applying it to their own work. Managers hold employees to the highest level of standards and expectations, demanding that they meet deadlines and succeed in their tasks by following certain methods and guidelines. Additionally, they typically expect everyone to be as productive and efficient as they are or even exceed their standards. To achieve this, leaders assign each employee tasks that they are fully equipped to do and do not trust them with responsibilities that they do not have the training to see through.
The Qualities a Leading Leader Must Have
Self-motivation
A leader who is ahead of the curve must have a strong drive to succeed that comes from their personal need and willingness to progress, not from external factors. Their high self-motivation drives them to work hard, achieve their goals, and demonstrate continuous improvement. Showing initiative is also necessary to lead their teams. They can clearly assess each situation and understand when to step in and help employees with their tasks. As a result, the entire team can succeed in achieving its goals and individuals can flourish.
Create balance
Leaders need to be aware of each employee's strengths and skills. This way, they can assign tasks accordingly and trust that individuals will perform with high efficiency. When well-rested employees take on tasks, completion time improves. As a result, everyone feels independent enough to complete their work because they are working with minimal direction. On the other hand, if team members are struggling to tackle a project, their manager can step in and delegate to proceed in the right way to achieve the best possible result.
Set clear expectations
When assigning tasks, a pace-setting leader clearly communicates his expectations and requirements. He sets guidelines and explains in detail what he expects from each employee. He doesn’t expect people to read his mind, but he doesn’t micromanage every little task either. He requires everyone to work on their projects as efficiently and quickly as possible, and asks questions when he needs additional clarity. Transparent communication and dispelling doubts are crucial to entrusting company goals to individuals.
The Benefits of Breakthrough Leadership
Teams achieve goals quickly
Progressive leadership focuses on results. Leaders quickly achieve short-term and long-term goals and assign tasks accordingly. Because they know each employee’s strengths and weaknesses, they assign projects that need to be completed quickly by a fully equipped staff. This tactic is especially beneficial for time-sensitive matters, because leaders are confident that someone can complete a project within tight deadlines if they have deep expertise in the specific matter. Meanwhile, by succeeding in their tasks, professionals further emphasize their skills and demonstrate how competent they are, even with little to no supervision.
Teams identify and resolve issues quickly
In such a fast and focused management style, leaders not only identify the strengths of the employees but also the areas for improvement. As a result, they easily identify the root of the problem when problems arise and goals are not met. Then, they map out meticulous paths to overcome the problems as soon as possible. Although solving the problem is not always possible, at least they can keep a close eye on it and control the situation.
Teams have the freedom to perform
Pacesetting leadership does not focus on micromanagement, but allows people to manage their tasks with autonomy and minimal supervision. Employees are given the opportunity to perform better and learn new skills to overcome potential problems. More importantly, they are encouraged to step outside their comfort zone and exceed expectations without constant supervision, which increases their self-confidence and confidence in their abilities.
Leaders emphasize the competencies of their teams
Leading leaders are well aware of each person’s skills and abilities and assign them tasks that best suit them. They may also challenge them at times to increase their engagement and enable them to make a leap and improve. By leveraging everyone’s strengths, leaders increase the success rates of their team and the entire organization and encourage everyone to achieve even more. However, it is crucial to set realistic goals for them and not overfill their to-do lists.
Disadvantages of this leadership style
Loss of trust and disconnection
In leadership leadership, managers expect employees to follow specific steps to complete their tasks. This means that individuals do not have the freedom to come up with unique solutions. Sometimes, they even feel that their manager does not trust them enough to let them make decisions. Furthermore, if they start to see their job as a mundane routine, engagement levels can drop dramatically. Professionals also know what each day and task looks like and feel no excitement while still feeling pressured to meet deadlines and perform at a high level, which suppresses their sense of motivation.
Increased stress levels
Working on urgent tasks and under tight deadlines with a boss who sets the bar extremely high can put a lot of pressure on anyone. People’s anxiety can increase due to their leader’s expectations. Instead of maintaining a healthy work-life balance, professionals may work even longer hours to achieve their goals and keep their bosses happy. Additionally, they may not feel like they can ask for help when they’re feeling overwhelmed, fearing that asking for extra guidance will show incompetence or inadequacy. As a result, their self-confidence can suffer and they may experience burnout.
Reduction of innovation
The long-term success of a company depends on innovation and out-of-the-box thinking. However, leaders who set the tone can focus too much on results without leaving much room for creativity. As a result, work becomes repetitive and monotonous because innovation is not encouraged. Employees are not enthusiastic about performing their daily tasks and the long-term success of the company can suffer. Although innovative initiatives can be risky, they are important for everyone to feel productive and engaged.
Reduced feedback
In leadership leadership, managers sometimes do not give enough positive feedback to their teams. They take over or delegate tasks when someone is struggling instead of investing in giving feedback to help them improve. They are good at giving instructions, but do not always congratulate people for their success. This behavior is harmful because the majority of employees work harder when they receive positive feedback.
Conclusion
This leadership style has many benefits, but it can also be detrimental to a company and its employees if not implemented properly. Some team members may need more guidance and lack the confidence or skills needed to work independently and quickly, and pushing them can lead to burnout and harm the success of the organization. Therefore, leaders should avoid setting unreasonable expectations and instead demonstrate trust in their employees and provide regular feedback by pointing out both positive aspects and areas for improvement.