Most organizations have good leaders, a good leader may help the organization meet its goals, but an outstanding leader sets the firm apart. He gives the organization the upper hand in the market. There are attributes or qualities that an outstanding leader must have. A Few of those qualities include being focused, a problem solver, honest, committed, confident, creative, and have a positive attitude ( Goleman, 2000) . While these attributes are important in an organization, they also apply in any field where leadership skills are required. Additionally, those attributes are what separates a manager from a leader. A leader not only oversees but also participates in the team. Owing to such, it is necessary that any leader matches his/ her leadership style to the development level of the workforce or people he/ she is leading. As discussed herein, mismatching the leadership style to the development level of the workforce has detrimental impacts on the organization.
Before delving into the undesired impacts of mismatching leadership style to the development levels of the worker, it is necessary to understand their various development levels. A workforce may fall into several development levels first, enthusiastic beginners. Members who fall into this category portray qualities such as curiosity, optimistic, excited, eager, hopeful, and they are inexperienced. As such, members that fall under this level require their leader to set for them clear goals and roles, recognize their enthusiasm (Imperial College London). Therefore, beginner requires a directive leadership style. The second development levels comprise of disillusioned learners. These members are confused, overwhelmed, demoralized, frustrated and discourages. The coaching style of leadership would befit this group because it would set clear goals, perspective, praise worker for improving, help in analyzing strengths and weaknesses, and explain why the task is important. The third category of development comprises of capable but cautions performers (Imperial College London). This group portrays caution, self-critics, they are capable and doubtful. Supporting leadership style is the best for this group. Self-reliant achievers form the last the last development level. The category is characterized by self-assured, self-reliant, self-directed, autonomous, confident and inspired workforce. The delegating leadership style suits the workers that fall into this category because it will challenge, mentor, trust, acknowledge their contribution and share knowledge with them (Imperial College London). After looking at the different development levels, it is easier to understand the various impacts that mismatching would yield.
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Low staff morale is the first impact of mismatching the leadership style to the development level of the people being led. All development levels require proper leadership style because each leadership style had different approaches. Leadership style mismatch is synonymous to friction in this case. Friction is the force responsible for stopping motion (in science). In an organization as well, the mismatch would slow the momentum of progress. For example, using directive leadership style to the self-reliant achievers will definitely lead to low staff morale because such a development level does not require direction but challenge and mentoring (Spielman, 2017). Consequently, introducing delegating leadership style to the enthusiastic beginners will generate doubt in the workforce, and with time, the worker will lose morale.
Wastages of resources is another impact of mismatching leadership style with the development level of the workforce. Every organization or entity aims to attain the highest possible efficiency in their work. It is, therefore, the responsibility of the leader to ensure that each section of workers receives the appropriate leadership style failure to do so always results into wastage of resource. One of the most precious resources in any organization is time. Mismatched leadership style will result in friction between the workforce and their leader hence slowing the organization’s productive processes down (Ragab,2014). For example, a self-reliant worker will lose morale under the supervision of a directive leader. As such, he/ she will lose the working morale and thus become inefficient. In some cases, the worker may rebel or ignore his/ her leader’s orders thus bringing in the conflict in the organization.
The third impact of leadership mismatch is that it leads to conflicts within the organization. Since organizations are highly dependent on coherence and co-operation, mismatched leadership style will inhibit the necessary harmony. Conflict in an organization is equivalent to introducing a force that is pulling in a different direction from the rest of the workers. For example, a directive leader overseeing the work of a self-reliant employee will most likely lead to conflict because the worker will feel intimidated and belittled. Since both self-reliant worker and a directive leader hold esteemed positions in the organization, resolving such a conflict will distort the harmony in the organization for extended periods.
The other consequence of mismatching leadership style and workforce’s development level is the reduction is in the overall organization’s productivity. The coherence and cooperation aforementioned affect the overall outcome of the organization. The breakdown at any stage of production due to leadership mismatch will guarantee lower overall output. Lower output translates to losses in the organization. Additionally, friction at workplaces due to mismatch leadership may impair the reputation of the firm if the problems go unchecked (Ragab, 2014). The combination of reduced output and severed reputation would drag an organization to the ground quickly.
In conclusion, leadership skills greatly determine the success of an organization. The workforce of any organization possesses varied abilities depending on the level of development of an individual. There are four developmental levels in any organization namely the enthusiastic beginners, disillusioned learners, capable but cautions performers, and lastly Self-reliant achievers. Each developmental level requires a different leadership style. Mismatching the leadership style amongst these development levels will result in lower staff morale, wastage of resources, conflicts, and reduced productivity. In order to avoid mismatching the leadership styles with the development levels, it is necessary to understand the capabilities of the workforces at each category.
Reference
Goleman, D. (2000). Leadership that gets results: Harvard business review, 78(2), 4-17.
Ragab, A. (2014). The Impact of Poor Leaders on Employees LinkedIn Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20141022083516-52718218-the-impact-of-poor-leaders-on-employees
Spielman, C. (2017). 5 Negative Consequences of Hiring a Bad Leader: Select International: Select Perspectives Blog. Retrieved from http://www.selectinternational.com/blog/consequences-of-hiring-a-bad-leader
Imperial College London. Situational Leadership: Matching development level to leadership style. Retrieved from http://www.imperial.ac.uk/media/imperial-college/administration-and-support-services/staff-development/public/impex/Situational-Leadership.pdf
