GREAT LEADERSHIP IS NOT MAGIC OR MYTH, BUT IT TAKES SPECIAL SKILLS, TALENTS, PASSIONS
Modern Styles for Leadership Success There are several defi ned leadership styles. In today’s market, the most common include: • Servant leadership. This concept has been around since the 1970s, but it has grown in popularity over the years. The philosophy is that the leader is a servant fi rst who focuses on the growth and well-being of the people and community they work in. They put the needs of others fi rst and prioritize help- ing their teams develop and perform. Servant leaders share power with others.
• Transformational leadership. This style focuses on change and transformation, so it’s not surprising it is popular in the post- pandemic world where long-term care leaders are faced with the need to grow and apply lessons learned to reinvent the future. Transformational leaders seek to encourage and enable their teams to look ahead, and they identify and strategize for change. These leaders are very goal-focused, with an eye on long-term change, and they encourage their staff to follow suit. They work to help their teams develop the strengths and abilities they will need to be eff ective in the long term.
• Delegative
leadership.The focus of this style is delegating vari- ous tasks, projects, and initiatives to various team members. These leaders prioritize giving their teams the skills and tools they need to be eff ective and then trusting them to do their jobs and make decisions. Instead of micromanaging or closely overseeing day-to-day work, delegative leaders encourage their teams to use their creativity, resources, experience, and insights to meet their goals.
• Empathetic leadership. These leaders focus on understand- ing everyone’s viewpoints and feelings. They express a real interest in their individual team members and seek to appreci- ate how staff think and what motivates them. This style has become increasingly popular in recent years, as it can help build trust, improve communication, and promote engage- ment and loyalty.
• Authentic
leadership.This is another style that has become more in vogue in recent times and focuses on transparency and ethical behaviors and openly and honestly sharing information with the team. The characteristics of these leaders include self-awareness,
Tim Nelson
leading with heart, focus on long-term results, integrity, vision, listening skills, transparency, and consistency.
• Authoritative (visionary) leadership. These leaders think of themselves as mentors to their teams. They aren’t dictators; instead, they set the path for others to follow. They work to promote a sense of accomplishment among their teams by providing direction, guidance, feedback, and motivation.
• Transactional leadership. This leadership style emphasizes reward and punishment. This is less common in most assisted living settings, as cultures have evolved to focus on systems change, root-cause analyses, and avoiding blame and fi nger- pointing. Transactional leaders emphasize structure and re- wards for meeting goals or completing tasks.
• Participative leadership. These leader focus on listening to their employees and involving them in change and decision- making. They are inclusive, good communicators, and able and willing to share responsibility and accountability. As this type of leadership relies heavily on personal relationships and interactions, it can be challenging with remote and hybrid teams.
Whatever style leaders identify
with, most agree that engaging and including teams is essential. As Tim Nelson, a principal at Olympus Retirement Living in Arizona, said, “When everything gets dictated from the top, people aren’t empowered to make deci- sions. Telling people what to do discourages creativity and inno- vation I believe in giving people ownership in the organization.” This can be tricky, Nelson
admitted, “We need to fi nd out what motivates people and help them see the impact of their role in decision-making,” he said, adding that it’s always important to identify rewards that will resonate with each person, such as a new offi ce, time off , or a trip to an educational conference.
“When everything gets dictated from the top, people aren’t empowered to make decisions. Telling people what to do discourages creativity and innovation. I believe in giving people ownership in the organization.”
— Tim Nelson
10 SENIOR LIVING EXECUTIVE JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2023
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