Employing interactional leadership to personalize approach within a dynamic business environment. All leaders and managers have had cause to manage conflict in the workplace. Difficult situations can lead to breakdown
Understanding Leadership Styles
Leadership style defines how a leader approaches their role and interacts with their team. Different styles suit different situations, so understanding them helps leaders adapt as needed. Key styles include autocratic, democratic, laissez-faire, transformational, and servant leadership, each with unique strengths and limitations. Effective leaders often combine these styles to reach their goals.
Autocratic leaders make decisions independently, useful for quick action but often reducing team engagement. In contrast, democratic leaders include team members in decision-making, fostering collaboration and ownership, though it can be time-consuming.
Laissez-faire leaders offer high autonomy, boosting creativity and innovation but sometimes resulting in a lack of direction. Transformational leaders inspire a shared vision, driving change and growth, but rely on strong emotional intelligence and charisma. Finally, servant leaders prioritize serving others—employees, customers, and the community—creating a supportive, ethical environment, though this approach can be perceived as lacking authority.
By leveraging different leadership styles, leaders can adapt to their team’s needs and the demands of each situation, becoming more effective.
Employing interactional leadership to personalize approach.
All leaders and managers have had cause to manage conflict in the workplace. Developing strong leadership abilities is crucial for managers to effectively handle workplace conflicts. Difficult situations can lead to breakdown in communication and the need for managers to adopt care-fronting or confronting styles to resolve issues.
Effective leaders can turn conflict into innovation, but to do so they must manage people flexibly. This brings us to the interactional theory of leadership.
What is the interactional leadership theory?
We understand that people react differently in different situations and that their behavior can be out of character. We also expect leaders to be level-headed and non-emotional. Yet, emotion is a human characteristic that cannot be separated from leaders or managers who aren’t (yet) robots.
Charismatic leaders, known for their personal charm and vision, can effectively inspire and motivate their teams in various situations.
Interactional leadership theory acknowledges that a leaders behavior is determined by their own personality and the situation in which they find themselves. These situations can exhibit any one or more elements, including:
- Circumstance
- Events
- People
- Outside influences (such as rules and regulations)
In short, leaders just like others respond to a complex environment in which many elements interact. Reactions are not always constant because:
- People themselves are complex
- Motivations change over time
- Objectives evolve
- Nature of task, ability, experience, and emotional intelligence all play their part
Key Characteristics of Interactional Leadership
Interactional leadership theory suggests that leadership behavior is shaped by the interplay between the leader’s personality and the situation. This approach acknowledges that no single strategy works universally; leaders must adapt to changing circumstances. Key characteristics include:
- Deep listening and understanding: Effective interactional leaders actively seek to understand their team members’ perspectives and concerns.
- Open-mindedness and non-judgment: Interactional leaders remain receptive to new ideas and feedback, avoiding premature judgments.
- Comfort with ambiguity and complexity: Interactional leaders navigate uncertainty and make informed decisions, even in challenging situations.
- Valuing transparency and collaboration: Interactional leaders believe in openly sharing challenges and involving the team in problem-solving rather than providing solutions alone.
- Clear goal-setting and guidance without giving orders: They offer direction but empower team members to take ownership.
- Servant leadership: Interactional leaders prioritize supporting and developing their team, fostering a culture of growth and learning.
- Thoughtfulness before action: They consider the impact of their actions on the team and organization.
- Careful communication: Interactional leaders use empathy and respect to ensure their words build relationships.
- Foresight and intuition: They anticipate challenges and opportunities through intuitive insight.
- Holistic perspective: Interactional leaders understand the organization’s interconnected elements and relationships.
By embodying these characteristics, interactional leaders effectively navigate complex environments and lead their teams to success.
The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Interactional Leadership
Emotional intelligence (EI) plays a crucial role in interactional leadership. EI involves self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills. Leaders with high EI are better able to understand themselves and others, manage their emotions, and build strong relationships with their team members. This enables them to adapt to changing circumstances and lead effectively in a variety of situations.
Effective leaders with high EI are able to:
- Understand and manage their own emotions: They are self-aware and can regulate their emotions, maintaining composure and making rational decisions even under pressure.
- Recognize and understand the emotions of others: They are empathetic, able to perceive and understand the emotions and perspectives of their team members.
- Use empathy to build strong relationships with team members: They build trust and rapport, creating a supportive and collaborative work environment.
- Communicate effectively and build trust with others: They are skilled communicators who can convey their vision and expectations clearly, fostering open and honest dialogue.
- Manage conflict and difficult situations effectively: They handle conflicts with tact and diplomacy, finding constructive solutions that benefit all parties involved.
- Inspire and motivate team members to achieve their goals: They use their emotional intelligence to inspire and motivate their team, driving engagement and performance.
By developing their emotional intelligence, leaders can become more effective interactional leaders, able to adapt to changing circumstances and lead their teams to success.
How to increase your effectiveness as a leader through transformational leadership
Understanding the effects of your environment on your reactions is the first step to understanding that you must be flexible in your approach.
Effective project management requires leaders to be adaptable and responsive to the needs of their team and the demands of the project.
There is a relationship between you and your people, and this develops through two-way communication. This communication affects action and reaction, and your ability to personalize your behavior is key to resolving disputes, inspiring actions, solving problems, and empowering collaboration and teamwork.
Are you task-oriented or relationship-oriented? Exploring different leadership styles.
Leaders who focus on task manage plans and actions to achieve objectives.
Leaders who focus on relationships interact with employees and operate in a culture of trust, open communication, and mutual respect.
A project manager must balance task-oriented and relationship-oriented approaches to effectively lead their team.
To lead effectively you must transition between these two modes, personalizing your approach to situation and individuals. In emergencies, it is likely that you will employ a more authoritarian approach to benefit from quick and decisive action.
Flexibility in your leadership style enables you to be fluid in your approach, matching it to the complex set of elements in the situational environment.
Situations can encourage acceptance of leadership
Situations play a significant role in determining how employees accept a leader’s style.
For example, an authoritarian approach with a touch of stubbornness may seem inappropriate in typical conditions, potentially leading to distrust and disengagement. Yet, in emergencies, this same approach may be essential to guide a team to stability.
Transactional leadership, centered on clear expectations and rewards, is particularly effective in structured environments.
A prime example is Sir Winston Churchill. Before World War II, Churchill was relatively unpopular in Great Britain, seen as stubborn, single-minded, and even dictatorial. However, these qualities made him an ideal wartime leader and one of history’s most revered figures.
However, Churchill was voted out of office after World War II, as the public viewed him as unsuited for peacetime. Had he been more flexible and adaptable to changing circumstances, he might have stayed in office longer.
In summary
To lead different people and teams effectively, through different circumstances, it is essential that leaders are equipped with the ability to be flexible and lead fluidly.
For your leadership to remain authentic, you must not only have the skillset and emotional intelligence to personalize your approach; you must also ensure that your decisions and actions align with your organization’s values and purpose.
To learn more about developing effective leadership and management skills, connect with Primeast today.
