By Lydia Vidal. Leading is not just about making decisions; it is also about communicating in a way that gets your team to commit and act. Different communication styles generate different impacts on people and results, and recognising our communication style allows us to become aware of how we impact our team and what adjustments we can make to increase clarity, connection and motivation.
Do you know how you communicate?
To understand the results you get - and to be able to adjust the way you lead and communicate - the first step is to become aware of how you are doing it. Here are some of the most commonly described communication styles in the literature and research.
1. Managerial / authoritarian style
- What it is: Give clear instructions, control the process and expect compliance.
- Practical example: Useful in crisis situations or with inexperienced teams.
- In the classic study that identifies this authoritarian leadership style, he also describes the democratic and laissez-faire styles, showing how they affect group behaviour.
2. Persuasive / motivational style
- What it is: Inspire, communicate vision and enthuse the team to mobilise efforts.
- Practical example: Ideal when strategic projects are launched or a cultural change is required.
- Daniel Goleman describes six leadership styles based on emotional intelligence, including the visionary/motivational style that inspires and mobilises teams.
3. Participatory / democratic style
- What it is: Involve the team in decisions, encourage debate and collaboration.
- Practical example: It works well for developing creative solutions and generating commitment.
- It highlights the importance of involving the team in decision-making to increase commitment and creativity.
4. Coaching style
- What it is: Listen, ask powerful questions and guide the team so that they
- find your own solutions.
- Practical example: It promotes individual development and autonomy in high-performance teams.
- John Whitmore defines coaching leadership as a style focused on listening, asking powerful questions and developing the capabilities of others.
5. Delegation style
- What it is: Define objectives and limits, but allow the team to decide how to achieve the results.
- Practical example: Perfect with competent and motivated employees; promotes trust and responsibility.
- Situational leadership model: Delegation is appropriate when the team has the necessary competencies and motivation.
6. Adaptive style
- What it is: Adjusting communication and approach according to the situation and the interlocutor.
- Practical example: Key in changing environments where the challenges and motivations of the team vary constantly.
- Adaptive leadership requires adjusting communication and approach according to the situation and people to maximise effectiveness.
As we say, to lead is to communicate. Therefore, transforming our knowledge and experience into conversations that generate confidence, motivation and results has as a starting point recognising our own current communication style and decide which one we want to evolve towards.
Doing so is not about changing who we are, but about adapting our way of communicating so that our messages are really heard, understood and mobilise those around us.
Steps to lead through communication:
- Lee el entorno / Read the roomobserve the context, the team's signals and the general climate before communicating.
- Is the time right?Adjust your message to the timing and readiness of the team. Sometimes waiting or preparing the ground better maximises impact.
- Detects team emotionAdapt your communication according to their emotional state: motivated, worried, tired or enthusiastic.
- Talk about your need, don't try to convinceOpen conversation and listening to each other's proposals allows for the integration of ideas and the co-creation of solutions.
- Connect with what mattersLink your message to the interests, challenges or aspirations of your listeners. Make them feel understood and valued.
It is about showing a conscious leadership style, which involves be fully present in every interactionIt means observing not only what is said, but how it is said and how it is received. It means recognising one's own and the team's emotions, managing them in ways that foster clarity and connection, and acting with the intention of building trust and collaboration.
A conscious leader communicates with purpose, listening actively, sensing the nuances of the environment and adjusting their message to really make an impact and mobilise those around them.
Questions to reflect on your communication style:
- What percentage of your conversations do you actually seek listening and understanding to the team?
- When you speak, do you connecting with what is important for those who listen to you?
- Do you usually try to convince or open conversations where both parties can enriching the proposal?
- Do you read the signals from the environment and equipment before communicating your message?
In the end, leading is much more than making decisions, leading is communicating. our knowledge and our ideas to generate confidence, motivation and results.
Every conversation is an opportunity to connect with what really matters, to listen and be heard, and to mobilise the team towards shared goals.
Recognising our current style and deciding where we want to evolve allows us to lead with authenticity, clarity and purpose, making our words not only heard, but truly leave your mark in those around us.
Sources:
- Lewin, K., Lippitt, R., & White, R. K. (1939). Patterns of aggressive behaviour in experimentally created social climates. Journal of Social Psychology, 10, 271-299.
- Goleman, D. (2000). Leadership that gets results. Harvard Business Review.
- Lewin et al., 1939; Yukl, G. (2013). Leadership in Organisations.
- Whitmore, J. (2009). Coaching for Performance.
- Hersey, P., & Blanchard, K. H. (1969). Management of Organizational Behavior: Utilizing Human Resources.
- Heifetz, R. A., & Linsky, M. (2002). Leadership on the Line. Harvard Business School Press.
