Procurement Perspectives: The question of management style

The fact that the style of a leader can serve as an effective leadership tool is a possibility that is often overlooked.

Leadership is a development process that requires training and practice. However, it would be a mistake to assume there is only one type of leader and that all training must be oriented towards leaders of that single type.

Much as there are different sources of authority, there are different types of leaders.

The number of such different types perhaps equals the number of leaders, for in a certain sense each leader is unique. Most, however, can be classed by reference to the way they exercise their authority as leaders.

Some common approaches include:

• Affiliation-oriented leaders work to maintain a pleasant work environment and provide job security and other benefits.
• Autocratic leaders provide clear instructions, solicit input and motivate using discipline and reward.
• Coercive leaders expect immediate compliance with given directions. They solicit little or no input and control subordinates through the use of influence, interaction, discipline and coercion.
• Democratic leaders believe that individuals and groups function best when allowed to work together. They tend to feel that close supervision or very detailed instructions either are not necessary, or that they imperil initiative.
• Empowering leaders adopt a laissez-faire approach. They are themselves as developing their subordinates so that they can achieve and have high standards of performance. They delegate authority and allow followers flexibility in setting and completing tasks.
• Pacesetting leaders are emphatic by nature. They perform technical activities as well as manage. They set high standards for themselves and others, but often have little concern for interpersonal relations and will resign work if employee ability or performance is substandard.
• In addition, there are also technocrat, oligarch and action, transformation and dominant leaders.

The term “leadership style” describes a general or overall approach towards leadership. In broad terms leadership is the way in which leaders’ supervisors and otherwise discharge their responsibility ties as leaders.

However, the definition is somewhat circular, for the style of leadership adopted heavily influences what a leader perceives his or her responsibilities to be.

A leader’s style reveals over time his beliefs and the nature of his personality, and the style will also dictate the manner in which the leader behaves.

The style of a leader is best determined by reference to actual performance rather than declared intent, for actual behaviour paints a far more vivid and accurate picture of what the leader is about.

Often leaders proclaim that they are generous, empathetic, people-oriented individuals, either because they believe that such declarations will lead to greater power and responsibility being entrusted to them, or because they see those qualities as desirable whether they believe they possess them or not.

If, however, a leader’s behaviour confirms that he or she is hard-nosed, task-oriented and indifferent to the welfare of those who serve under him, then any declaration to the contrary is irrelevant.

For this reason, it is essential for the constituency that selects a new leader to pay close attention to the past record of each candidate when making the selection. Proven ability to lead successfully is only one criterion that should be considered by an organization in selecting leadership.

It is also necessary to consider whether the style of leadership employed by a candidate is compatible with the nature of the organization.

There are a variety of tools that leaders may employ in seeking to build consensus within the organizations. These include identifying who the consensus leaders are within the organization and putting in the effort necessary to develop a good relationship with them.

To this end, casual conversations may be used to float ideas and to gain an initial response. Ideas can be modified in the light of that response.

Stephen Bauld is a government procurement expert and can be reached at swbauld@purchasingci.com. Some of his columns may contain excerpts from The Municipal Procurement Handbook published by Butterworths.