Leading in Rehabilitation - Select the Leadership Approach

Original Editor - Jess Bell based on the course by Jason Giesbrecht

Top Contributors - Jess Bell, Kim Jackson and Ewa Jaraczewska  

This article or area is currently under construction and may only be partially complete. Please come back soon to see the finished work! (4/04/2022)

Introduction

There is often a gap between knowing about leadership and actually doing the leading. Bridging this gap can help people in informal and formal leadership roles become capable and influential leaders in rehabilitation. Leaders must be able to:

• Assess the situation
• Select an appropriate leadership approach
• Implement the leadership approach
• Reflect on and learn from the experience

This page focuses specifically on the second step of selecting the optimal leadership approach, based on your assessment of the situation around you.

Leadership Myths

• One leadership approach is the best
• All effective leaders are created at birth
• Leader’s have all the answers
• There is a leadership style that works in all circumstances
• Great leaders are always in the spotlight
• Leadership is about position or rank
• The leader is always in the front
• All true leaders are charismatic
• Effective leaders achieve results through control and authority
• The best leaders have the most education

Defining Leadership Style, Leadership Theory and Leadership Competency

Leadership competency refers to a single leadership skill, such as conflict management.

Leadership theory is when a number of leadership competencies or skills are grouped together. Examples include trait theory, contingency theory etc.

Leadership style, approach, framework or model all refer to the way in which a leader has chosen to lead (e.g. servant leadership). It involves a number of leadership characteristics. In this page, these terms are synonymous and can be used interchangeably.

Leadership Approaches

This page will discuss eight common leadership approaches:

• Transformational
• Transactional
• Charismatic
• Servant
• Laissez-Faire (Delegative)
• Authoritarian (Autocratic)
• Participative (Democratic)
• Coaching

Transformational Leadership Approach

“Transformational leaders, on the other hand, generally favour open cultures, organic structures, adaptable systems and flexible procedures. Accordingly, they seek to encourage creativity, change, experimentation and risk-taking.”

Transformational leaders demonstrate authentic, visionary leadership that inspires followers to achieve.

The key components of transformational leadership are:

• Individualised consideration
  • The leader considers, and listens to their followers' needs, acting as a mentor or coach
• Idealised influence
  • The leader acts as a role model for ethical behaviour. They establish pride, and are able to gain respect and trust
• Inspirational motivation
  • The leader creates a vision that appeals to and inspires followers
• Intellectual stimulation
  • The leader challenges assumptions, takes risk, asks for their followers ideas and encourages creativity

Transactional Leadership Approach

“Transactional leadership is characterized by the use of contingent rewards and sanctions, i.e. rewards and sanctions that are linked to employee behaviours, efforts, or results.”

Transactional leadership focuses on the role of supervision, organisation, structure, process, and  performance; the leader achieves follower compliance through rewards and punishments:

• Directive and action oriented
• Focused on maintaining the status quo
• Rewards effort and good performance
• Corrects or punishes to improve performance
• Power comes from formal authority or position
• Followers are expected to obey instructions

Charismatic Leadership Approach

'Charismatic leadership is thus defined as “values-based, symbolic, and emotion-laden leader signaling”'.

In charismatic leadership, the leader’s authority is derived from their charm, persuasiveness, and charisma:

• Leaders are skilled communicators (verbally eloquent)
• They connect with and influence followers on a deeply emotional level with a passion for a vision
• They use their engaging personality and effective communication style to gain the admiration, inspiration, and motivation of followers

Servant Leadership Approach

“Servant leadership is a holistic leadership approach that engages followers in multiple dimensions (e.g., relational, ethical, emotional, spiritual), such that they are empowered to grow into what they are capable of becoming.”

In servant leadership, the leader exists to serve; helping others to develop and perform:

• Servant leaders share power and put the needs of their followers first
• They acknowledge other people's perspectives, offer support, collaborate with followers in decisions, and build a sense of community within the team
• They value people, humility, listening, trusting, caring, integrity, serving others before oneself, collaboration, and learning

Laissez-Faire (Delegative) Leadership Approach

It has been said that “laissez-faire leadership is a passive and ineffective way to lead […] by being ‘laissez-faire’, leaders do not interfere with their followers and thereby avoid their leadership responsibilities. Laissez-faire leadership has been shown to undermine followers’ satisfaction with their job and their leader, and also followers’ perceptions of leader effectiveness.”

Laissez-faire leaders give authority to the followers to make decisions.

• Followers are allowed to work as they choose with no interference from the leader; minimal support or direction is provided
• Group members are given the space to solve their own problems
• Greater freedom and responsibility require a high degree of follower competency
• The leader offers tools and resources to followers

Self-Managed Teams

Self-managed teams work towards goals set by the leader whereas self-directed teams work towards intrinsic goals.

Self-managed and self-directed teams:

• Function independent from leadership yet are dependent on each other
• Determine their schedules, priorities, and work assignments
• Hold each other accountable for performance, goals achievement, and behaviour

Authoritarian / Autocratic Leadership Approach

“Authoritarian leadership refers to a leader’s behavior of asserting strong authority and control over subordinates and demanding unquestioned obedience from them.”

In this approach, the leader is focused on being the “boss”.

• Leader holds all authority and decision making responsibility
• Rapid action is required (often)
• There is minimal flexibility for followers
• Highly structured and rigid work environment
• Focused on policies, procedures, and rules
• The leader dictates all work methods and processes
• Creativity tends to be discouraged
• Leader directs, commands, and rebukes

Participative / Democratic Leadership Approach

“Participative team leadership involves actively encouraging followers to express their own opinions and perspectives and using their ideas to make relevant decisions, thereby fostering shared influence processes within the group."

In the participative approach, the leader acts as a guide and mentor for followers.

• They make a final decision after receiving input from the others
• Followers are involved in decisions and encouraged to participate in problem solving
• Leader encourages creativity and innovation through collaboration and facilitation
• There is two-way communication and information sharing between leader and followers

What is the difference between a democratic approach and an authoritarian approach?

• Autocratic (authority) - the leader tells the team to do X
• Laissez-faire (authocracy) - the leader tells the team to do X or Y as they see fit
• Democratic (autonomy) - the leader asks the team which is best - X or Y?

Coaching Leadership Approach

“Coaching leadership assumes that those who undergo coaching are able to develop, derive solutions and meet challenges.”

A leader who adopts the coaching approach is focused on developing others.

• This approach assumes the person being coached has the answers within
• The leader asks powerful open ended questions to make the unconscious, conscious
• The leader is empathetic, curious, and self aware
• Most effective in helping others improve performance or develop strengths

Situation Awareness and Reality Testing

Figure 1. Situation Awareness and Reality Testing.

Situation awareness is "the perception of the elements in the environment within a volume of time and space, the comprehension of their meaning, and the projection of their status in the near future" (see Figure 1). Reality testing refers to the ability to assess differences between what is experienced and what objectively exists. These concepts are discussed in detail here. They are important steps in assessing and understanding a situation.

In order to select the optimal leadership approach, the leader needs to:

• Assess the situation
• Consider goals, priorities and desired outcomes:
  • It is important to ask:
    • What do I want to achieve in this situation?
    • What steps are required to achieve the optimal outcome?
    • What are the important considerations in this situation?
    • What might get in the way of success?

• From here, the leader can select the leadership approach

Select the Optimal Leadership Approach

The following two tables summarise the key attributes of each leadership approach and the risks, challenges and risk mitigation strategies associated with each approach. They can act as a guide when selecting a leadership approach.

Table 1. Selecting the Optimal Leadership Approach.

Approach	Key Attributes and Focus	Works Best When…
Transformational	Inspiration, vision, follower development, coaching, role modelling, motivation, and creativity	Launching a new team, project or initiative; setting a new course
Transactional	Operational management, supervision, direction, action / detail-oriented, obedience, and performance monitoring	Overseeing operations of a department; monitoring policy compliance
Charismatic	Emotional connection, confidence, admiration, inspiration, motivation, charm, persuasion, and passionate vision	Passionately inspiring others to embrace a future vision
Servant	Listens, trusts, supports, empowers, collaborates, develops, humble, service of others, power shares, and cares	Empowering a team or person to solve a challenging problem
Laissez-Faire / Delegative	Entrust, minimal support, independence, autonomy, freedom, and responsibility	Assign a project to a competent and capable self-directed team or person
Authoritarian	Inflexible, strict, structured, commanding, directive, courage, centralized power, controlling, expects conformity, strength	Emergency situation such as a fire drill, accident, or evacuation; layoffs
Participative / Democratic	Guidance, mentoring, consultation, engagement, creativity, communication, relationships, diversity of opinion	A team develops their team vision, mission, or goals;  low risk decisions
Coaching	Develops others, asks questions, uncovers solutions,  empathic, curious, inspires trust	A person is unsure on a career choice decision and seeks assistance.