Adaptive Leadership: When and How to Apply Goleman’s Six Leadership Styles
- Did You Know? Massachusetts employers can take advantage of a free grant that fully funds this course.
Charlesbank Consulting COURSE 02
Length & Modality: 1.5-hour Virtual or Live Instructor-Led Training
Participants: (Size and Recommended Audience)
The audience size for this workshop can be anywhere from 5-25 participants. Designed for CEOs—and aspiring CEOs—as well as company leaders, team leaders, managers of cross-functional teams, and program managers.
Course Overview
When a leader needs to “step up,” or take an action, they have choices about exactly HOW they do it. But not all leadership moments are intentional. Many are reactive without considering the nuanced demands of the context and may not be as effective as they could be. All leaders and aspiring leaders should be aware of how to shift styles according to the needs of the situation. Theorist Daniel Goleman defined 6 different leadership styles:
- Coercive style is used when the leader demands immediate compliance.
- Authoritative style is one that mobilizes people toward a vision.
- Pacesetting styles expect excellence and self-direction.
- Affiliative style centers around building emotional bonds.
- Democratic style puts the emphasis on consensus.
- Coaching style is used by leaders investing in developing people over the long-term.
How often should we apply each of these styles? In a famous article for Harvard Business Review (“Leadership That Gets Results,” 2000), Goleman wrote, “The most effective leaders switch flexibly among the leadership styles as needed…[They] don’t mechanically match their style to fit a checklist of situations — they are far more fluid. They are exquisitely sensitive to the impact they are having on others and seamlessly adjust their style to get the best results.”
It takes time and intention to learn how and when to use each style, but it is time well invested.
Learning Objectives
At the end of the course, participants will:
- Develop deeper knowledge of adaptive leadership within the leadership team
- Identify Goleman’s six different leadership styles
- Build self-awareness around what style they most respond to as a follower and which style they lean into most often as a leader
- Discuss several case studies and explore how leadership styles might impact outcome
Reach out to schedule this course for your team, delivered virtually or in-person.
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