A team is successful and runs progressively smoothly because leaders and the team know how to communicate clearly with each other. A 2024 Gallup poll shows that teams led by leaders who communicate effectively are 25% more productive and 21% more profitable than teams led by ineffective communicators. When communication is clear, there will be few misunderstandings, which means smoother operations and an increase in productivity.
Finding the right leadership style is the key to improving team performance. Here are different leadership styles for effective communication:
1. Transformational Leadership: Inspiring Through Vision
Leaders who are transformational are usually the charismatic ones who motivate followers by creating an inspiring vision and encouraging innovation in the teams. They have an inspiring tone in their communication, which aims to create a sense of purpose and excitement, improving morale and team participation.
How to apply this style:
Leaders can develop this type of leadership by sharing freely the bigger picture and associating individual contributions with overall organizational goals.
This way, the team members are able to see how their work importantly contributes to the company goals rather than vaguely saying, “You are important to the company.”
Rewarding personal achievements and celebrating milestones are important too to keep them motivated.
Put culture first by creating an open, innovative culture where new ideas are cherished. Ensure fairness, be consistent and avoid favoritism to avoid disengagement.
Even though giving out ideas is good for innovation, overloading the team with too many ideas or directions that are not clear can be overwhelming.
As a result, goals can become so unachievable that it can lead to frustration.
To apply this leadership effectively for communication, ensure:
- Setting clear, achievable milestones that align with the vision.
- Break down the big vision into small, actionable goals to keep the team focused and motivated.
- Provide regular progress reports, recording individual and group successes.
2. Democratic Leadership: Encouraging Open Discussion
Democratic leaders believe that in order to succeed, they need to hear voices from the team. This makes everyone feel heard.
So, when everyone feels that their voices are heard and are being considered, they are more likely to be more open and transparent.
How to apply this style:
Conduct frequent meetings where everyone’s point of view counts and include the team in decision-making. To add more, encourage suggestions for change and getting feedback from the team.
However, it is important to remember that when there are too many voices, decision-making becomes slow. Miscommunication risk will also happen if opinions are not blended well.
Therefore, ensure:
- Hold proper meetings with an agenda to guide discussions and decisions.
- Use a mediator or facilitator so that everyone’s voice is heard and focused on the team’s goals.
- Set up a system for organized feedback, prioritizing the most important ideas first.
3. Servant Leadership: Listening and Supporting
Servant leaders care about the growth and well-being of their team members. They focus on active listening and trust building through empathetic communication, making their teams feel heard and supported.
How to apply this style:
Ensure that, as a leader, you should be engaging in active listening by giving your full attention to the team’s concerns.
Don’t forget to give feedback and support without excessive control or unnecessary involvement in things that are not prioritized.
Create an environment of openness where team members feel empowered to share their ideas.
Even though this leadership style gives the team members the full attention, leaders with this leadership style may be at risk of neglecting business goals by overemphasizing team needs. This kind of leadership can also be perceived as too soft or ineffectual.
For a healthy leadership style, make sure to:
- Balance between showing support for team needs and having clearly defined, measurable business goals.
- Set boundaries and expectations and be empathetic and open.
- Check in regularly with the team to be heard, but also make it clear they must grasp business priorities.
4. Transactional Leadership: Clear Expectations and Feedback
Transactional leaders focus on establishing clear goals, rewarding achievement, and maintaining a systematic atmosphere. This leadership works best in situations where efficiency, clarity, and responsibility are required.
How to apply this style:
Leaders must create clear expectations and define how performance will be assessed. They also must provide frequent feedback so people know what is expected. Then, reward outstanding performance and correct problems early to maintain alignment.
However, if there is too much control over how a task should be done, the team can experience frustration and kill creativity and morale. With too much control, which involves immediate clarity, frequent feedback, and quick rewards or corrections, leaders may overlook long-term growth.
Instead of focusing too much on short-term goals like above, leaders with this leadership style must:
- Balance by incorporating short-term goals within a long-term vision.
- Offer some degree of freedom to promote innovation within a structure.
- Regularly check objectives and performance metrics, ensuring they are consistent with both current and future team targets.
5. Laissez-Faire Leadership: Having Faith in Autonomy
Laissez-faire leaders give team members autonomy in decision-making and working independently without being watched. While it promotes autonomy, it relies on effective communication to keep the team in line.
How to apply this style:
For this leadership style, leaders must define the big picture and expectations and then leave your team to get the job done. Schedule for regular check-ins to track progress and provide assistance as needed. Give team members the authority to make decisions but offer direction when needed.
When giving the team to make their own decision too much without clear guidance, it can cause directionlessness. This can lead to misalignment and confusion. Not only that, it can cause performance risk if communication is not maintained.
To make sure communication is maintained with this leadership style, leaders must:
- Set clear expectations and have frequent touchpoints
- Create a feedback loop in which team members can ask questions and report their status.
- Provide training and resources to possess the skills the team members need to do things by themselves.
Conclusion
All the leadership styles have their communication strengths, but the key to it all is understanding the pitfalls and how to overcome them.
By employing transformational, democratic, servant, transactional, or laissez-faire leadership effectively, leaders can foster a culture of open, honest communication that drives team performance.
Leaders can not only boost teamwork but also cultivate long-term success with the appropriate strategy and tools.
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