Which Leadership Style Are You?

In my life I have had the privilege of meeting a variety of “executive” leaders. Anything from business leaders, political leaders, to spiritual leaders. It has been a pleasure to watch the different leadership styles and learn from each of them. In each leader, you can learn something. You can learn traits that you want to examine and make your own, or you can learn leadership traits that you want to stay away from.

There are three types of leadership styles I want to show you for our discussion today.
1. I was sitting with a Mayor in the last couple of days and his leadership style was quite apparent. He asked me a couple of personal questions but yet made sure I knew about his agenda and tried recruiting me to help him.
2. I was with a pastor when we were just talking about life in general. All he did was talk about his stories. He asked very little but was more interested in hearing himself speak.
3. The third person was a business leader who owned a very successful company. Talking with him, he was more interested in my story and teaching me how to be a better person.

Although there are three leadership styles represented here, there was only one of them that after I left, I felt more validated, appreciated, and as if the person truly cared for me. One leader had an agenda. One leader had a self confidence issue. One leader cared about me. When I left each of the different meetings, there is only one of them I would go back to; I bet you know exactly which one because you are probably like me in this area; I wanted to know leader three more.

You have probably been in similar situations. Maybe not with a “popular leader” but with a friend or acquaintance. Which leadership style has affected you in the positive way? Was it the one that was sucking life out of you or the one who was energizing you? Have you been that way to someone else? When people get around you, are they better off with you there or when you are gone?

I want to be completely transparent, I have been all three leaders at different times. I am not proud of it but I have been in situations where I had a selfish motive and wanted to make sure I was recruiting people to be apart of my time. Then there has been times when I enjoyed hearing my story over someone else’s. In fact, in this case most of the time, you miss a real opportunity to learn about someone. Then there has been times when I cared more about the other person then I did myself. For me, leadership style number three is my goal. Why? I genuinely care about people. I care about where they are coming from. I care about their story. I care about what God is doing in their life.

Everyone of us are leaders in some capacity. In your family, work, relationships or maybe even your sport; we lead. How do you lead? I have had people tell me, “Taylor you care more about me then I care about me.” Why? This is because I try to lead out of leadership style number three. I want to ask questions, get involved in their life. Find out what they are going through to see how I can help them.

When you genuinely care for someone in that aspect, you will see their life as an investment instead of an inconvenience. When you do this, you will have influence in their life. When you have influence in their life, you can make a lasting impact!

In our next discussion I want to talk to you about what God is doing in a couple of situations in my life right now. Stay tuned.

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