~by Haley Lynn Gray~
Duke put us through a great many surveys and reflection exercises on strengths, weaknesses and leadership style. Some results surprised me. Others confirmed what I already suspected.
The most useful finding was that my style is highly collaborative. I want input. I want the people closest to the work to shape the decision. And I’d rather reach a good answer together than a slightly faster one alone.
What collaborative leadership is good at
Better decisions where the facts are distributed. The person doing the work knows things you don’t, and asking is the only way to get at them.
Commitment rather than compliance. People execute a plan they helped shape considerably better than one handed to them.
And it surfaces problems earlier, because the habit of asking makes it normal to answer honestly.
What it’s bad at, and this took longer to learn
Speed. Some decisions need making now, by one person. Consulting in a crisis isn’t inclusive, it’s a delay everyone else has to absorb.
Clarity about who decides. Collaboration done carelessly leaves people unsure whether they were consulted or given a vote. That’s worse than being told — unclear decision rights cause more resentment than unpopular decisions do.
And the unpopular call. Some decisions won’t win agreement, and waiting for it is a way of avoiding them. Part of leading is making the decision nobody likes and carrying it.
What I do about it now
I say which mode we’re in. “I’d like your input and I’ll decide by Friday,” or “this one’s decided, here’s the reasoning.” Both are fine. Confusing them isn’t.
I decide quickly on reversible things. If it can be undone cheaply, consultation is usually a waste of everyone’s time.
And I ask the quiet people directly. Collaborative leadership that only hears the confident voices isn’t collaborative at all.
Why knowing your style matters
Not to fix it — a natural style is difficult to change and usually worth keeping. But knowing it tells you where your blind spots are, and what to compensate for.
Collaborative leaders under-decide. Directive leaders under-consult. And the research suggests the right style depends on the team you have: reflective leadership works best with proactive people, direction works better with a team waiting to be told.
So the useful questions aren’t “what’s my style?” so much as: what does my style miss, and does it fit the people I actually have?
That’s the reflection worth doing — with or without the surveys.
