Three styles of Leadership Part II

Jesus Christ is the exemplar of perfection in Directive Leadership.

Today we are looking at the second of three styles of leadership that were given by Brother Neal A. Maxwell as part of an essay entitled "Looking at Leadership" published in . . .A More Excellent Way":  Essays on Leadership for Latter-day Saints (1967), 15-29.

"A second basic pattern of leadership is directive leadership, in which the leader seeks to maintain his greater "psychological size" in relation to the members of the group.  He is the dominant figure and though he may be very sincere and dedicated, he clearly calls the shots and makes the most crucial decisions.

This kind of leadership has these kind of advantages: it often can get results with considerable speed.  It gives followers a sense of action and accomplishment.  It gives them a certain sense of security, especially with a leader who is a rallying point around which they can flock.  It avoids some limitations of group inadequacies, since the leader can call on group members for help where it is appropriate but need not be bound by sharing all decision-making with them.

We have all seen examples of this kind of leadership in a crisis.  It is not a popular form of leadership in some quarters today, but we must be reminded that it has real advantages. . .

Directive leadership also has the potential disadvantage that the leader is often not aware of all the facts and feelings present among the followers. The talents of the followers and members of the group cannot be as fully developed unless they share more extensively in decision-making and implementation.  This kind of leadership can miscarry even with a sincere, dedicated directive leader because he does not strive to mobilize the full resources of his group, nor is he himself always sufficiently omniscient to avoid error.

Directive leadership with all the advantages it possesses can encourage an attitude in some leaders toward followers when they are trying feverishly to impart instructions and information to them.  It is almost as if these leaders in these situations wanted to dispense quickly whatever it was they had to say--instructional or informational-- and be done with it!  There are situations in which we can honestly shift spiritual responsibility by merely telling others, but this should not become  a total leadership style. . .

Very often the talented directive person becomes very impatient with clumsiness and mediocrity in other people.  The talented person may also bridle under the supervision of someone whom he believes to be inferior to himself." ( Church Education System. Principles of Leadership Teacher Manual. Salt Lake City. 2001. pgs 10-11).