Moving Beyond -isms - A Fresh Look at Leadership


Traditional organizational hierarchies placing managers, leaders and employees at different levels of organizational authority and importance are becoming obsolete in these so called post-industrial and information eras that are once again rapidly transforming into something else

Traditional organizational hierarchies placing managers, leaders and employees at different levels of organizational authority and importance are becoming obsolete in these so called post-industrial and information eras that are once again rapidly transforming into something else.

Some of us are kind of experts, and many more others have to make important decisions at work irrespective of the organizational standing. What is more, to innovate and create products and services, most organizations utilize team effort, something that is likely to blur the traditional boundaries between leaders and subordinates. These outmoded notions that previously defined services and products as distinct domains are evaporating, as well. All these changes challenge us to define leadership anew, if we still want to take this social-psychological idea and institution - let alone leadership roles - seriously, that is.

Be that as it may, it is interesting to try novel approaches to leadership. Very broadly defined, leadership refers to various ways we use to influence others’ actions and behavior, while in a more narrow sense leadership refers to the facilitation of the realization of organizations’ visions. Besides the one presented above, other models, like the distinction between transactional and transformational leadership or Goleman’s six leadership styles - commanding, pacesetting, democratic, affiliative, coaching and visionary - have all affected how we talk about leadership today.

The Mindfindr leadership analysis covers two other leadership characterizations besides a general 5-level estimate of the strength of overall leadership tendencies of an assessed person. The model embraces the idea that irrespective of the context of leadership an individual may have varying potential for four different leadership types. These are process, results-oriented, developmental and change leadership. The third leadership aspect further describes the relative strength of eight leadership styles in the assessed.

Take a Mindfindr test to find out your relative scores for the leadership styles of: The Resolute Implementer, The Empathic Maintainer, The Participating Problem Solver, The Participating Supporter, The Strategic Implementer, The Visionary Facilitator, The Analytic Pioneer and The Inspiring Coach.