Best Leadership Style for Volunteers?

Daniel C. Olsen, Senior Consultant, SDAO

Question

What is the best style of leadership for volunteers?

I have just been promoted to a position of leadership with our volunteers. I am curious about the best style of leadership for volunteers. Several individuals have offered me advice, but they are all different. It is confusing. I want to do well but which leadership do I choose to be the most effective?

Response

This is a question often asked: what is the best leadership style?

You will encounter different opinions from individuals. If you google “leadership” will get 2,850,000 results. There is a great deal written about leadership. So, yes, it can be very confusing when people offer their advice about leadership.

I remember when there were three styles of leadership (autocratic, democratic, and laissez-faire). Now there are many more leadership models. So, it really can be confusing.

To help answer your question, I ask you to consider four elements:

·       Your personality

·       Your principles and values

·       Your priorities

·       Your perspective

Your personality

You already have a leadership style but may not be aware of it.

You do not necessarily choose your leadership style. Your leadership style is an extension of your personality.

While this is a vast area of discussion, let us start by asking two questions.

·       First, given a choice, which is more important, the task or the relationship?

·       Second, given a choice, are you more likely to tell others or ask others?

These two choices tell you a great deal about how you interact with others and direct them.

What is your personality style? Are you a “hard charger” or prefer to work with others? Are you a thinker or a convincer? Do you have a fast-paced approach or a slower approach? Are you more extroverted or more introverted?

You can change your clothes easily but not your personality. However, as you become more experienced, you will learn to adapt and adjust your style to the people and situations you are dealing with at the time.

Always remember your behavior, leadership style, and send a powerful and lasting message to others.

Your principles and beliefs

·       What principles are important to you?

·       What guides your thoughts, speech, and behavior?

·       How do you make decisions?

·       What are the ethical and moral positions that define your character and integrity?

·       What are your values?

As a leader, do you have a clear vision about your direction?

Planning provides a direction for your future, and it also identifies factors that you will confront and problems to overcome.

Leaders need to be honest. A leader is a person of integrity. A person that others trust.

Tell the truth. Do what is right. And that often takes courage especially when it unpopular.

What are your principles and beliefs? Can you clearly list yours?

Examples of leadership beliefs include.

·       Leaders have a clear plan and communicate it to others.

·       People have value and are assets to your organization.

·       Treat everyone with dignity, understanding and respect.

·       Coach and develop others

·       Focus on opportunities

·       People will make mistakes and have failures…It is part of learning.

Examples of values include:

·       Honesty

·       Accountability

·       Empathy

·       Respect

·       Courage

Examples of leadership include

·       Clear vision

·       Collaboration

·       Passion

·       Open-mindedness 

·       Humility and desire to learn (learn, love, let go, more on)

·       Adaptability, and flexibility

·       Empowerment

·       Innovation

Your priorities

With your priorities, what is the most important? the second most important? and so on.

As a leader, and individual, you must make choices.

What is important to the organization? What is important to you?

You should be able to clearly list your priorities and priorities of your organization.

Your perspective

How do you see others? How do you see the situation are dealing with at the time?

How do you see other people? Are they assets or entities to be controlled? Some may see control as their primary mode of operating. Others may see encouragement and uplifting as their primary mode of operating.

“How do you see the glass of water? Half-full or half empty?” Do you see

Opportunity and Optimism or obstacles and pessimism?

You have already chosen your leadership style. Although, you may not be aware.

As you gain experience, you may modify or modify and adjust your leadership style to the particular situation and people involved. You will learn to weigh the urgency and timing of your decision. You will learn to understand the impact of your actions in the long term. You will better understand how to temper your approach in working with others, especially in sensitive situations.

One last question…

Are you being honest and authentic? No hidden agenda. No manipulation. Working to develop solutions that are mutually beneficial to all involved.

Ask for feedback from your peers. This is best done in low-pressure situations. Then work your way up to higher-stakes scenarios. Say something like: “Can you give me some sense of what I should keep doing, start doing, and stop doing?” Listen to the feedback you receive. Focus on the positive.

With time and experience, you will learn and refine your leadership skills. Seek constant improvement.

Summary

Do people know who you are? Do they connect with? Do they trust you? Yes, you do need to be competent, but others need to trust you in order to willingly follow you. They need to trust you in order to be willing to take risks with you. You need to be genuine and true to who you are. You need to be your “best self,”

Your best style of leadership is being the best person and leader you can become.