What leadership type should I choose?

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What leadership type should I choose!

To select one leadership type over another may not work for your particular situation. In this brief article, three leadership types are analyzed.

By Lars G. Harrison

People in the past have asked me what leadership type I use in my work. To say that I am a follower of one type of leadership over another, is not entirely correct. I report and analyze on the various types of leadership and the skill-set required for each. The various leadership types can briefly be described this way:

Principle-centered leadership is focused on the principles rooted in the unchanging laws that govern human and organizational effectiveness. This could easily be restated to imply that godly immutable laws affect all of us. Breaking them causes harm to the individual and to society, and keeping them allows for individual and organizational success;
Character-based leadership is rooted in the belief that principles are not complete by themselves in leading people to greatness. Often principles kept for a long time becomes character. The chain of creating the future through character-based leadership methods goes something like this: "Thoughts (thinking on Principles) leads to Action, Acting on Principles leads to Habits, Habits lead to Character, Character then leads to creating your future or Destiny." Character in this regard refers to ones moral and ethical structure. However, the problem is that people tend to only briefly embrace principles and shortly thereafter return to their set behavior and character. A moral and ethical character structure must become the essence and operating motive in every situation before a perfect moralistic and ethical leader could emerge. But it should be realized that being a great character-based leader is not an insurance for effective performance;
Value-based leadership focuses on adding value to the entire process. In some instances, this type may overlook the aspect of being the nice guy on the block and rather focus on adding value to the leadership process. It is an organization's responsibility to add quality (value) to each service and product delivered to its customers. Corporate America rate leaders on their vision for the organization and their final performance of that vision. The general public often rate leaders on their character or principles followed.

I believe that in order to be the very best leader you need to:

follow principles (correct ones);
develop a character that produce a moral and ethical work force that provides excellent service to the organization's (or the individual's) customers and assume corporate social responsibility involvement within its community and environment, through improving business and social conditions (following grandma's edict "leave the place better off than you found it");
Add value to each process, product and service delivered to your customers.

Leadership is very much about performance. It is about doing the right things. And in many ways, the board and the stockholders could care less what principles you follow or if you are moral and ethical in leading the organization. What they care about is your performance. The bottom-line is the P&L statement or your quarterly views and other trends that will indicate the stock price.
Because of my moral and ethical belief system, I cannot neglect my duty and responsibilities to mankind and the environment as a leader, but as well, I cannot refuse to acknowledge nor neglect that my job security is based on what value I can give to the customer and the stockholders and my and my organization's quarterly performance.
So to sum it up, leadership is about all three, but in the war model that corporate America is based on ("business is war" principle), and the damnable Darwinist "survival of the fittest" belief--that nature does not exhibit--producing by adding value and performance excellence according to business objectives are what a business leader must consider before anything else. If he/she instead is a spiritual or community leader, exhibiting ethics and morality beyond reproach would be higher on the chain of belief. You need to factor in all aspects and requirements of your situation and of your customers and stockholders before you subscribe to a particular leadership type, or an appropriate mix of these.

Lars G. Harrison can be reached at lars_harrison@yahoo.com.