Are you an authoritative leader? Do you possess an abundance of self-confidence, empathy, and capacity for change? If the authoritative style resonates with you, you’ll be glad to know that, according to Daniel Goleman’s extensive research, this is the most effective leadership style for improving the workplace.

Chances are when you think of what leadership means, your mind generates images of someone who employs the Authoritative Leadership style. This style is characterized by a clear vision and an ability to inspire teams to work toward goals that can make their vision come true.

Generally speaking, these types of leaders are not interested in micromanaging their people; they are more interested in ensuring that the end goal and ultimate vision is understood so that teams can thrive on inspiration, expand their creativity, and produce results.

However, it’s important to note that although this style has been shown to be incredibly effective, it’s not ideal for every workplace or every situation. For example, authoritative leadership does not benefit workplaces that feature teams of experts or people with high levels of proficiency. And it’s not effective when team members possess more advanced knowledge than their leaders.

The most effective leadership comes from an ability to employ all leadership styles as needed, so it’s important to not only be aware of who you’re leading but to also be aware of your own leadership habits and tendencies.

Key Characteristics of the Authoritative Style

Authoritative leaders benefit their organizations by:

• Bringing an infectious sense of enthusiasm to teams
• Being able to articulate and convey a clear vision
• Identifying clear, attainable goals
• Inspiring teams to buy into a vision and take ownership of their roles
• Infusing the organization with a commitment to achieving results
• Inspiring a workplace climate of positivity
• Providing direction and purpose

As I alluded to above, the Authoritative Leadership style is the one that most closely resembles the conventional idea of what leadership looks like. This kind of leader is a classic type that’s often depicted in literature and the media as an inspiring, visionary, positive force. And because it’s the most effective style, it’s the one that’s most often used by leaders in the real world.

Here’s an example:

Gordon leads the marketing department for a local restaurant chain. Sales have been sluggish and it seems like there’s no escape from the status quo. Change is sorely needed but no one is stepping up to offer a vision of success.

Gordon, who has a high level of self-awareness and recognizes his authoritative leadership attributes, takes it upon himself to set a new tone and direction for the company. He sees a way to change the company’s perspective from making profits to serving customers better (which will, of course, lead to increased sales and greater profitability). His gift is the ability to wrap this new perspective into a single, unifying mission statement that the whole company can understand and use as motivation to perform better for the sake of its customers.

He is not interested in the finer details of how departments will take action — he trusts that his enthusiastic vision is enough to inspire people in the company and he’s there to provide team members with the focus and the belief that they can truly transcend the status quo and become better at serving customers’ needs.

In Gordon’s organization, change was needed but the need for change had to be wrapped up in a message and mission that everyone could understand. This is the essence of the Authoritative Leadership style!

How Can You Leverage Your Authoritative Style?

Self-awareness is the key to success as an authoritative leader. This style is the most conducive of the six leadership styles to creating an ideal workplace climate, but it can also lead to complacency and be less effective in scenarios that call for a different style and approach.

Authoritative leaders can’t just assume that their style is always going to work, so they need to be vigilantly mindful and aware of their organization’s needs. If you are an authoritative leader, you have to be able to accurately take the temperature of your workplace and recognize those times when an adjustment in style is warranted.

Special care must be taken when dealing with teams consisting of people who possess more expertise than you. These individuals need leadership, but your default style may not be effective. By being self-aware and understanding the benefits of all six styles, you can adjust, as needed, to ensure that you leverage your leadership in a way that continuously moves your company forward!

Essential Strategies for Authoritative Leaders

Here are a few strategies you can employ to ensure that your leadership style inspires your team to excel:

1. Reassess your vision and mission from time to time — is it still in the best interest of the company?
2. Examine the types of people you’re working with — if they are knowledgeable experts, you will probably need to employ a different leadership style.
3. Assess the freedom you’re giving to people under your leadership — are they using it in a way that helps them align with the grand vision and move closer to the company’s goals? Or are they squandering it? A clearer mission may need to be developed.
4. Be sure to check in with yourself on occasion — authoritative leaders can become overbearing in a way that undermines the positive spirit that’s been nurtured in the company.
5. Learn to recognize when change is needed and when it’s best to remain with the status quo.

Understanding how to leverage your Authoritative Leadership style doesn’t happen overnight. Self-awareness takes time to cultivate and you’ll probably find yourself in some challenging situations and scenarios where it won’t be clear how to adjust. But the strategies listed here can help you steer the ship in the right direction and put you in a position where you can be the inspirational force your company needs — when it’s needed!

What Do You Think?

What are your thoughts on the Authoritative Leadership style? Have you found success in employing this style? What about those times when being authoritative had something other than the desired effect? We’d love to hear from you, so please don’t hesitate to let us know what you think!

Be sure to stay tuned to the blog — we’ll be covering the Affiliative Leadership style in our next post. See you then!

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