Directive leadership is a leadership style where the leader provides clear guidance and explicit instructions to team members on completing tasks and achieving goals. The leader sets strict goals, defines responsibilities, and establishes clear expectations for their team, leaving little room for team members to make decisions.
In this article, we will discuss the pros and cons of directive leadership and when and how it can be best applied for best results.
What Is Directive Leadership Style?
Martin G. Evans’ path-goal theory, established in 1970, forms the basis for the directive leadership style. This style involves leaders defining team objectives and rules, directing employees’ work goals, and designing the path to achieve them. Direct leaders offer direction coaching, clarify roles and responsibilities, remove obstacles, and occasionally award prizes when appropriate.
This style is one of four behaviors that managers must exhibit to manage their teams effectively. Directive leadership, often seen in the military, is unsuitable for the business sector due to its strict nature and negative interpretation. However, it can be adapted to suit specific circumstances. Modern business leaders are becoming more sensitive to employee opinions and seeking new suggestions to improve their organization and culture. In hierarchical, directive leadership, such input is often frowned upon.
What Are the Characteristics of the Directive Leadership Style?
Directive leadership involves leaders controlling team actions and direction, guiding employees’ work goals and establishing necessary steps, rather than involving team collaboration or employee feedback. Here are some key characteristics that define a directive leader:
- Clear Communication: Directive leaders communicate explicit expectations, task guidelines, and regulations to their subordinates, ensuring they understand and adhere to these expectations.
- Authority: They possess complete control over everything and are the only ones who can make decisions, and without their authorization, nothing can move forward.
- Hierarchy: Directed leadership style relies on hierarchies, as they simplify task assignments due to their clear and rigid structure.
- Task-Oriented: Instead of concentrating solely on relationship building, directive leaders pay attention to management, establishing boundaries, and task orientation..
- Control: Leaders using a directive approach prioritize rigorous controls, believing that more control leads to greater success.
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When to Use Directive Leadership Style
When adopting directive leadership, consistency is of the utmost importance. It sets up routines that are geared to satisfy the stringent goals and deadlines that are set. This leadership style is most appropriate in certain situations because of how it operates. The following are some of the situations in which directive leadership may be advantageous:
Urgent Concerns
When issues at work require a quick resolution, leaders need to know how to direct their staff to take action. In a crisis, acting quickly could mean the difference between someone living or dying.
Workers With Little to No Experience
New people on your team may need to understand better their function and the responsibilities that come with it. In this situation, giving them detailed instructions on what tasks are required and how to perform them enables them to attain their professional goals with self-assurance.
Questions That Cannot Be Negotiated
There is no room for negotiation regarding certain matters concerning particular policies. For instance, you may face a scenario involving health and safety regulations or compliance requirements. If these guidelines are followed, you can avoid losing your job.
Other settings where directive leadership can be effective:
- In military settings where a hierarchical structure and transparent chain of command are necessary
- In the corporate world, directive leadership may be appropriate when dealing with short-term projects or tasks that require a fast solution.
- When innovation and new ideas are not the primary focus, directive leadership can help streamline decision-making and maintain order and control.
However, directive leadership style has its downsides and should be avoided in certain circumstances:
- Experienced Staff: Directive leadership will not work if the staff have more experience than the leader.
- Need for Creativity and Innovation: Directive leadership style does not foster creativity. If the work requires thinking outside the box, directive leadership may not be the best option.
- Need for Employee Empowerment: Directive leadership can negatively impact the morale of employees, which is because the attitude of a directive leader is “do what I say and don’t ask questions,” which harms employee morale.
How to Use Directive Leadership Style
Consider the following tips to use directive leadership style effectively:
- Assess the Situation. Consider your team’s specific circumstances and needs before deciding on a leadership style.
- Encourage Employee Feedback. Solicit feedback from your team members about your leadership style and be open to making adjustments as needed.
- Adapt to Your Team’s Needs: Recognize that different team members may respond better to different leadership styles.
- Foster a Positive Organizational Culture: Promote a positive organizational culture that encourages open communication, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
How to Be a Directive Leader
There will be occasions when leaders must take charge and establish firm ground rules for their teams. The following is a list of the measures that you can do to become a directive leader:
#1. Establish Who You Are as the Leader.
When supervising a group that has exhibited the requirement for directive leadership, it is essential to use the authority you have to achieve success. Establishing your authority right from the start of the conversation is necessary. Your employees’ faith in your capacity to lead, as a whole, might be harmed by even the slightest hesitancy on your part about directions and decision-making. Demonstrate to them that you are the team leader by assuredly taking charge.
#2. Comply With the Established Procedures.
The directive leadership style is different from one that fosters collaboration and innovation, in contrast to other types of leadership. Because it is based on a documented protocol that describes a pattern of success, it was created to be effective, and this is what makes it such.
When led by someone with a directive style, employees are expected to carry out their responsibilities using tried and true methods. As long as you make sure that your staff follows those standards, the tasks that they are assigned should proceed according to plan, and the deadlines should be met, which is the aim that you have set for yourself.
#3. Have Faith in Your Team Members
You may have observed that chores and projects still need to be completed in your absence due to the need for close monitoring. In this scenario, you need to guide your team thoughtfully and closely monitor the work they do along the way.
You need to give guidance, manage your staff, and check in periodically to ensure everything is moving along as planned. Leaders who use a directive approach are aware that their team members require clear expectations and place importance on the counsel they provide.
#4. Hold Team Members Accountable
Structure and organisation are essential components of directing leadership, and having both is essential. Maintaining a list of the responsibilities and tasks that belong to each team member is one way to ensure that they all operate according to the instructions. After then, you should follow up with them to ensure that they remain accountable, and if required, you should go over the expectations with them again.
#5. Put a Damper on Unnecessary Creativity
Many different fields of work require originality and inventiveness from their employees. A directive leadership style is not appropriate for those kinds of environments.
When in charge of a group that requires well-defined goals and bounds, you should strictly stick to the established policies and procedures. This is the motivation that motivates your team to achieve particular objectives and finish projects.
#6. Uphold the Values of the Organization
The directive leadership style is built on the principle of control, which, when applied appropriately, can increase productivity. You may demonstrate that you are a respectful leader by providing solid direction to your team and paying attention to how they react when you request them.
#7. Recognise the Importance of the Established Hierarchy
Leaders who take a directive approach recognise the benefits of a strict hierarchy and refuse to deviate from it. Because the members of your team are aware that you are the person who is supposed to be giving commands because your organisation has established a chain of command, they have no reason to challenge your authority.
As a leader, you will receive instruction from other leaders in higher positions. This means that you are liable for the outcomes of any situations in which your team cannot execute assignments within the allotted time.
The Pros and Cons of Directive Leadership Style
Structure, clarity, speed, accountability, urgency, and consistency are some of the benefits of having a directive leadership style. The cons are that it might stifle creative expression, adaptability, and a sense of liberty.
The benefits of a directive style of leadership
- The framework. Directive leaders bring structure to the situation when there is a lack of direction. These leaders communicate to their team exactly what has to be done so that they can be effective. There is not much room for supposition or uncertainty at this point.
- Swift and well prepared. Directive leaders can instruct their teams to take action in the face of time-sensitive issues that develop in the workplace and require a prompt resolution. Leaders who use a directive approach also help ensure that non-negotiables are treated as such. Certain matters pertaining to particular policies must be adhered to without any exceptions.
- Always be consistent. The core of directed leadership is steadfast adherence to precisely defined objectives and timetables. It is essential to maintain an overarching perspective to check in with everyone and ensure they are on track with their responsibilities.
The cons of directive leadership style are as follows:
- Lack of creativity. Creativity, adaptability, and a sense of autonomy are all things that can be stifled by directive leadership. This type of leadership tends to naturally drift towards a higher level of control, which can make members of creative teams feel constrained and less autonomous.
- Lack of adaptability. A business that cannot change with the times will have difficulty staying in business. When it comes to being a leader who is open to change and even when it comes to addressing unforeseen issues inside the organisation, this is an important consideration to take into account.
- Lack of employee ownership. While having a directive leader does come with its fair share of benefits, it also comes with the risk of negatively impacting the organization’s long-term viability. It is possible for there to be a lack of buy-in and diminished productivity if individuals do not have any feeling of responsibility or ownership over the work that they are performing.
Why Is Directive Leadership Good?
Directive leadership is a leadership style where the leader directs and controls all group activities. It offers several benefits, including clarity and speed, control, efficiency, and accountability. Directive leadership provides clear instructions, reducing time spent on debating options. It maintains complete control over all aspects of a project or task, ensuring everything is done according to plan and preventing deviations that might lead to errors or delays.
It is also efficient in situations where team members are inexperienced or lack knowledge about the task. The leader takes full responsibility for the outcome, motivating them to work hard for success. However, directive leadership is not suitable for every situation or group, as it may limit the ability of highly experienced or creative team members to contribute ideas and innovate.
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