Business•October 18, 2023
Directive leadership is a style of leadership. It involves a leader taking a highly structured approach to tasks, closely directing and monitoring the activities of their subordinates to deliver pre-determined results. The leader provides clear expectations, guidelines, and rules for how work should be done. This style emphasizes hierarchy, control, and prioritizing task performance over interpersonal relationships.
This type of leadership is often called “command and control.” The leader holds total authority and decision-making power. Team members are expected to follow established procedures and the chain of command. It is one of the most rigid styles of leadership.
Directive leadership was born from path-goal theory initially presented by pProfessor of business management Martin G. Evans in 1970. The path-goal theory was then evolved and revised by Professor Robert House in 1971 and 1996.
Some of the critical characteristics of directive leadership include:
Directive leadership offers both benefits and drawbacks. On the positive side, this leadership style can be effective for:
There are, however, some downsides to directive leadership that include:
Military forces are a classic example of how directive leadership works. There is a top-down command and control structure, and leaders and subordinates at all levels must follow commands generated from the top. For example, gGeneral officers may need to move forces to support other units in need. With directive leadership, gGeneral officers can be confident that their forces will move and act as required when given orders.
Directive leadership has its use cases but should be balanced with other approaches. Most experts note that the best leaders tailor and blend their leadership style to the situation.
For instance, leaders may take a directive approach with inexperienced team members. But they may use a more collaborative style with seasoned veterans. Or they may set clear guidelines for routine tasks but give team members autonomy for creative projects.
The most effective leaders transition from highly directive to more empowering leadership as their team gains competency. In doing so, they create agile, adaptable, motivated teams.
Directive leadership provides structure, control, and focus on the execution of tasks. It works best in particular situations with inexperienced teams. However, it should be balanced with other styles to create a well-rounded and empowering working environment. The best leaders adapt to meet the needs of their team and the circumstances.
Leaders are created, not born. How you lead is typically an amalgamation of learned behaviors from other leaders you follow throughout your life. Understanding leadership theory and underlying psychological traits such as empathy can be gained in programs like Meridian University’s MBA in Creative Enterprise. If you want to learn the latest leadership and management techniques, this program pulls together whole-person and whole-system competencies, so graduates emerge as true strategic leaders.
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