A publication by Paysavvy

Charged Up:Leadership Styles for Success

Table of Contents

03 Off the Playground and into the Office

05 What Kind of Leader Are You?

09 Animal Adaptations

15Conclusion

17Resources

Off the Playground and into the Office

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Remember playing ‘Follow the Leader’ or ‘Simon Says’ as a kid?

Children’s games teach us that leadership is easy—if others don’t

follow the rules or respect authority, they’re out and have to take a

seat on the sidelines. That’s true in the workplace as well. Probation

periods and pink slips are proof that managers can bench

insubordinate team members. And employees know that. They’ll

close their mouths, toe the line, and appear to drink the kool-aid,

even when they’re deeply unhappy. That’s why ineffectual managers

or executives often think their leadership style is on point.

Good news: you are not one of those oblivious execs or misinformed

managers.

The very act of downloading this eBook proves you’re dedicated to

growing as a leader—and that proves you’re a good one. The best

directors and executives commit to professional development that

goes beyond their role’s primary function (be it finance,

marketing, sales, or customer service). They commit, quite

simply, to their team.

Why? Well, effective leadership contributes to company

and department cohesion, as well as overall employee

satisfaction. That, in turn, results in increased productivity,

greater business success, and a company culture that

attracts and retains the best possible talent. Because even

though unhappy employees tend to keep their mouths

shut in the office, they’re not so reserved when it comes to

criticizing the company after hours. Contented team

members can be just as vocal: they’ll sing your company

praises for all their network to hear.

But then, you know that—after all, you opened this eBook

and decided to build out your leadership skills for a

reason. We trust you have the basics down, so we won’t

waste any time on those. Instead, this guide will go beyond

bare essentials to help you identify and refine your unique

leadership style, based on the advice of some of the most

forward-thinking people we know.

In other words, we’re not setting out to make you a ‘good’ leader.

Instead, we’re going to help you become an even better one.

■

True leaders say these two words everyday. Find out what

they are in The Ultimate Guide to Encouraging

EmployeeEngagement.

Like this eBook? Keep an eye out for part two, where we’ll

cover specific workplace scenarios and the best way for each leadership

type to respond.

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TOP

Chapter One

What Kind of Leader Are You?

When it comes to leadership styles, the mostimportant thing is authenticity. That means first and foremost, your approach needs to feel natural. We’re asking you to own your leadership style, not overhaul it entirely.

The best place to begin, therefore, is by identifying what

kind of leader you are.

Now, we know that circumstances (like your current work

environment or a difficult team member) might have forced

you to take on a leadership style that feels less comfortable.

In considering the following types, ask yourself what seems

like the best fit with your personality. It may or may not be

the style you’ve adopted as of late, but that doesn’t matter.

We’ll show you how to adapt your natural leadership style

How hands on should a manager be? Get answers with The Employee Performance

Management Playbook.

www.paysavvy.com Charged Up: Leadership Styles for Success 5

to the situation you are in, without compromising your core values.

Anyone who has spent any time in business can tell you one simple

truth: it’s a jungle out there. That’s why we’re taking inspiration from

the animal kingdom to name five kinds of leaders.

The Lone WolfIndependent, autonomous, and self-directed: you hold yourself to

high standards and expect the team to do the same, without

constant monitoring or hand-holding from you. Employees

appreciate your trust in them and the freedom they are afforded

when approaching a task. But occasionally, the limited amount of

direction or guidance can frustrate them—especially if you have a

very specific idea of what you want the final product to look like.

The Mother BearThe mother bear takes a more hands-on approach. You

care about your team as people and as employees,

which means you’re always interested in touching base

about their hopes and dreams. You do your best to set

the team up for individual success—whether it’s

assigning them a task you know they’ll enjoy or

advocating for professional development opportunities.

But the mother bear struggles with those hard

conversations every manager or executive eventually

needs to have. Employees unaccustomed to a softer

touch may not realize there is a problem until it is too

late.

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The Lead BirdYour team flies in formation, united by the inspiring vision

you’ve presented. You set the direction and the pace, but

are still prepared to fall back and let someone else take

the lead, especially if their expertise outpaces your own.

Most employees will weather wind resistance and other obstacles to

reach the goal you’ve determined. That’s because your leadership,

even from the wings, inspires. But beware: while your sky-high

thinking might allow for exceptional top level vision, you can’t neglect

particulars on the ground.

The Dark HorseThis leadership style surprises. You’re comfortable

hanging out with the herd and you do your best to

eliminate power differentials: everyone feels free

to share their ideas, so the whole team holds the

reins on a project, product, or campaign. No one in

your crowd is looking for greener pastures! You’re

not like most managers, or so you’ve been told—

employees also see you as a friend. But hard

deadlines or tough conversations might cause you

to lose a shoe and stumble. It takes time to hear everyone’s input,

after all, and how can you put a pal on probation?

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Know someone who might find

this useful? Share this eBook!

The Hidden DragonSure, no one would call you soft and cuddly, but that

doesn’t make you the bad guy. Company crises or internal

emergencies sometimes demand a more aggressive,

authoritative approach. That’s how deadlines are met and

threats are managed! You’ve got some fire and you’re not

afraid to show it. But remember that when it comes to

managing your team, it’s best for the dragon to stay hidden

— unless a situation really demands this style. Otherwise,

you might alienate team members … and burn yourself in

the process.

Looking for a little more leadership advice? Read our seven tips now!

■

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TOP

Chapter Two

Animal Adaptations

Each leadership style has its weak points, which this guide is designed to help you overcome. While you should never act in a way that feels disingenuous or forced, it’s important to recognize that certain situations call for subtle tweaks to your natural leadership style. And in those cases, you can learn from the other animals (that is, leaders) around you.

The Lone WolfExceptional bosses know that granting autonomy can result in ever-

increasing returns. That’s why Brian Scudamore, CEO of O2E Brands,

is committed to fostering a culture of innovation: as he explains of

his own evolving leadership style, “I learned never to kill someone’s

spirit if they come to you with a big idea.”

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That same attitude is at the heart of the lone wolf’s approach. Still,

select employees may be uncomfortable with the independence

allowed to them. Those less confident in their skills will appreciate

any additional guidance, so consider sitting down to talk about

actionable steps. You can also determine practical deadlines

together.

We get it—micromanagement isn’t your thing. That’s why you should

also be sure to provide lots of positive feedback along the way.

Doing so will bolster an employee’s confidence for the next time he

ventures out on his own.

Lone wolves can become so caught up in their own projects that

they neglect to recognize the efforts of other team members. Don’t

forget about your pack! Take the department to lunch as a thank you

for their work this past quarter, or plan a team-building activity in the

month ahead. You also want to make sure that your taste for

independent work isn’t stifling a collaborative environment.

Consider creating work pairs, a trend that has become prevalent in

programming. Hold more group brainstorming sessions, or turn

your own office into a boardroom and embrace an open layout.

There is one lone wolf tendency that risks the most consternation

at work—and that’s the tendency to treat team members like mind

readers. It isn’t fair to allow employees total freedom if you have a

very specific idea of what the end result should be. Of course,

revisions and iterations are expected when it comes to a certain

projects, but don’t make your employee guess at what you want—

especially not if you’re going to insist it be done your way in the

end.

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The Mother BearSometimes, your cubs need a little room to breathe. While most

employees appreciate when the boss takes an interest in their lives,

others prefer to keep a degree of personal/professional separation

… and you should respect that.

Lululemon, for example, is famous for its mother bear

approach to management. “If it seems strange to have your

boss ask about your marriage or your weight-loss goals, it’s

perfectly normal here. They are written out and framed on

the wall for all to see,” writes Zoe McKnight, journalist for

The Vancouver Sun. That work-life blend is loved by some

employees and loathed by others. So unless your company

culture, like Lululemon’s own, depends on a meld of the

personal and professional, give employees a little space

when they need it.

Leaders also need to look after themselves. Have you read Balancing Act: The CFO’s

Guide to Achieving Work-LifeBalance?

If your accountant never volunteers any information about himself,

it’s a sign you should ease off. When the payroll manager plugs in her

headphones, she probably isn’t in the mood for a chat.

The second leadership aspect that mother bears struggle with?

Having those tough conversations. Here’s the thing: if an employee

underperforms, you need to let her know. Otherwise, termination will

come as a total shock. You can be kind, of course, but be clear about

your expectations and possible consequences. If nothing changes,

don’t feel guilty about taking a more assertive approach.

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The Lead BirdTo some team members, your high level planning can come off as

more flighty than high-flying. Your focus on an overarching vision

means that sometimes, you miss the day-to-day particulars—like if

competing deadlines make a project implausible, or the fact that

several departments are warring over the company budget.

Spend a little time on the ground too. Consider scheduling

regular one-on-one meetings with your flock or holding ‘office

hours,’ where team members can come to you with their

concerns.“I never turn away team members when they stop by or call,”

explains Melanie Davidson, President of the digital marketing

agency Fruition. “It can be a challenge—there are some days

where people are in and out all day long and I constantly have to

pivot or leave my to-do list for another time.” But for Davidson, this

flexibility and availability is critical for the health of both her team and

the organization as a whole.

The Dark HorseTeam-building activities and brainstorming

sessions have you feeling your oats. But in

companies that pride themselves on being

agile and fast-moving, dark horses must

become comfortable with taking a more

authoritative, unilateral approach from time to

time.

Assess your HR vision with our free quiz!

“I never turn away team members when they stop by or call.”—Melanie Davidson, Fruition

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How can you do that without compromising team unity? Start with

a vision. Dark horses would do well to hone their presentation or

public speaking skills, as these are key to getting everyone excited

and on board with the course of action.

It doesn’t matter if you’ve decided on that course of action

independently—strong speaking skills can inspire your team to feel

ownership over it as well. This approach, taken from the lead bird’s

example, often feels far more comfortable to a dark horse than the

alternative—that is, bringing out your inner dragon.

Nevertheless, dark horses can learn from this fiercer form

of leadership as well. There are times when it’s necessary

to be more hard-nosed, like when confronting a problem

employee. In these cases, it’s important to be clear about

consequences, even though doing so may feel ‘mean.’

Here’s the thing: it’s far crueler to keep an employee in the

dark about your dissatisfaction. Be firm about both the

conflict and your proposed solution. Hopefully, your team

member will get the idea and tough talks like these won’t be

necessary again.

Looking to hone your presentation skills? We’ve got the scoop in Personal

Branding for Chief FinancialOfficers.

The Hidden DragonYou’re fiercely dedicated to your goals, role, and company—but

sometimes, people can get caught in the backdraft. Remember that

team members are more than resources and that they look to you for

guidance and coaching, not just directives and demands.

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Tom Peters said it best: “Leaders don’t create followers, they create

more leaders.”

Occasionally, you forget this in the

name of meeting deadlines. So the

next time a long term project rolls

around, try taking a more hands-off

approach. “Give instructions,” writes

leadership expert John Reh. “Instead

of telling them what to do … tell them

what you want done.” Your team will

appreciate the autonomy and independence. And who knows? They

just might brainstorm a better solution than you could!

Not prepared to relinquish control? It’s all about baby steps.

Practice your presentation skills so that you can inspire, rather

than demand, loyalty. Share your vision with the team and get

them to buy into it. That way, you can still determine the overall

direction, but everyone will feel a degree of ownership over the

project.

You also want to make sure you’re connecting with team

members as people. Try a goal-setting or core values exercise

so that you can see what tasks an employee might really thrive

at. As a leader, you’re partly responsible for their professional

development.

■

“Leaders don’t create followers, they create more leaders.”—Tom Peters

Click to Tweet

Complete a core values exercise with your team. Our mindfulness workbook has

the details.

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ConclusionWe started on the jungle gym, with leadership lessons gleaned from

the playground—then moved straight into the heart of the jungle

itself. But we’ll end this eBook on a slightly more serious note.

Leadership isn’t easy. Everyone slips up sometimes. Maybe a poor

retention rate prompted you to download this eBook, or perhaps

you’re at your wit’s end with one employee in particular. You might

feel like you’ve let your team down in some way.

If that’s the case, we want you to know this: it’s leaders who commit

to their own development that make the biggest difference for

employees. By downloading this eBook, you’ve proven yourself to

be among those people. You’ve taken a people and culture

perspective, acknowledged that your staff is far more than a

resource to be mined. And that puts you ahead of a lot of other

managers and executives out there.

Subscribe to our blog so that you know when the second part of the

Charged Up series is released. In our follow-up eBook, we’ll delve

deeper into specific workplace situations and scenarios, and offer

custom tips based on your individual leadership style.

Until then? Lead on!

■

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Resources

www.paysavvy.com Charged Up: Leadership Styles for Success 16

Bringing Mindfulness to the Workplace

Improve workplace communication and foster collaboration: it all begins with mindfulness.

[Free Guide] Personal Branding for Payroll Professionals

Modern employee performance management has come a long way, so if you’re still filling out quarterly reviews, you might want to rethink your approach.

How Forward-Thinking Is Your HR Strategy?

Is your company rocketing ahead or stuck in a rut? Take the quiz to see where your HR strategy currently stands.

Personal Branding for Chief Financial Officers

Those in the C-Suite can benefit from communicating their unique brand of leadership or sharing personal and professional successes.

Balancing Act: The CFO’s Guide to Achieving Work-Life Balance

When only 12 percent of finance chiefs feel they’ve struck the right work-life balance, the fault can’t lie with one single organization. So what gives?

The Ultimate Guide to Encouraging Employee Engagement

We consulted the latest research and mined the examples of culture-centric companies like Zappos and IDEO to uncover best practices for engaging employees.

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engage more with your team. Let us show you how.

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