What Kind of Leader Are You For Your Franchise?
Leadership is a special commodity; one that some people are born with, while others have to work to cultivate it. Some people are skilled at making deals and seeing real opportunity, but they struggle with leading teams of people in pursuit of a common goal. Others have natural leadership abilities, but they don’t know how to harness and leverage them properly. Still, there are franchise owners out there who possess strong leadership skills, but they may possess a style of leadership that doesn’t work well with their specific organizations and the needs of their people.
As a senior care franchise owner, you are the person your people will turn to for leadership, whether you consider yourself a good leader or not! The good news is that every single person can be a good leader if they can be self aware and understand their strengths.
So how can you understand, harness, cultivate and drive your instincts as a leader for your franchise?
Understand the Different Types of Leadership
Different people have different ideas about the styles of leadership that people can employ, but author, psychologist and leadership expert Daniel Goleman has determined that there are six major leadership styles:
The Coercive Leadership style demands immediate compliance, and works wonders during times of crisis. But it’s not the healthiest style to employ under normal circumstances.
The Authoritative Leadership style is a “classic” way of leading people and mobilizing a team to focus on a common goal. However, this style can sometimes get in the way when a team of experts is already running on all cylinders.
The Affiliative Leadership style values empathy and communication, and it’s great at bringing people together. On the downside, this style can ignore poor performance, leaving it uncorrected.
The Democratic Leadership style builds consensus and participation, but can get in the way when quick, decisive action must be taken
The Pacesetting Leadership style works extremely well when quick results must be achieved. But it often relies on leaders taking over for employees, which can erode trust within an organization.
The Coaching Leadership style works wonders when it comes to building individuals up and helping them achieve their personal and professional goals, but it can fall short during times when leaders lack the expertise to truly inspire others with their ideas.
What Style Resonates with You?
There is no one style that’s better than the others; it’s all about using the right style for the right situation. But before you can tap in and employ the ideal style at the right time, you need to develop your self awareness so you understand which style comes naturally to you. Once you are aware of your own tendencies, you can change your style, as needed.
For example, maybe you see yourself as a Coaching Leader. You see peoples’ hidden talents and you want to help nurture them along so they can realize their true potential. This is great, and it can really help your franchise! But during times when your business is on the line and there’s no time for nurturing, this style will actually hurt your ability to lead effectively.
Are you curious to learn more about the various leadership styles (and how you can leverage them effectively)? Stay tuned to our next post, which will explore the styles in greater detail!
More Information
Are you interested in learning more about what it takes to be successful as a senior care franchise owner during the aging-in-place boom? Always Best Care is here to help you navigate the industry as one of our franchise owners! Download our FREE franchising ebook today to learn more and refer to our most recent Franchise Disclosure Document for important details.
