The traditional concept that leaders are those who always positive, and the courage to speak, good at orders, making plan, usually in the crowd in the most dominant position. This is not necessarily the case, however. Wharton management professor, Adam grant and two colleagues recently leadership and group dynamics research published the latest, the effective leader is often outgoing person this traditional have questions about that.
In fact, in some situations, introverted leader than outgoing leader more efficient, the key is to be the leader. Grant in and of the harvard business school, frank cut card? Gino's university of north and south-put Mr Le, of the business school David? Hoffman written jointly research reports in this argument put forward. The report is to be published in the proceedings of the American academy of management, titled "leader of the challenge of export-oriented: employees of the initiative in action".
The report points out, export-oriented leadership style means become the center of attention, open and bright, determination,, bold, articulate and have the ability to hold dominant position. The leader can provide clear power structure and the development direction. But, if the leaders of the management staff also has good initiative and the courage to speak, it is possible to produce friction. And if the employee and introverted leadership together, can the path to success.
For any want to improve leadership style of leaders and managers have certain significance. "Throughout the popular leadership research report, outgoing personality always agree with is seen as become a leader and high effective leader of the most important factors," grant said: "but I think this view is not perfect. In some cases, introverted leader may be more effective than traditional export-oriented, and views are not involved in this field."
In this context, the grant and his research partner in some easy trying to track productivity and efficiency of the business operation team for object, it is the issues mentioned above observation analysis. They selected the pizza delivered to the outside, chain stores.
"We want to select those easily business performance of the enterprise, and to organize the internal personnel engaged in the work of are homogeneous," grant said. "As a leader and be the leader of the organization, if each branch of the nonprofit appear difference, so can prove to the group leader real impact."
The threat of initiative
Researchers from a national pizza delivered to the outside the company get the data. 130 stores to send a questionnaire survey, including 57 stores the complete information feedback, the feedback from a store manager 57 and 374 employees. In order to eliminate the influence of difference by leadership area and other factors, the researchers also pizza orders to the average price of hours of work and the control. In the questionnaire, leaders need to own extroverted degree is through the words rating, determination, cheerful personality and the leading force can guide on how much attention. And the employee may be in store for their work in the active rating behavior, such as positive improvement process, correct bad behavior, the bold to express his thoughts and to work the opinions of the published problem.
Grant and his research partner leaders and its staff that is presented in a direct simple reverse relationship: if the staff initiative is high, introverted management personnel to lead them to create higher profit; If the employee is not so active, and then management is more export-oriented can lead them to create high profit. "In dynamic and uncertain economy, this kind of active behavior is especially important, but because the export-oriented leaders are apt to become itself the center of attention, because this employee too active may actually make them under threat," grant said "on the contrary, introverted leaders tend to listen hard to the suggestion, and support staff our subjective initiative."
At the same time, grant also further points out that, if will active employee and export-oriented leader is combined, then not only will block, and even could damage the company's management efficiency. He thinks that "if export-oriented leaders can not very well accept Suggestions, will let employees feel depressed, lower their enthusiasm to the work. At the same time, it will let them be not willing to share ideas and limit creativity and innovation."
In fact, character conflict may lead to power in the organization can't play, cause leadership and employee's open revolt. If the company or group is taking the flat organization structure, the problem will be more outstanding for example, if the level in the near future colleagues flat promoted a leader, or the new leadership ability and skills have not yet mature cases, it is possible to "induced employees for authority, and make the leadership challenge under threat". The grant this called "status not sure".
"If you're a pizza chain management personnel, you will usually as a full-time job, and you may be some of the personnel management of high school students and college students, they have different ambitions, sometimes is also likely to you at the leadership shrugged it off," grant said. "At this moment, if have the staff, and that can make improvement process in" super bowl "on the evening of the send more pizza or have staff proposed issuing new coupons or special preferential advice, export-oriented leadership that their" status was threatened ". They are likely to say "I'm in charge here. Let me restate my power. "and introverted leaders is less care about rank, status and power, they say much, and would like to spend more time to listen to advice, if meet the same situation, they are likely to adopt and implement quiet these proposals. The leaders will not be too concerned about self, also won't imagine took the position of their employees may be, exert their point of view.
Fold the T-shirt match for inspiration
The team also another study, export-oriented leadership to the conduct of the watch carefully, and not just rely on these leaders describe yourself. Researchers in the United States of southeast university from 163 university students, and put them into different groups, each group has members and the team leader. Their task is to fold within 10 minutes of as much as possible T-shirt, fold the most of each member of the group can get an iPod as a reward.
Researchers randomly selected part of students as a leader, both export-oriented, there are introverted. For export-oriented group leader, the researchers showed them the with bold, articulate and determination of the famous for example of leaders, such as a Martin Luther King and jack wales. For the introverted group leader, while the researchers show them a similar Mahatma Gandhi and Abraham Lincoln and quiet conservative famous leader image. Later, need two groups of people in the style of the show to effectively lead their team. At the same time, the researchers also select two other college students as a "Allies", and will be assigned to the two groups, secretly let them take passive or active performance. To take the initiative with the performance of the "Allies" need to suggest a new and effective team leader to fold the laundry way.
The researchers found that in the style of leadership initiative and export-oriented behavior exists between the important interaction, and pizza the results of the study are consistent. Our Allies to passive performance, export-oriented leadership style of lead team has achieved a better performance; And when our Allies to active performance, is introverted leadership styles team better results. "When ally performance positively, team members will think export-oriented leaders not in good advice, so they are not willing to hard work," the researchers report such analysis.
Leaders and employee relations and labor relations between the power against became very obvious, grant said, "when the leaders reaffirmed power, says that" we don't work hard for you, "the power against will be over." However staff will think "look, these leaders don't accept good opinion... we don't need to show respect to them. We don't want to let this took first. We hope at the end of the day, can make them realize our opinion is of value, we can get the contribution recognition."
Interestingly, in profitability, export-oriented leader and introverted leader itself is not exist, which is better or worse. Grant and his research partner found, the real difference from leaders and be the leader of the portfolio.
"The facts prove introverted and export-oriented style of leadership efficiency and neck, and combinations of the members but different, will result in difference," grant said. "As a social scientists, such a conclusion undoubtedly is of great significance in an organization structure is very complex, and members of the you it's hard to say which kinds of style is must be better than another style more effective... our research focuses on what is in the environment which kinds of style more effective, and not simply try to prove what I think it's better is a wrong proposition."
Now that the conclusion is the case, then why overall popular view all think of talents is better export-oriented leader? The report gives several possible reasons, one of which is "halo effect". "The reason caused this view may be because the export-oriented leaders more in line with the people in the western culture and eastern culture to the description of the charismatic leader, this is the most outstanding in the market," the report said. A study in the six figures above income 1500 senior management personnel of the online survey shows 65% of the respondents thought introversion is the negative impact leadership quality.
For employees to create the space
Grant said their research for hope improve leadership style, reform of the enterprise management level lower management executives have a wide range of significance. "We always tend to think we need to act passion, bright and full of determination, try to let employees feel excited, they represented a clarity of vision and direction," grant said, "but in fact, sometimes leaders need to take much more conservative and quiet attitude, in some cases, even is the silent, so as to create more participation dialogue employees of space."
Grant has and a fortune 500 company CEO work together, the CEO for yourself for a custom, that in the meeting started 15 minutes silence, don't say a word even though he is a very outgoing person. "He found out that he has a tendency to once think a he think great ideas, eager to let employees accept, sometimes, it will make staff feel are not involved in the process," grant said. "so he try to change this phenomenon:" I want you to tell me your any suggestion, the idea is question this is lisa stage of you. "And he will be quiet listen to and record key."
To provide our employees with more power and decision-making autonomy is "let employees choose what to do work, how to do, when and where completion" research report also gives many is worth using for reference opinions. Grant said: "want to let employees into active, one of the most important factors is to help them for large groups or department or the whole enterprise sense of responsibility. If employees feel should be responsible for collective interests, they will be in a particular individual post outside the scope of description, the initiative of more responsibility."
So managers shall how in the study, found that using in practice? Grant suggest once potential team members have master necessary skills and knowledge, the leader can begin to observe their character, so that the final team combination to staff and administration personnel leader and observation, thinking how to combine to make the team members exert maximum efficiency. "If my management personnel are extroverted, so there is a chance, I will tend to hire some not so active employees, these employees can get more from the leadership of the dominant vision, clear, and more likely to be encouraged, thus play a greater enthusiasm."
As for how to define the style of leadership for introverted employees, grant think can rely on observation and listen. "Active employees will have to spend more time and energy to leading his own work whether Suggestions, planning new work process, overtime help colleagues or transcend their work scope to solicit the dyke you will soon find out that these trends and characteristics."
In addition, export-oriented leadership in down responsibilities to initiative when employees should also remain cautious and grant points out, should let these employees engaged in what they hope in the field, so that they would have a power forward and take more responsibility. These leaders should also actively gathering feedback, whether positive or negative opinions should take to accept. Some company USES 360 degrees full feedback survey, but it is difficult to apply to small groups. "Staff to consult the reform of the opinion how it may be said is kill two birds with one stone measures," grant said, "can make the leadership to learn more about the idea of employees, and to the employees to create more contribution to the space."
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