Leadership Styles: Learn When to Use Them

By E. Brown

In the previous article I discussed the 4 leadership types: Dictatorial, Authoritative, Consultative, and Participative. I discussed the unique traits of each one and some of the pros/cons. Finally, I covered the fact that there was no “One Style” that fit all — no silver bullets — and that a good leader recognized when to use one style over another.A question that is often asked is, “When? When do I use one style over another?” In this article I’ll provide some tools for you to better understand when to use the dictatorial style over the consultative style, or the participative style over the authoritative style.

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What Is In A Word?

By D. Black

I have been around creative people and involved with marketing campaigns most of my career. I enjoy the process of coming up with an idea and then creating a platform for that new concept to bloom and grow into a product, promotion or platform.

Marketing people have a private vocabulary to describe the world. Ratings, shares, trends, retention, demographic, segmentation, and psychographic are just a few of the words that define and measure their efforts.

I jumped into this community more than 24 years ago and have flung these words around with the best. But as a spiritual man, I now realize that we are one word short.

The term demographic is defined as the characteristics of a human population or part of it, especially its size, growth, density, distribution, and statistics regarding birth, marriage, disease, and death

The term psychographic profiles the lifestyle habits and traits of an individual.

These terms deal with understanding the statistics and actions of people but we don’t have a word that brings those characteristics into light in perspective to their spirituality. So I purpose an addition to our communicators vocabulary handbook.

Pneumographic – the understanding of how personal spirituality impacts the attitude, behavior, and lifestyle choices of individuals, families, and communities.

Isn’t it prudent to spend time and energy to better understand how the most important aspect in life impact life? Not to manipulate for gain, but to facilitate for change.

For the purist, I realize that the word isn’t in Webster’s…yet.

After all what is in the Word?

Leadership Styles: Dictatorial, Authoritative, Consultative, and Participative

By E. Brown

One of the first leadership books a friend recommended I read was by Myron Rush. He was kind enough to let me read his copy. After I returned the book I searched for a personal copy. I finally found a used one on an obscure Web site that an acquaintance directed me to.

While thumbing through it the other day I was reminded of differing approaches to management. Here is an excerpt and list that I am sure you can relate to.

Leadership Styles

Definitions and descriptions of leaderships styles range from the very simple to the very complex. Leadership styles can be identified by how authority is used, how a leader relates to others, employees minds and muscles are used, and how a leader communicates.

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Community & Team Work

By E. Brown

I like these pieces from Rory Noland’s book, The Heart of the Artist. They speak to the things I am interested in: creativity, teams and team work, community, and learning. These particular points are from the chapter, The Artist in Community.

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You Might Be An Insecure Leader…

By E. Brown

I talked with a friend yesterday who recently left a job. I was shocked and concerned to hear how the company and its culture had changed within a very short period of time. Over the course of 5 months communication went from full-disclosure to hidden agendas, from mission-minded to money-centered, from exciting to discouraging, and from encouraging to fearful and intimidating. What could bring on this hideous transformation in such a short time? This is the result of leadership insecurity.

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The Number One Question At NRB?

By D. Black

At some point during the week, every convention begins to look and feel the same. Another breakfast meeting, breakout sessions, long walks between meetings and booth after booth of smiling faces, each with a one gallon fish bowl filled with various types of candy. Somewhere in the history of conventioneering someone figured out that candy was necessary to keep weary attendees blood sugar up.

This year’s NRB in Nashville, Tennessee had many the same elements but woven through the familiar, I found an unusual twist. My schedule was filled from early morning to late evening with meetings, presentations, reviews and events. That’s the plan – to take full advantage of the opportunity. You can rest when you get back home. Both on the floor and in private sessions the same basic question arose; As faith based communicators how are we going to change our methods to match the shift that is occurring in our culture?

Indeed, this is our ground zero. It is good that we are asking the question. To be completely transparent, no one has really figured it out.

Our age demands instant, relevant information that is pertinent to daily life. Gone are the days of a one-size-fits-all approach. We must get to know our constituents needs, help them in a real way and then enlist them as partners in a common cause.

If we authentically commit to this process, we will bring light into an ever darkening world.

On The Road To The NRB

By D. Black

Last week I packed my bags and traveled up I-75 from Atlanta to Nashville. I almost always choose to drive the 225 miles, because believe it or not, it is faster than flying. It is really quite a nice drive, winding through the North Georgia mountains, the Tennessee River and the city of Chattanooga, past Lookout Mountain the site of a famous Civil War battle and on up into South Nashville. My work has a presence in the “Music City” so I make the sojourn on a pretty regular basis.

This time I was driving up to attend the NRB (National Religious Broadcasters) convention held at Opryland, USA. This is an annual gathering of mostly ministry broadcasters and the stations that they air along with a potpourri of vendors who sell them hardware and software. And who knows, maybe even one or two strategic consultants may show up. This convention is a good opportunity to find tactical solutions, meet new people and network with old friends and colleagues.

I’ve been attending the show since the winter of 1984. It used to be always held in Washington, DC at the Sheraton Hotel, near Capitol Hill. Those were the days of Jim and Tammy, Jimmy Swaggart and other high profile television personalities walking the floor with their entourages. There was an air of celebrity and personal power as the “superstars” traveled from book signing to media interview. It was quite interesting to watch the parade. I was a young man attending graduate school at Regent University and working as a production manager for Victor King Marketing, CBN’s inside advertising group.

Now 24 conventions later, the atmosphere has changed dramatically. Gone is most of the glitz and glamour, replaced by a more businesslike, professional atmosphere. During my walk on the convention floor, I only saw three television broadcasters -James Robison, Charles Stanley, and Jeff Shreve, none of them are pretentious.

On my way home back down I-75 to Atlanta, I thought of the difference between my first and last NRB. It is a big change, but come to think of it, our world has also changed dramatically. But the fundamental reason that thousands of faith-based communicators come together once a year remains the same – to learn to more effectively proclaim the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The need for this truth hasn’t diminished, but the methods of communicating it certainly have.

Next time: The number one question asked this year at NRB!

Retain Your Online Audience

Outside of the corporate and university eLearning models user retention often runs amuck. It is common to experience as much as 20-50% attrition writes David P. Diaz. In some cases I have witnessed as much as 30-70% for those organizations that do not attempt to stem the flow of abandonment.

Considered the most significant barriers to online learning are:

1. Technical problems
2. Cost of and access to the Internet
3. Time and support for studies
4. Personal motivation
5. Technical skills
6. Academic skills
7. Social interactions
8. Administrative/instructor issues

From Keith Tyler-Smith’s Abstract – Early Attrition among First Time eLearners: A Review of Factors that
Contribute to Drop-out, Withdrawal and Non-completion Rates of Adult
Learners undertaking eLearning Programmes

Some favorable strategies I have given to companies in need have been the following…

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Leading or Competing?

By E. Brown

“Having influence” is a broad definition of leadership. Within Black+White Strategy we often talk about Christian media and ministries taking a leadership role on the World Wide Web. Is it possible to be a leader, considering such popular sites as Microsoft, Time Warner, Yahoo!, eBay, Amazon, and Google?

I say yes.

Before you write me off as an idealist, think about a few things. While it is true that many ministries have neither the budgets nor the staffs that the companies noted above have, big budgets and big staffs do not automatically secure the popularity or success of a web-based initiative. You and I serve a big Creator who owns all the resources necessary to influence lives on a global scale. What can we do to get in on His agenda?

We first must ask the question: With the Internet as part of God’s plan to reach the world, are we committed to using this medium to make an eternal impact? The following are checkpoints to gauge where you are as an organization in your commitment to use the Internet.

1) Have clear direction. Ask God to define the purpose of your Web-based initiatives, then make sure your team has clear direction about the tasks at hand.

2) Build for success. Ensure that the structure of your team has the components for success. First, create the right motivating tasks that generate results. Second, compose a good mix of diversely skilled and talented team members. Third, set the expectations for how your team should work together within the boundaries of your organization.

3) Give full support. Give your staff access to training and consultation. Share appropriate information with your staff and include them in planning. Provide your team with the resources they need to get the job done – tools, space, or whatever the job requires.

This may be revolutionary in your organizational thinking. But, isn’t God’s way revolutionary? Jesus was revolutionary in the way He dealt with people and priorities. He was on His Father’s agenda and had clear direction. He gathered a diverse, talented group and set expectations. Finally, He trained and provided the resources to get the job done. As a result Christ not only influenced 12 men, but also generations to come. Our calling is not to compete with the popular sites on the Web. We never will be able to compete with them. Our calling is to lead people to Christ and influence their lives.

The Reciprocity Principle

By E. Brown

Did you know you cannot out-give? If you give to someone, they will almost always want to give more back. This is the Principle of Reciprocity.

When you look out for your friends and co-workers, they will want to return the favor. Giving is infectious.

The only drawback is the motivation for giving. If you give out of selfish ambition, then guess what? You may get something back, but it will never be what you hoped or as much as you hoped for. And, when you do not get anything back, you only done harm to yourself because you are the one left feeling hacked-off.

Don’t give to get.

When you give, not expecting a return, the reciprocal giving is that much sweeter. And, when you give, not expecting a return, your feelings will not have been hurt if you receive nothing in return.

Take a look around your “world”, your social network, your clients, your friends and family — who can you give to?

Have fun!