Situation: A CEO has shepherded his company from a start-up to a viable enterprise. Early on, his management style was based on facilitation and his “likeability”. This worked well with a tight-knit team. Now the company is much bigger and he feels a need to be respected and able to act as a dominant leader when this is required rather than as a facilitative leader. How do you transition and mix leadership styles?

Advice from the CEOs:

• What does a dominant mode of leadership entail?
  • Defining the starting point, desired end and important characteristics of the solution – then ask for input on getting there.
  • One can mix dominant behavioral modes with facilitative modes – the difference will be the focus on the end to be achieved.
• If one were moving the opposite direction – from dominant to facilitator – one would:
  • De-entrench oneself from one’s own position.
  • Become more open to others’ ideas.
  • Change tone / words to express openness.
• Conversely, to move from facilitative to dominant:
  • Decide what one wants to achieve and express it clearly.
  • One can remain open to the ideas of others, but make sure that the exchange is staying on topic and moving toward the desired objective.
  • Change tone / words to become more assertive.
• How does one plan ahead to determine what one wants?
  • Review notes / priorities ahead of meetings – decide on the agenda and the objectives for the meeting.
  • Write reminder notes to ask questions or push issues that will drive the agenda.
• Focus on the framing of the discussion – when one is being dominant the framing is more structured and determinant; when one is being facilitative the framing is more flexible and undetermined.

[like]