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You probably grew up assuming that directive leadership was leadership.
Leaders take charge, command the troops, and call the shots.
Of course, leaders should be empathetic and benevolent, but at the end of the day, leaders hold the power to coerce team members to do what they say.
As we go deep into the digital age, we have to question our assumptions about leadership. Can directive leadership migrate into a digital workplace, or is it one more thing that leaders must stop doing?
What is directive leadership?
Directive leadership is a leadership style that gives explicit tasks and objectives to employees without room for variance or creativity. Team members should follow the directives of the leader.
Directive leadership is most effective when leaders are all-knowing and explicit. Like a chess master, the leader sees the entire board, has a strategy, and directs each piece to execute that strategy.
Henry Ford was one of the early pioneers of this style style. He predicated his entire empire on an organizational hierarchy that was entirely top-down. Employees are there to execute the directions of management.
Many leaders who use directive leadership give the impression of authoritarianism due to the “iron fist” style approach. Employees don’t voice concerns and opinions. If they do, they are politely noted and then ignored. Chess pieces don’t talk back; they lack the perspective to give any valuable insight.
Why directive leadership won’t work in the digital age
Although directive leadership had its place in business, it doesn’t translate well to the digital era.
Directive leadership requires an all-knowing leader
This style works when the leader can see everything and knows exactly what to do. In the digital age, this is rarely the case. Digital leaders are usually exploring uncharted territory. Things change constantly and there isn’t a proven model of winning. Leaders rely on the insights and participation of the whole team in setting the strategy.
Directive leadership requires comprehensive vision
Digital leaders can’t see everything at the same time. There is no war room where everyone sits together, looks at the same screens, and waits for the general’s command. The amount of direct supervision required isn’t attainable in a digital workplace. You can still monitor employees, but it is taxing and creates resentment and trust issues.
Directive leadership doesn’t encourage participation
Digital work requires a minimum amount of employee engagement and morale. Directive leadership doesn’t require any engagement. Just do what you are told.
When team members disagree with the leader, the result is either direct confrontation or passive-aggressive behavior. The team spends lots of effort either dealing with these issues or ignoring them. Once this type of behavior becomes the norm, trying a new leadership approach may prove daunting or impossible without hiring an all new team that has little or no memory of the directive leadership style.
Directive leadership is not transparent
The chess player is under no obligation to explain why she made a move to the pieces. But modern digital workers demand to know the strategy. They will revolt if they are told to sacrifice themselves without a reason. Transparency is essential to a high-functioning digital team, but is irrelevant in directive leadership.
Transparency is replaced with a culture of fear that makes employees uncomfortable to ask questions or reach out for help. With a fully distributed team, this simply can’t happen, especially if you value your time as a manager.
How to tell if you’re a secret directive leader
No one would admit to being a directive leader in a modern workplace, but they often show it by their actions. Here are some ways to tell if you might unknowingly be a directive leader:
- You message your team multiple times throughout the day to get their status updates
- After assigning a project to a team member, you continue to orchestrate everything
- During team meetings, you jump in and correct how someone is explaining their updates
- You constantly feel like no one else gets what you are trying to do
- You don’t trust that people are actually getting their work done if you can’t see it
- You feel the urge to direct your best team members, even if they’ve never let you down before
When directive leadership is still relevant
While this style is an outdated approach, many argue that it still has its place in some limited situations.
Times of crisis
This is the classic war-time vs peace-time leader argument. There are crisis situations where (it seems) having a more directive leadership style is an advantage. You may not have the luxury of time to be more collaborative. Critics may say this is a false dichotomy, but it certainly rings true for the typical workplace.
Unskilled or entry-level workers
Digital workplaces tend to reward those who already know how to do their job well. But some who are in the early part of their career need a season of more direction. They don’t have to learn from their own mistakes, and can benefit from explicit leadership. The leader might not be completely omniscient, but might have enough experience to be more directive. As new team members learn the environment, leaders can loosen up on the reins and switch leadership styles.
Leadership for the digital era
The digital workplace is ushering in a new era of business at a rapid pace. To remain relevant and profitable as a business, digital leaders must adapt their leadership style to get the most out of their team.
While there may be some temporary situations that benefit from directive leadership, it can’t be a permanent solution. At best, directive leadership should be a temporary fix.
You probably grew up assuming that directive leadership was leadership.
Leaders take charge, command the troops, and call the shots.
Of course, leaders should be empathetic and benevolent, but at the end of the day, leaders hold the power to coerce team members to do what they say.
As we go deep into the digital age, we have to question our assumptions about leadership. Can directive leadership migrate into a digital workplace, or is it one more thing that leaders must stop doing?
What is directive leadership?
Directive leadership is a leadership style that gives explicit tasks and objectives to employees without room for variance or creativity. Team members should follow the directives of the leader.
Directive leadership is most effective when leaders are all-knowing and explicit. Like a chess master, the leader sees the entire board, has a strategy, and directs each piece to execute that strategy.
Henry Ford was one of the early pioneers of this style style. He predicated his entire empire on an organizational hierarchy that was entirely top-down. Employees are there to execute the directions of management.
Many leaders who use directive leadership give the impression of authoritarianism due to the “iron fist” style approach. Employees don’t voice concerns and opinions. If they do, they are politely noted and then ignored. Chess pieces don’t talk back; they lack the perspective to give any valuable insight.
Why directive leadership won’t work in the digital age
Although directive leadership had its place in business, it doesn’t translate well to the digital era.
Directive leadership requires an all-knowing leader
This style works when the leader can see everything and knows exactly what to do. In the digital age, this is rarely the case. Digital leaders are usually exploring uncharted territory. Things change constantly and there isn’t a proven model of winning. Leaders rely on the insights and participation of the whole team in setting the strategy.
Directive leadership requires comprehensive vision
Digital leaders can’t see everything at the same time. There is no war room where everyone sits together, looks at the same screens, and waits for the general’s command. The amount of direct supervision required isn’t attainable in a digital workplace. You can still monitor employees, but it is taxing and creates resentment and trust issues.
Directive leadership doesn’t encourage participation
Digital work requires a minimum amount of employee engagement and morale. Directive leadership doesn’t require any engagement. Just do what you are told.
When team members disagree with the leader, the result is either direct confrontation or passive-aggressive behavior. The team spends lots of effort either dealing with these issues or ignoring them. Once this type of behavior becomes the norm, trying a new leadership approach may prove daunting or impossible without hiring an all new team that has little or no memory of the directive leadership style.
Directive leadership is not transparent
The chess player is under no obligation to explain why she made a move to the pieces. But modern digital workers demand to know the strategy. They will revolt if they are told to sacrifice themselves without a reason. Transparency is essential to a high-functioning digital team, but is irrelevant in directive leadership.
Transparency is replaced with a culture of fear that makes employees uncomfortable to ask questions or reach out for help. With a fully distributed team, this simply can’t happen, especially if you value your time as a manager.
How to tell if you’re a secret directive leader
No one would admit to being a directive leader in a modern workplace, but they often show it by their actions. Here are some ways to tell if you might unknowingly be a directive leader:
- You message your team multiple times throughout the day to get their status updates
- After assigning a project to a team member, you continue to orchestrate everything
- During team meetings, you jump in and correct how someone is explaining their updates
- You constantly feel like no one else gets what you are trying to do
- You don’t trust that people are actually getting their work done if you can’t see it
- You feel the urge to direct your best team members, even if they’ve never let you down before
When directive leadership is still relevant
While this style is an outdated approach, many argue that it still has its place in some limited situations.
Times of crisis
This is the classic war-time vs peace-time leader argument. There are crisis situations where (it seems) having a more directive leadership style is an advantage. You may not have the luxury of time to be more collaborative. Critics may say this is a false dichotomy, but it certainly rings true for the typical workplace.
Unskilled or entry-level workers
Digital workplaces tend to reward those who already know how to do their job well. But some who are in the early part of their career need a season of more direction. They don’t have to learn from their own mistakes, and can benefit from explicit leadership. The leader might not be completely omniscient, but might have enough experience to be more directive. As new team members learn the environment, leaders can loosen up on the reins and switch leadership styles.
Leadership for the digital era
The digital workplace is ushering in a new era of business at a rapid pace. To remain relevant and profitable as a business, digital leaders must adapt their leadership style to get the most out of their team.
While there may be some temporary situations that benefit from directive leadership, it can’t be a permanent solution. At best, directive leadership should be a temporary fix.
