The UK is having a General Election on Thursday 12th December 2019. This national vote will decide on a government to run the country.
The UK must choose who it wants to lead it.
Given the choice, what type of leader would you follow?
In her book ‘Taking Pride’, Jessica Tracy has a suggestion. She suggests the two types of pride are a basis for two different leadership styles.
There is Dominance and there is Prestige.
A Dominance leadership style is when the leader leads with hubris or false-pride. They are typically driven by authority, control and power.
A Prestige leadership style is when the leader leads with authentic-pride. They are driven by respect, admiration and being a role model.
Tracy uses Donald Trump and Barack Obama as examples.
Both have been entrusted as President of the United States of America. They are both very different personalities. Both lead with very different styles. Tracy uses Donald Trump as an example of the Dominance style. Barack Obama is an example of the Prestige style.
Is Dominance bad and Prestige good? Or is it more complicated than that?
Let’s find out?
Dominance
The Dominance leadership style is based on the feeling of hubristic pride. It is driven by authority, control and power.
This is very much a top-down approach. The leader is in charge and dictates the orders to the sub-ordinates. The leader will be very direct and very assertive.
This style is more than likely a hangover from our caveman days. You can see it in gorillas and chimps. The biggest and strongest fights for dominance. To be the alpha male. To be in charge. You have authority, power and control over the group.
This style can be very useful it getting stuff done. You can see it in the military. A clear line of command and you do as you are told. If you need persuading they will come down on you like a ton of bricks. If you don’t respect your leader, they will certainly make sure you fear them.
Tracy uses Steve Jobs as an example. Especially in his early days at Apple. Jobs would yell and shout at his staff. Telling them their work was no good and to do it again. He would give them impossible tasks and drive them to complete the tasks.
This style can get things done. Get them done quicker than they would otherwise. Do difficult tasks that they would be able to do otherwise.
However, the downside is that workers can operate out of fear. They can lack job satisfaction and there can be a lack of trust in the leader.
Prestige
The Prestige leadership style is based on a feeling of authentic self-pride. It is driven by admiration, respect and being a role model.
This leads to a much more flat structure. Where people are seen as equals. All employees feel empowered.
This seems like a much more modern approach to leadership. A flat structured organisation is also referred to as a self-managed organisation. An extreme example is a company called Valve. Valve is a Gaming company responsible for classics such a Half-Life, Counter-Strike and Portal. At Valve, there are no job titles. Nobody tells you what to work on. All employees can see all projects. They can choose which project to work on. If they want to start their own project, they are responsible for securing funding and building their team.
You can see that this type of environment promotes creativity, innovation and exploration. No-one is punished for making a mistake or putting forward a bad idea.
You may also see the Prestige leadership style in a voluntary organisation. If you volunteer (not paid) to help run an organisation. You aren’t going to be too happy if your leader shouts and bawls at you. You would just leave. You would, however, continue to follow someone who provides respect. Is competent. A role model and who you can admire.
This leadership style promotes trust, collaboration, creativity and work satisfaction.
However, employees can be left with unclear direction. They can lack guidance. Things may struggle to get done.
Bit of both
Perhaps we need a little of both if the Dominance and the Prestige leadership styles.
Some employees will respond better to one style than another. Some employees like to receive clear directions of what needs doing. How you want it doing and when you want it done by. Others like to know the objective but enjoy the freedom of how it needs doing. They like a hands-off approach to allow for creativity, innovation and personal style.
When building a product, perhaps the different leadership styles work better in different parts of the process. During the research and development phase, the Prestige style may work best. Allowing for creativity and innovation. Exploring different ways the product may work. How it may look. What technologies drive it. Once designed, however, and during the production phase, clear instructions will be created on how to build the product. In building the product, a dominance style may be best. Ensuring employees follow the instructions. That the product is built as intended.
Takeaways
On the face of it, it would be easy to say Prestige is a good leadership style and Dominance is a bad leadership style. But life is a bit more complicated than that.
If you require clear, direct instructions and need to know who is in charge. If you need things doing quickly and accurately. If you need impossible things done. A Dominance leadership style would be better.
If you require the space for creativity and innovation. If you need to promote mutual respect. If you want to create an empowered community. A Prestige leadership style would be better.
You don’t have to be one or the other. You can choose your leadership style. Based on the needs of the situation or the needs of the person you are leading.
Footnotes
You can read/listen to Jessica Tracy’s book here:
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