According to “Leadership Run Amok” two types of leadership are pointed out within” A day in the life of Alex Sander “case:
Directive :
a) this style entails command and control behavior that at time become coercive- we can observe directive style when Alex is pushy and commanding to get the job done, steamroll over each one’s feelings and ignore a different approach coming from a colleague;
b) this style is used by high achievers under stress- we may notice directive style when Alex said that his first objective had been to shake up the product team in order to launch products quickly;
c) whenever executives use this approach, they do not allow people come with their own ideas, telling them very strictly what to do and when to do (we saw this when a member of the Nourish team complained about the excruciating level of detail Alex described the tasks that they need to complete).
1. Pacesetting :
a) This style involves leading by example and personal heroics – Alex involved himself in every single detail of product launches, being the only player in all process stages. Within the meeting together with project team he emphasized, as a personal example, that he has a considerable list of tasks he would anyway fulfill before anyone else could finish their tasks.
The above mentioned styles involve some advantages: generate passion and energy which fuel growth and help companies sustain performance over long term; generate productivity and innovation. In the same time, they can be accompanied by several disadvantages: predominant (sometimes even exclusive) orientation to goals and task, without keeping an eye on people side; demolish people trust in their capacities and undermine their morale and over-achievers tend to command rather than coach and collaborate.