Pacesetting leadership - it's like the boss version of "monkey see, monkey do"! Basically, you set the example for your team and they have to keep up with your speed. But here's the catch - you gotta make sure you set a pace that's achievable and not too crazy!
The cool thing about pacesetting is that if you do it right, your team can achieve way more than they would on their own. But if you mess up and set an impossible pace, you might end up having to give the boot to anyone who can't keep up.
What exactly is pacesetting leadership?
It's when you expect your team to meet or even exceed the high standards you set for yourself. This puts the focus on accountability, which is really important for a healthy work environment. Plus, it's a great way to motivate people who like to push themselves and others to do better.
But there are some downsides to this approach too. You have to set the right pace - it's not about rushing through things as quickly as possible. You need to find your stride and challenge your team to do their best. If you set the bar too high, you risk leaving your team behind, and that's not good for anyone. If someone can't keep up with the pace, they might end up getting let go.
It can be a powerful tool for achieving great results, but it's not for everyone. Make sure you set realistic expectations and communicate clearly with your team to make sure everyone is on the same page. And remember, leading by example is always a good idea!
When is pacesetting leadership effective?
Well, it's a great way to lead teams that focus on hitting specific numbers like sales targets or units produced. But, if you want to be successful, you need to set the right pace.
You have to take into account:
The complexity of the tasks your team is working on
Their individual skill levels
Additional factors like shift patterns or meetings that might affect their ability to hit the goals you set
The key is to set challenging goals without over-burdening anyone. If you give someone too much work, they won't be able to succeed and will likely get super stressed out.
Another important thing to keep in mind is that you need to be highly motivated yourself to lead a team this way. You have to thrive on the recognition you get from consistently delivering great work and strive for improvement just for the sake of it. You can also check out why leadership accountability and employee accountability are important and how tools like the Accountability Dial can encourage it in your team.
But, pacesetting leadership doesn't work for creative teams. You can't put a deadline on coming up with the perfect color palette or writing the perfect tagline. Instead, quality should be the yardstick you use, but even then, it can be subjective. Plus, sometimes you need to create "bad" ideas to get to the good ones!
Finally, if your team isn't self-motivated, they might need some external incentives to keep up. But, this approach doesn't accommodate the many nuances required for great people management. It's important to remember that leading a team to success involves many complexities.
Pros and cons of pacesetting leadership
Pros: Pacesetting leadership can be great for creating accountability for both you and your team. It also creates short-term motivation, which can be helpful for meeting specific goals. If you're someone who likes rigid rules and structure, this leadership style might be perfect for you. It can also give you and your team some clarity as to what's expected.
Cons: This leadership style isn't easily applied in creative industries. It doesn't really focus on coaching or career development, which can be a real bummer for employees who want to grow and advance in their roles. It can also be challenging to get right, and some employees might struggle to reach their full potential under this kind of leadership.
How does pace-setting leadership compare to other leadership styles?
Pace-setting leadership might be great for teams focused on hitting specific numbers, like sales targets or units produced, it's not always the best fit for creative teams or situations where quality is more important than speed.
At the end of the day, the key is to find the right leadership style for your team and the situation you're in. That might mean using a combination of different approaches or adapting your leadership style based on what's happening in the moment.
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