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Perspective: How to Lead
A lesson from an unexpected source
Rick Fearnbaugh
March 18, 2025
What’s your Duty?
As a leader, what’s your duty to the people you lead? Should you only lead with the consent of the people who follow? This question was posed by a character in a book I recently finished. He was a newly crowned King, having just survived a revolution, and wanted to create a new kingdom with new political ideals focused on equality. He felt he should only do as the people wished.
His trusted advisor said that one's duty is not to do as the people wish but to lead the best one can. If the people do not like who you are, they will choose someone else. This excerpt got me thinking a lot about leadership, authenticity, and the duty of a leader.
A Lesson from an Unexpected Source
I took this story to mean that we must trust ourselves enough to have confidence in our decisions. Trust and confidence that our decisions will be in the best interest of the people we lead. I think that is the key to your duty as a leader. You act in the best interest of the people you lead, even if they are unsure of their best interests. Being a leader means making the choices, sometimes wrong ones, in pursuit of what your people need.
This excerpt also reminded me of the different leadership styles described by Daniel Goleman in his book Primal Leadership. The book outlines the various approaches to leadership and when each should be used. However, the biggest takeaway is knowing when to use each style, depending on your situation. Some situations call for more decisive, more authoritarian leadership, while others call for more democratic tactics. Leaders must understand how to support the needs of their people best. Your duty is to use your skills to serve in their best interest.
Application
We’ve made quite a lot of ground moving from the world of fantasy—the story told above comes from Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn trilogy. But it provides us with a fantastic lesson about leadership and how to lead in the best interest of your people. With the chart below, gathered from information in Primal Leadership, we can begin to shape our leadership style to our situation, allowing us to serve those who follow.
Leadership Style | Key Characteristics | Best Used When... | Impact on Team | Potential Downsides |
|---|
Visionary (Authoritative) | Inspires with a clear vision, provides direction and purpose, and motivates through meaning. | A new vision or change is needed or when a team lacks direction. | Creates clarity, motivation, alignment, and encourages innovation. | It can come across as arrogant if overused or if the leader lacks empathy. |
Coaching | Develops individuals, focuses on long-term growth, and provides mentorship. | Employees need development, and long-term goals matter. | Builds trust and engagement and enhances personal and professional growth. | It can be time-consuming and not effective in crises. |
Affiliative | Prioritizes relationships, promotes harmony, and focuses on emotional bonds. | Team morale is low, trust needs rebuilding, and conflicts need resolution. | Creates a positive work culture and fosters loyalty and collaboration. | May avoid addressing poor performance or difficult issues. |
Democratic | Encourages participation, values input, and fosters collaboration. | Buy-in and consensus are needed. Team expertise is valuable. | Enhances engagement, innovation, and shared responsibility. | Decision-making can be slow and ineffective in urgent situations. |
Pacesetting | Sets high standards, expects excellence, and leads by example. | A skilled, motivated team needs to be pushed for high performance. | Drives results in high-performing teams. Encourages productivity. | It can be overwhelming, may lead to burnout, and discourages creativity. |
Commanding (Coercive) | Directs with authority, demands compliance, and controls through orders. | In crisis, during turnarounds, or when immediate action is necessary. | Provides stability in emergencies and ensures swift action. | It creates fear and resentment and lowers morale if used long-term. |
I encourage you to explore each style a little more, or better yet, take a swing at the book. Either way, I hope this information gives you some guidance that you can use to enhance your leadership capability!
Remember, leadership is everywhere if you just choose to look!
Rick
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