Reacting to problems that occur throughout your … With the luxury of time to contemplate in advance the issues that could be problematic. and now and in times of crisis, this would not be a good thing. And finally, a team member who felt that what she did makes a difference. As George Bernard Shaw, Irish playwright and a co-founder of the London School of Economics once said. What impact is your style of leadership having? Often known as “firefighting” There is very little long term planning or forward thinking involved. But do be aware of those areas that may be your undoing, and manage around them. Your team will be able to take action in the short term, and plan for the future. As a manager, you wait until problems or crises surface then come up with a solution. She took over the management and control of the entire Casual Staff Budget. “. A true leadership turnaround involves changing how you think and perceive a challenging situation on a fundamental level. You can laugh at yourself, and appreciate how much you've grown and changed). In what ways have you been frustrated, in the past by people coming to you for even simple decisions? It is important to be flexible in your working approach and often it is a balancing act. The … Proactive leadership vs reactive leadership Read More » A truly proactive person does not always have an eye on what is happening in the present. When you get good at tapping into the power of your people, you'll deliver faster, better results. The key difference between proactive and reactive strategy is that proactive strategy is used for future while reactive strategy is used for the current context. Instead of providing her with solutions, the project was turned over to her. Instead, because of the wonderful mentoring I received over the years from some terrific leaders, I put my Proactive Style of Leadership hat on. As individuals we all have the ability inside us to be both proactive and reactive, so could it just be a case of allowing ourselves to use both skill sets, and knowing when one would be better than the other? Photography by Rich Smith. Proactive vs. Reactive. Or, are you a Proactive Leader? You’ll probably never completely escape having to react to problems, but they should happen less frequently. It is a leadership style that is much admired for being decisive and capable of developing innovative solutions quickly in the midst of a crisis. The silent message to her was: YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH. Are you using a reactive or proactive leadership style? Why are some leaders agile and fast while others tend to be laid back and slow in execution. Negotiated prices and demanded they improve the quality of casual labor they sent us and improve their customer service. And you have my support if you need it. So which characteristics are most beneficial to business? If you don’t feel 100% confident that your leadership is responsive and not reactive, the coaches at Arden can help! A forward thinking approach can have its benefits, especially where motivating people are concerned. Different environments call for different leadership orientations. In the private sector for the example, you need to increase turnover to exceed your costs. A proactive vision is a principle of an effective leader. ), I would've immediately got on to the agency. You need to be aware of what is going on around you and make conscious choices on how you respond. Reactive leadership focuses … Developing Responsive Leadership Starts with Changing How You React. Reactive leadership means that leaders’ actions are depend on the situation and the society. They'll help you assess areas of strength of your business and identify areas of potential growth. In a proactive strategy, you foresee a problem and find ways to mitigate it. Our word of the day is: Ownership – you are the driving force for how you behave in the workplace. Unsubscribe at any time. Vicky Bailey is a Vistage Speaker, for further information on her programmes and areas or expertise, see the Vistage Speaker Bureau, or email vicky@delphinustmc.co.uk. What specific action could you take TODAY that would make a difference? For your team? Whereas, the Reactive Leader is focused on finding and fixing problems by him or herself. Proactive leadership vs reactive leadership. This created significant cost savings to the bottom line. Can you honestly say you could bend to meet the needs of the business? By the end of the process, she had saved the company about $20,000 per annum. Lots of urgency in your workplace. Reactive leaders are also renowned for wanting to solve problems on their own and take the responsibility for it on their own shoulders. Reactive thinkers find it easy to make snap decisions as this style does not lend itself to analysing what might be required sometime in the future. Proactive or Reactive Leadership, Which is Most Effective in the Workplace? They are constantly looking to the future. Do you feel like a reactive leader? Proactive leadership takes work, because you need to carve out time in your day to focus on it. Whereas, the Reactive Leader is focused on finding and fixing problems by him or herself. Obviously, with as much support as she felt she needed, so that she could grow and learn. It is also important to consider whether you are susceptible to change. First it is important to fully understand the characteristics of both styles: Reactive: Being reactive means you have the ability to handle pressure that comes your way in real time. By creating the groundwork, proactive people can run when others are just starting out because they have given themselves the time and space to analyse each decision. Reactive management is sometimes referred to as the "firefighting" approach to leadership. (Isn't hindsight a beautiful thing. Reactive management is sometimes referred to as the "firefighting" approach to leadership. Proactive: This requires a different mind-set and skills, because when you don’t know what is round the corner; forward thinking and confidence is a necessity to figure out what needs to be achieved and then how to achieve it. It can be quite difficult to motivate a team if they are all reactive employees.On the positive benefit side, a reactive leader and workforce is exactly what you need to ensure the business can survives the short term issues and look forward to its future opportunities.