September means Back to Basics here at Inman. As real estate continues into the post-settlement era with new commission rules, real estate professionals from across the country will share what works for them, how they developed their systems and tools, and what they are personally investing in.
I’m busy onboarding my new operations manager and ask myself daily what it means to be an effective leader. She’s my sevene employee, and as I look back on my past experiences, I am humbled to see that learning to lead with grace yet strength has been quite a process. I got my leadership inspiration from an unexpected source: dogs.
During my last American dream shoot, I spent the day with a pack of 11 dogs and their pack leader, Toby Joy. Toby has a company called Wild Pup Adventures where she takes Portland pups on amazing outdoor excursions every week. The game plan was to meet at a secret lake in coastal Oregon where we would go kayaking while the dogs swam and played. I knew I would have a great time, but I didn’t expect a leadership lesson.
According to one Harvard Business Review articlethere are six common leadership styles.
- Compelling
- Authoritative
- Pacing
- Affiliative
- Democratic
- Coaching
Experts say that “being a great leader means recognizing that different circumstances may call for different approaches.”
Although neither Toby nor her pack graduated from Harvard, the emotional intelligence and dynamism I saw among them was profound. I watched them and the pack dynamically demonstrate many of these leadership styles in the short time I spent with them.
Meet the platoon
The compelling leader
This leadership style is dominant and ‘do as I say’ in nature. While this may be effective in urgent or crisis situations, most people and dogs do not respond well to barking.
Uma, an adorable pit bull mix, was the perfect example. She demanded that she be the first to growl when another dog came too close or tried to get in front of her. She led with a ‘stay put and do as I say’ attitude. I suspect that although she was at the front of our swim, her stint as “lead dog” will be short-lived.
This is the least effective long term leadership style. In the workplace, this often leads to disillusionment and high employee turnover.
The authoritative leader
An authoritative leader moves his pack toward a common goal by setting clear guidelines while giving pack members the autonomy to explore and express themselves creatively.
I marveled at Toby’s ability to manage her pack in this way. She was focused on providing a safe, enriching and satisfying experience for the pack, setting the common goal of having fun and burning off excess energy. While providing constant direction and encouragement, she gave the dogs an enormous amount of freedom to explore, figure things out, and make mistakes.
This is most of it effective and inspiring leadership style. It promotes high employee engagement and job satisfaction.
The pacesetter
This style involves holding yourself and others to high standards. This is a big one for me. Because I hold myself to such high standards, I have to be careful not to project them onto others. This has had a counterproductive effect for me in the past, making employees feel like they couldn’t please me. They became disillusioned and one of my assistants suddenly burst into tears and quit because of my behavior.
Toby required the pack to follow the basic rules of staying together and respecting each other, but she was a pro at meeting them where they were. Because she combined this style with other leadership styles, her pace came across as encouraging rather than domineering.
The affiliate leader
Experts say that “this leadership style involves building strong emotional bonds, creating a sense of camaraderie and team spirit, and fostering a positive and supportive workplace. This gives team members a sense of belonging, the ability to freely share ideas and feedback, and work together toward common goals.”
Coco, a chocolate lab, was the perfect leader. She was Ms. Positivity. She loved to climb on logs and jump into the water. I watched as the other pups repeatedly followed her lead. She waited until everyone had climbed up and then jumped first. Through the simple game she stimulated bonding and teamwork.
While effective in creating a positive environment, this style is best balanced by integrating other styles that provide important feedback when necessary.
The Democratic Leader
This leadership style focuses on giving teammates the feeling that they have a voice in decision-making. It involves actively listening to opinions and ideas. Employees in this scenario feel valued and are more likely to take ownership of their share of the company’s success.
While useful in starting new projects or defining a new direction, this type of leadership doesn’t work as well if an employee doesn’t have the experience to contribute to a major decision.
The coaching leader
Many of us are familiar with this coaching style because it is an integral part of the real estate world. Whether you’re an agent being coached by your principal broker or hiring a professional coach for career development, this style lends itself more to a “one-on-one” experience. It often focuses on inquiring about an individual’s short- and long-term goals, as well as their challenges and strengths.
Expressing genuine interest and asking questions about what motivates someone or why something works or doesn’t work for them can create a good opportunity for important conversations and stimulate employees’ self-development. Everyone wants to be heard and understood.
Pawsome parting thoughts
Although I have had many wonderful human mentors in my life, observing Toby and her pack left a powerful impression on me.
They reminded me:
- Be in the moment.
- Keep it simple.
- Don’t take myself too seriously.
- Above all, respect others.
With the changes in our industry and the uncertainty of the times ahead, our teams and communities will look to us for guidance. It’s important to take the time to ask ourselves what kind of leader we want to be. Being an effective leader is an art that takes time and experience to refine and develop. If it all feels too complex and overwhelming, I suggest hanging out with a pack of dogs for an afternoon.
Pam Blair is the broker-owner of YogaBug Real Estate in Portland, Oregon. Connect with her Instagram or LinkedIn.
