From fierce to friendly. How different leadership styles shape careers, workplace culture and business success – by Steve Macaulay and David Buchanan
This article explores how different leadership styles work in various contexts, why some are more accepted by employees than others, and whether your preferred style aligns with your organisation’s mission and culture. By highlighting these contrasts, we help you assess what works best for you – insights that L&D can transform into valuable training opportunities.
Leadership at the movies in The Devil Wears Prada
Miranda Priestly is the successful Editor-in-chief of Runway fashion magazine in the film, The Devil Wears Prada (think Anna Wintour, Editor-in-chief of American Vogue). She is demanding and uncompromising, emphasising commitment, creativity and high standards of performance from employees.
In contrast, Alex is our fictitious opposite of Miranda in style – a supportive and empathetic manager. Alex focuses on creating a relatively stable, predictable working environment emphasising personal relationships and work-life balance, in the belief that people will do their best work in a supportive climate.
Which of these styles aligns with your personal and professional needs?
Bringing leadership styles to life
Visionary versus operational
- Miranda has ambitious goals and high standards and can be rude and intimidating to those who do not meet her expectations.
- Alex prioritises structure, consistency and stability, and supports those whose performance is not up to standard.
Innovation versus risk aversion
- Miranda encourages creative thinking and innovation.
- Alex focuses on risk management, security, predictability.
Work demands versus personal connection
- Miranda deliberately maintains a demanding work culture with high standards.
- Alex prioritises trust and fosters personal relationships and work-life balance.
Accelerated development versus sustainable growth
- Miranda is impatient, quick to criticise, expects rapid responses and has a fast-paced work environment that accelerates personal skill and career development.
- Alex focuses on sustainable growth, balancing employee job satisfaction with the organisation’s goals.
Communication style
- Miranda is cold, impersonal and distant, avoids eye contact and small talk; she does most of the talking while others listen.
- Alex engages in regular, open communication and listens carefully, to ensure mutual understanding.
Decision-making
- Miranda makes rapid, bold decisions based on personal judgment.
- Alex takes time to reach cautious, considered decisions based on team input.
Context is everything
A leading fashion magazine doesn’t report the weather, it makes the weather. You are a trendsetter, always on a tight deadline with the next edition. Would someone like Alex be effective in this context? On the other hand, would Miranda be an effective leader in a more relaxed and predictable setting?
Research shows that there are few ‘must have’ leadership qualities. The search for these was abandoned mid-20th century when studies could not identify a consistent profile. Leadership effectiveness depends on the context.
If you are ambitious and impatient for personal growth and career opportunities, and are not concerned with socialising at work, find a business and a boss like Miranda. If you prefer order, certainty and predictability at work, and value relationships with colleagues, look for an Alex in a less pressured business with a more relaxed pace.
The downsides
All leadership styles have challenges. Miranda’s approach can lead to errors, burn-out and high staff turnover (although people want to work for her, and a reference from her will make your career). Her relentless pace can stress employees.
Alex, on the other hand, offers predictability, support and better work-life balance. But consistency and stability stifle innovation, competitiveness and personal growth.
The Leadership Continuum
Leadership styles are not as polarised as we have presented them. The Tannenbaum Schmidt Leadership Continuum categorises leadership from autocratic to democratic. Miranda’s style is autocratic, making independent decisions. Alex is consultative, seeking input before making decisions. A fast-paced business may demand directive leadership. Stability and a slower pace allow participation.
Here’s how the Leadership Continuum works:
- Tell: An autocratic leader makes independent decisions.
- Sell: The leader explains decisions to the team.
- Consult: The leader seeks input before making their decision.
- Participate: The leader collaborates with the team on joint decisions.
- Delegate: The leader gives the team autonomy.
Leadership styles must adapt to different contexts. Or, the leader finds the context in which they are likely to succeed.
Miranda leads at the ‘tell and sell’ end of the continuum, which is appropriate in a high-pressure business. She also has political intelligence, understanding the power dynamics of the business.
Alex avoids office politics, as a waste of time and energy, and leads with ‘consult and participate’. This can be appropriate in a slower-paced environment.
Using The Devil Wears Prada for leadership development
The Devil Wears Prada is a vivid leadership development case study that can be used to assess the merits of different leadership styles.
First: Ask participants to identify the style of leader they prefer to work with, and their preferred kind of work environment.
Second: Ask participants to watch the first six minutes of the movie, from the point at which Andrea comes out of the lift and approaches the Runway magazine reception desk, until she is called back before leaving the building. Ask them to note Miranda’s leadership behaviours, and the impact these have on employees.
Third: Lead a discussion assessing whether Miranda is a good or bad boss.
Debrief: With these key learning points:
- Intimidation works: The line between intimidation and high-performance expectations is blurred. However, an intimidating leadership style can be motivating for some.
- Break the rules: Some leaders are prepared to act deliberately in an abrasive manner to make things happen, move things along, and get things done.
- Context-dependence: The effectiveness of Miranda’s leadership style depends on the context – a high-pressure setting where time is short and the stakes are high.
Conclusion
There is no ‘one best’ leadership style to fit all business contexts. Some styles are more acceptable to employees than others. As a leader, you must adapt your style to the context or find a business where your approach fits. As an employee, you need to find both a sector and a leadership style with which you feel comfortable.
Steve Macaulay is an associate at Cranfield Executive Development. He can be contacted at: s.macaulay@cranfield.ac.uk
David Buchanan is emeritus professor of organisational behaviour at Cranfield University School of Management. He can be contacted at: david.buchanan@cranfield.ac.uk
