By VEDA GANESAN | DISTRICT 12 PRESIDENT | ANALYZER LEADERSHIP STYLE
Marcus High School
Be the one this school year and learn what type of emerging leader you are! There is no one DECA definition of an emerging leader, since you are the one crafting your own story. Each leader is the voice of many, so it's very crucial to fully understand yourself before you attempt to understand your fellow peers.
The DECA Leadership Styles assessment will help you identify your sweet spots and blind spots as a DECA leader. Having an awareness of your DECA Leadership Style will enable you to communicate better, assess others’ needs, and build productive relationships within your leadership team. A leader’s ability to identify these differences and quickly adapt to address individual needs can be the difference between leadership success and failure. Learn more about what type of emerging leader you are below!
Nature + Nurture + Choices
One-third of your leadership is based on nature: how you were uniquely wired and what types of genetics you received at birth. Another third of your leadership is based on nurture: the type of environments you have faced and the training you have received. It is a mixture of how you were raised and influenced by family, friends, heroes and others in your life. The final element of your leadership style is based on your choices: the lessons you have learned from the outcomes of your life decisions.
The DECA Leadership Styles Quiz below provides insight into your nature, or how you are naturally programmed to lead. It provides a glimpse into your natural tendencies and how you were born to act and react to life situations. Your natural style often emerges when you are the most stressed, tired or operating in new or unfamiliar environments. As a leader, there is often the chance you will face one of these situations with your team, so understanding each others’ leadership styles is necessary to navigate uncharted terrain. As you gain confidence and comfortability in leadership, the nurture and choice aspects of your leadership style will emerge. This cultivation of nature, nurture and choice reveals the emerging leader within you.
The Quiz
Take the interactive quiz here and learn a little bit more about your leadership style below.
Why understand the leadership styles in your team?
Here's why understanding leadership styles is important:
Enhanced collaboration: Knowing different leadership styles allows leaders to work together more effectively, leveraging each other's strengths and compensating for weaknesses. Delegation and collaboration become much easier.
Improved communication: Leaders who understand their team’s leadership styles can tailor their communication approach, fostering clearer and more empathetic interactions. This results in better alignment and fewer misunderstandings.
Adaptability: Leaders who are aware of various leadership styles can more easily adapt their approach based on the situation or the team they're working with. This flexibility is crucial when leading diverse groups.
Personal growth: By recognizing different leadership styles, leaders can identify areas for their own personal development and can broaden their leadership repertoire.
Conflict resolution: Understanding different leadership approaches helps in resolving conflicts more efficiently among leaders. It allows teams to find compromises that respect diverse leadership styles and perspectives.
Mentoring and development: Leaders who understand different styles are better equipped to mentor and develop the next generation of emerging leaders, helping to cultivate a strong leadership legacy within the organization.
Decision-making: Understanding various leadership styles enables more informed and inclusive decision-making at the top level. It allows leaders to consider different perspectives and approaches when solving problems or setting organizational direction.
Morale: Understanding the team’s leadership styles promotes a more inclusive environment, respecting and admiring diversity.
By recognizing and appreciating the different leadership styles within your leadership team, your team can work together more harmoniously, capitalize on each other's strengths, and create a more cohesive leadership structure for your DECA chapter or association.