5 Affiliative Leadership Style Examples

Understanding the qualities of an affiliative leader is important to those having some issues or conflicts within an organization. This type of leadership was first developed in 2002 by Daniel Goleman. Basically, it can promote a harmonious relationship among followers and ensure that they are connected to one another.

Accordingly, this technique is considered the most effective and efficient among others because it focuses on teambuilding to deal with low morale due to stress or other issues. This can be well observed when a group has reorganized itself, because the affiliative leadership style can help greatly in understanding how they will fit in a new management.

1. Creates Organizational Harmony and Connection

Considered an extremely mutual style of leadership, it centers on the followers’ and certain groups’ emotional needs. Provided it is done correctly, it can prevent situations that are emotionally distressing and feedbacks that are negative. Likewise, it is in collaboration with a visionary leadership that best work in getting through stressful circumstances and situations, as well as healing some rifts within the organization.

This is also great technique to make employees or followers to feel good about themselves and get along well with the management. Leaders adapting this style of leadership must have traits that will enable them to be followed. Consequently, they will need lots of praises to be able to resolve conflicts and issues about the system and their management of the team.

2. Gets Rid of Poor Performances and Performers

This type of leadership will be able to work well in organizations that are stressful, highly volatile, and require reassurance. Although it may have some drawbacks, such as poor employee performance, excellent leaders can use their authority to avoid this from happening. They can actually get rid of poor performers and performances if they need to.

3. Leadership Is Centered on People

Being a leader with affiliative leadership style can gain some serious conflict with others with differing techniques. Since it is all about people, these leaders value people and emotions rather than their tasks and goals.

4. Leads with Strong Emotional Bond

It is the aim of this type of leadership to keep their employees happy as they build harmony among them. In their style of leadership, they use a strong emotional bond that will enable them to become loyal to one another. In fact, this has gained a positive impact on communication.

5. Builds Trust within the Group

Another good thing of having an affiliative leadership style is that it builds trust between members within the group. In return, it can provide advantages in the field of high performance and innovation. It can also provide flexibility as these types of leaders know how to adjust rules of the house. Likewise, they do not implement unnecessary criticisms regarding how the employees get the job done. This is because they give their members freedom which can earn loyalty and trust.

This may not be the ideal leadership style fit for every group, but certainly it is very effective when trying to create harmony and to boost the morale among employees. Its impact can improve the energy and commitment through strong relationships and emotional honesty within the workplace.

Author Biography
Keith Miller has over 25 years of experience as a CEO and serial entrepreneur. As an entrepreneur, he has founded several multi-million dollar companies. As a writer, Keith's work has been mentioned in CIO Magazine, Workable, BizTech, and The Charlotte Observer. If you have any questions about the content of this blog post, then please send our content editing team a message here.

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