Leadership

Just finished Steve Jobs biography, and I can't help but process his leadership ability, skills, and styles.

In the short 10 years of my professional career, I have come across every style of
Leader.

First was Wayne Willegas at celebrity cruises, he was the VP of marketing for the majority  of my time there. He was a warm, welcoming guy with an open mind for ideas and even though I was young he was always encouraging of my ideas and my efforts.

Next I moved onto an advertising agency run by two Jewish women in Miami. These women had owned and operated the agency for over 20 years and the one and only client for that 20 years was Sandals resorts. I came into my management role here, and found a very hostile environment. Every time I was in front of them, it felt like I was in front of a firing squad. They would fire away questions, and I would scramble to answer having to learn to be quick on my toes. These women micro managed every aspect of the business, and would one day scrutinize certain things only the next day to completely overlook them and find them irrelevant. They were hard to please, and easily distracted. However, there was a redeeming factor of feeling like you were family. They would ask about personal things, and actually listen and offer advice. It was a strange place to work, very stressful...but it taught me so many invaluable things. Despite the rigor, I wouldn't change it for the world.

Finally I find myself in Monaco with the most laid back of bosses. There are months at a time that no one in the office sees him or even knows where he is. There is a complete lack of communication, and the general direction of the company is unclear. However, it's his way of making you figure things out for yourself. No hand holding, no judgments once you do actually see him. Just, an ease about him that we will figure it out in due time. Yes, this creates all sorts of red flags for me....for example how do we pay our overhead when we haven't had revenue in nearly 6 months? Among other questions.

But what has all of this taught me? What is the lesson to be learned here? What is the best leadership style? How do I want to format my own leadership style?

I wish I had the answers to all these questions. As I hit 30 next year, I want to be on the right path and moving towards a bright future...but at this time I seem to only know that what works for me doesn't necessarily work for anyone else. And with each employee that I manage, my leadership style seems to adjust in small ways in order to facilitate a good working environment.