201504 CM April

HR SPECIAL
FEATURE
SPECIAL
FOLLOW MY LEADER
In the second of a new series, Vicky Bailey of Delphinus tmc
considers the benefits of being a proactive and reactive leader and
which style is more effective.
HOW can you tell whether you have
an inherently proactive or reactive
style, and is either of them better
suited to a successful business
environment?
In recent years there has been a real
shift in businesses looking for their staff to
have a more proactive approach to working.
Bosses have been taking a longer-term
view on how they run their business and
they now expect the same proactivity
from their staff. The employees who have
a naturally reactive style could then be
potentially overlooked; so is this a good
thing for our current business climate?
As individuals we all have the ability
inside us to be both proactive and reactive,
so could it just be a case of allowing
ourselves to use both skill sets, and
knowing when one would be better than the
other?
First it is important to fully understand the
characteristics of both styles:
Reactive: being reactive means you
have the ability to handle pressure that
comes your way in real time. Reactive
leaders are also renowned for wanting to
solve problems on their own and take the
responsibility for it on their own shoulders.
Other characteristics include quick
thought processes which are logical and
planned to turn tasks around in the here
and now. Often known as ‘firefighting’,
there is very little long-term planning or
forward thinking involved. Reactive thinkers
find it easy to make snap decisions as this
style does not lend itself to analysing what
might be required sometime in the future.
A reactive style can be very stressful to
live with, as it often means having to deal
with a continuous string of problems. It can
be quite difficult to motivate a team if they
are all reactive employees.
On the positive benefit side, a reactive
leader and workforce is exactly what you
need to ensure the business can survive the
short-term issues and look forward to its
future opportunities.
Proactive: This requires a different mindset
and skills, because when you don’t
know what is round the corner; forward
thinking and confidence is a necessity to
figure out what needs to be achieved and
then how to achieve it. By creating the
groundwork, proactive people can run when
others are just starting out because they
have given themselves the time and space
to analyse each decision.
A forward-thinking approach can have
its benefits, especially where motivating
people are concerned. It has been said that
this style is very infectious as once one
person is proactive others want to follow.
The downside of this approach is that
looking into the future can sometimes take
your eyes off the here and now and in times
of crisis, this would not be a good thing. As
George Bernard Shaw once said:
“People are always blaming their
circumstances for what they are. I don’t
believe in circumstances. The people who
get on in this world are the people who get
up and look for the circumstances they
want, and if they can’t find them, make
them.’’
So which characteristics are most
beneficial to business? In essence you need
both! A truly proactive person does not
always have an eye on what is happening
in the present. They are constantly looking
to the future. This can be a very rewarding
skill but the present needs to be handled
correctly too.
It is important to be flexible in your
working approach and often it is a
balancing act. If you can create a team
with an equal mix of proactive and reactive
members then you are sure to succeed.
Your team will be able to take action in the
short term, and plan for the future.
So, understanding the pros and cons, it
is time for you to ask yourself which style
you would say you are best suited to?
Can you identify a style you naturally lean
towards? It is also important to consider
whether you are susceptible to change.
Can you honestly say you could bend to
meet the needs of the business?
Our word of the day is: Ownership – you
are the driving force for how you behave in
the workplace. Be confident in your skills
set and make sure you can adapt to the
changing nature of today’s business…
For further information on how Delphinus
tmc can help your team win please
contact Vicky Bailey on 01509 215872 or
email vicky@delphinustmc.co.uk
30 April 2015 www.cicm.com
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