Affiliative Leadership
What Is Affiliative Leadership? Definition & Tips
Affiliative leadership – definition and characteristics
Affiliative leadership can be a difficult balance for many leaders, but the benefits can lead to higher productivity and engagement among your employees. In this article, we will highlight the reasons to promote a collaborative leadership style, today.
What is affiliative leadership?
The affiliative leadership style, based on Daniel Goleman’s leadership styles, is based on the idea of putting people at the center. Managers who follow the affiliative approach focus on flexibility and are able to create team spirit instead of encouraging competitiveness.
According to Goleman’s theory, reciprocity is a rule that applies fully to this style. When someone treats you well, you feel obligated to do the same. Essentially, this type of positive work environment leads to better overall employee performance.
Advantages and disadvantages of the affiliative leadership style
Affiliative leadership has its own positive and negative aspects. Your success depends not only on the emotional intelligence of the manager, but also on the reaction of each individual employee. Below we paint a complete picture…
Advantages of affiliative leadership
- A strong feeling of belonging
A team led by an affiliative leader has a strong bond between its members. This is based on trust and a feeling of belonging. When each team member feels positively connected to the others, they will achieve their goals more easily. This is particularly helpful when the team is dealing with difficult times or stressful situations.
- Increased team productivity
A recent study from the University of Warwick’s School of Economics shows that people who feel good at work are 12% more productive. An affiliative leader ensures that employees have a sense of trust and that they are supported no matter what happens. When employees feel comfortable asking for help, problems are more likely to be resolved before they become worse.
- Feedback that increases performance
By recognizing every contribution to the team, no matter how small, they help employees feel more confident and motivated. Deficits are also clearly communicated, but without dwelling on them. This leadership style can make the team feel valued and inspire them to do even better.
Disadvantages of the affiliative leadership style
- Avoiding unpleasant situations
If you’re happy at work, why bother talking about missed goals or lack of initiative? For the sake of harmony, affiliative leaders may simply try to keep any negativity away. Postponing difficult situations or conversations without intervening could be counterproductive.
- Risk of underperformance
Slow and deliberate doesn’t always mean better. There should be realistic goals, but if it is necessary to go faster to achieve a goal, everyone should be on board.
- Risk of feeling “uninvolved
Flexibility and respect do not equate to a lack of leadership. However, many people who are used to a more authoritarian leadership style may misinterpret your behavior and see you as a weak leader instead of following your style.
The 5 key characteristics of affiliative leadership
Do you put your employees first? Do you ask them for constructive feedback and are you open to dialogue? Do you think emotional intelligence is important? Then you are an affiliative leader!
1.Priority for employees
Creating career opportunities, enabling learning and the acquisition of new skills, being flexible and supportive – an affiliative leader knows how to unlock the potential of their employees. By prioritizing the financial, mental and emotional needs of their employees, an affiliative leader makes a lasting investment.
2.Constructive feedback loops
When it comes to your own work, your employees are the best source of feedback. How can you best utilize this valuable resource? Follow these steps to create a constructive feedback loop:
- Ask for feedback
- Ask for details
- Analyze the information
- Decide how you want to react
- Plan or take action to improve
3.Participatory dialogue
When the concept of participatory dialogue is consistently applied, it promotes employee ownership and gives them the feeling that their voice counts. Good leaders take the time to ask open-ended, thought-provoking questions that relate to each team member’s specific tasks.
In this way, the most important information is passed on spontaneously and helps managers to address existing problems more effectively.
4.A strong moral compass
Every person has a moral compass. This is a person’s ability to judge what is right and what is wrong and act accordingly. Our life experiences, but also many other factors, influence our moral compass. Sharing and respecting common values is the foundation for solid interpersonal relationships and good teamwork.
5.Emotional Intelligence
According to Harvard Business School, emotional intelligence or emotional quotient (EQ) is “the ability to understand and manage one’s own emotions and the emotions of others” and is a critical component of leadership ability.
Examples of affiliative leadership to put into practice
How does affiliative leadership work in practice? Let’s give some examples.
- Your team is starting a project and you need to introduce a new software tool. If you speak to your employees without addressing their questions and concerns, that is not dialogue. When John asks you how to open the application and use two-factor authentication, you should stop and answer him. If you don’t want to interrupt your presentation, you can simply say: “Good question. We’ll look at that together later.” Just give him a sign that you’ve been listening.
- When employees dare to say publicly that something went wrong, it’s a sign that your collaborative leadership style is working. If Stacy fears that her mistake will only be met with criticism during the meeting, she will probably choose not to say anything. And what if you made a mistake and no one tells you? Allow your employees to say you made a mistake and they will trust and follow you.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ) about Affiliative Leadership
What is affiliative leadership?
Affiliative leadership is an approach in which leaders put people at the center and ensure peace and harmony in the workplace.
What is an example of affiliative leadership?
You are an affiliative leader if you are able to listen to the needs of your employees, understand them, prioritize them and make them happy.
What are the characteristics of affiliative leadership?
There are five cornerstones that make up affiliative leadership: employee prioritization, constructive feedback loops, participatory dialogue, strong moral compass, and emotional intelligence. Want to dive deeper?
Is affiliative leadership good?
We can clearly answer this question in the affirmative. Affiliative leadership promotes harmony and peace and creates a motivated workforce that is deeply connected to their leader and their organization. It is scientifically proven that happy people are more productive.
Become an affiliative leader today
There are different ways to lead your team, and belonging is just one of them. It is crucial that you are aware of how your leadership impacts your employees. Better leadership requires understanding of many topics. Want to dive deeper? Check out our IceHrm blog for more information and read about the 7 different ways to build more diverse leadership in your organization.