Affiliative Leadership
The Key to Winning Championships?
In the Harvard Business Review article Leadership That Gets Results, Daniel Goleman lists six styles of effective leadership. Did Michael Jordan’s championships come through affiliative leadership?
Many argue that Michael Jordon is the greatest athlete of all time. As good as he was, for a time, championships alluded him. Achieving his first championship required a new style of leadership.
In 1989 Phil Jackson took over as the head coach for Jordon’s Chicago Bulls. While the coaching change disappointed Jordan, he became fiercely loyal to Jackson. Jordon’s loyalty drove him to retire after the Bulls fired Jackson in 1998.
Jackson’s success came through the introduction of the “Triangle Offense.” The approach allowed the championship Chicago Bulls to come together as a team. It was no longer an offensive scheme designed around one superstar player. Jordon’s championship came through a scheme that often took the ball out of his hands.
What would convince a superstar that his success would come from the people around him? Affiliative leadership.
People Come First
Goleman describes affiliate leadership as the “people come first” approach to leadership. Leaders bring people together to achieve a common goal. Yet, goals alone don’t win championships. Acknowledging the humanity in those we lead is crucial.
How was Phil Jackson able to convince his superstar to abandon the star-focused approach? He first formed a relationship with Jordon. He didn’t just see Jordon as his top producing asset, he saw him as a person.
Jackson’s approach turned Jordon the skeptic into a loyal friend. A friendship that would last well beyond their time on the court.
Can’t We All Just Get Along?
Bringing top talent together often comes with challenges.
Jackson knew the impact respect had on effective teams. He led his team with at least two principles that fostered respect in the team. First, he would check his own ego at the door and require his players to do the same. Second, he led with compassion to bring others together. He often found that a few kind words would dissolve the most hardened barriers in the team. Positive feedback is a powerful motivating force.
It seems pretty basic, but people who like and respect each other collaborate, they talk.
Model Vulnerability
In “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team”, Patrick Lencioni discusses common team dysfunctions. He lists the absence of trust as the top dysfunction. Teams can not reach their full potential when trust is missing from the equation.
Successful teams are built on a foundation of trust.
Affiliate leaders know that a foundation of trust requires transparency. This comes through modeling vulnerability themselves. Jackson saw this firsthand. He recalls “the more I spoke from the heart, the more players could hear me and benefit from what I gleaned.”
Shortcomings of Affiliative Leadership
Goleman’s research found affiliative leadership to have a positive overall impact. However, it’s not without shortcomings.
A focus on keeping people happy and creating harmony might create blinders. Constructive criticism may be avoided. Without this important feedback loop, improvement areas are overlooked.
Affiliative leadership is not for every situation. It is best applied when trust is missing, morale is low or a team is stuck in dysfunction. It is most effective when used in combination with authoritative leadership.
What Is Affiliative Leadership?
Affiliative leadership is a style that focuses on the people before the tasks or goals. The leader builds strong emotional health within the team. Teams fully engage in the tasks at hand when emotional needs are met and harmony exists.
Originally published at https://surroundedleader.com on April 21, 2022.
