There are three basic styles of leadership. All of us use these three styles. Now, let me pause here for a minute and say that I am not suggesting you change your style. That style makes you the leader that you are. What I am suggesting is that you become flexible with the styles. Would you agree with me that your style works some of the time and fails miserably some of the time? Why is that? Because one style doesn't fit every situation. What I am suggesting is that you use a more flexible situational leadership when it comes to the Leadership Styles. Use the style that best fits the situation and the people involved.

Having said that, what are the three Leadership Styles? The styles are:

1. Autocratic
2. Democratic
3. Free Rein

Let me explain what each style is and when to use it.

Autocratic: The Autocratic Leader is more like a general. The commander of an army. They are quick decision makers and they tell others what to do. We saw this style a great deal in the corporate world in the 1950's through the 1980's. We still see it today but not quite as much as those earlier decades. Why did we see it so much in the past? Well, where did the CEOs and Presidents of organizations get their training? Many of them came out of the military. Is autocratic leadership a good style for the military? Absolutely. Particularly in war time. Why? Because we are in crisis or emergency mode. Decisions had to be made and made quickly or people would die. Autocratic leaders took action and won wars.

After the war, these leaders came back and took their place in the corporate world. They discovered that their civilian counterparts didn't take to orders like their military counterparts. This caused them some challenges. The leaders discovered that their style didn't work in every situation. They learned that they had to be flexible in their leadership styles. There is still a place for autocratic leadership in the corporate world. We have emergencies and other situations that require quick decisions and quick actions. But what we have to do in order to maximize our effectiveness is not get stuck in one style. Use the style that best fits the situation.

This article was excerpted from Mark Bowser's upcoming book The Three Pillars of Success. For more information on the other Leadership Styles, please stay tuned to your next issue of The Empower Newsletter.

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Motivational speakers have famously touted the slogan, "attitude is everything." While there's no doubt about the power of a positive outlook, attitude alone won't take you to the top. By itself, attitude is unable to resurrect a doomed business plan or make up for a deficiency of knowledge. Attitude can't alter reality or reverse a dire financial situation.

The "attitude is everything" doctrine becomes dangerous when a person lives on hope rather than paying his or her dues for success. The mindset, "Everything will turn out for the best," substitutes for planning and effort. Attitude has undeniable benefit, but it's not a magic ticket that compensates for failure to perform. You cannot disconnect attitude from reality and expect to be successful.

Since attitude has too often been presented as a cure-all, in this edition of LW, I'd like clear away unrealistic impressions of what attitude can accomplish. At the same time, I'd like to advocate the sensational upside of a great attitude.

What Your Attitude Cannot Do For You

1. Your Attitude Cannot Substitute for Competence.
In my leadership experience, I have made the mistake of hiring for attitude and discounting ability. I erroneously thought that positive people would eventually find a way to get the job done-even if they didn't have the exact abilities for their role. Unfortunately, there's no substitute for talent. An attitude of confidence cannot replace competence.

2. Your Attitude Cannot Substitute for Experience.
Idealists have intense desire to change the world and often have a courageous attitude to match their ambition. However, without experience an idealist's wave of enthusiasm will crash on the shores of reality. Certain leadership positions-due to their scope of responsibility-demand the kind of wisdom that is earned solely through experience.

3. Your Attitude Cannot Change the Facts.
As John Adams said, "Facts are stubborn things." They may be painful to accept, but they cannot be ignored. Attitude alone cannot reverse financial numbers showing a company on the verge of bankruptcy. The reality for many companies involves difficult decisions like outsourcing or layoffs to cut costs.

By itself, attitude cannot stem the tide of an evolving industry. For instance, newspapers must adjust their advertising strategies to confront the fact that consumers are flocking online for news. Without a fundamental shift in their business models, traditional newspapers face extinction-regardless of the attitudes permeating their company cultures.

4. Your Attitude Cannot Substitute for Personal Growth.
Attitude fills us with hope that we might reach our dreams. However, hope divorced from action proves false. In the words of musician, Bruce Springsteen, "A time comes when you need to stop waiting for the man you want to become and start being the man you want to be." Never stop dreaming, but also never cease growing if you expect your dreams to come true.

What Your Attitude Can Do For You

1. Your Attitude Makes a Difference in Your Approach to Life.
Our performance will likely match the expectations we have of ourselves or the expectations we allow others to impose upon us. In fact, it's very difficult to behave in a way that is contrary to self-expectations.

At the professional levels, athletes are encouraged to visualize themselves having a successful performance before competing. Visualization has proved to be a productive technique for enhancing an athlete's play. Likewise, flooding your mind with thoughts of successful leadership can be pivotal in setting healthy self-expectations.

2. Your Attitude Makes a Difference in Your Relationships with People.
Many factors come into play when working with people, but what makes or breaks interpersonal skills is a person's attitude. In my book, Winning with People, I describe twenty-five people principles that anyone can use to become better at building relationships and working with others. Many of those principles are attitude-based. Here are some examples:

"It is better in times of need to have a friend rather than money."
~ Greek Proverb

"Misfortunes come to all men."
~ Chinese Proverb

"Adapt or perish, now as ever, is nature's inexorable imperative."
~ H.G. Wells

"The secret of happiness is to admire without desiring."
~ F.H. Bradley

Success is not to be pursued; it is to be attracted by the person we become."
~ Jim Rohn

"Success is not so much what we have as it is what we are."
~ Jim Rohn

"When things seem at their worst then REJOICE because there is only one direction to go----UP!"
~ Mark Bowser

" 'I say this because I know what I am planning for you,' says the LORD. 'I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future.'"
~ The Holy Bible (Jeremiah 29:11 NCV)

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For information, email us at info@MarkBowser.com or call (513)252-GOAL.