Setting up QoS on a Linksys Wireless-N Router

Quality of Service (QoS) is used to set up priority and attention to specific devices, services or applications within the network through the router, so that the maximum amount of available throughput and speed can be used.

IMPORTANT:  Should you choose to set the QoS to Enabled, you will risk reducing the Internet speed of other computers that are connected to the same network.

This article will guide you on how to set up QoS on a Linksys Wireless-N Router.  To do this, follow the steps below:

NOTE:  This article assumes that you already have the Linksys router properly installed and the network has been set up already.  For instructions in installing a Linksys router, click here.

Step 1:
Using a computer that is hardwired to the Linksys router, access the web-based setup page.  To learn how, click here.  If you are using a Mac® computer to access the router's web-based setup page, click here.

Step 2:
Click on the Applications and Gaming tab then select QoS from the sub-tabs.

NOTE:  Wi-Fi Multimedia (WMM) Support is a wireless QoS feature that improves quality for audio, video, and voice applications by prioritizing wireless traffic.  It is Enabled by default.

Under the No Acknowledgement section, select Enabled if you do not want your router to resend data whenever an error occurs.

Step 3:
On the Internet Access Policy Priority field, select Enabled.

NOTE:  You can set the Upstream Bandwidth to Auto or Manual.  Auto will set the upstream bandwidth to 512 Kbps.  Manual will accept values from 128 to 122880 Kbps or 1 to 512 Mbps.

To allow your router to detect the maximum level, keep the default Auto.  To specify, select Manual then enter the appropriate bandwidth and select Kbps or Mbps.

Step 4:
Click on the drop-down arrow to select the appropriate Category based on how you want to set up priority.  Create a name to easily identify the device and enter its MAC Address then select the desired level of priority.

NOTE:  In this example, we will use MAC Address as the category.

Step 5:
Click  to save your changes.

NOTE:  The settings you made would appear right away in the Summary field below.

Step 6:
Click .
 

How to Sync Gmail Contacts With a Smartphone

Step 1

Open your Android device's Settings app. It's typically a grey-and-green gear and is located on your main apps page.

Step 2

Touch the "Accounts & Sync" option to open it.

Step 3

Click the "Add account" button in the lower right corner of the screen.

Step 4

Tap "Google" from the list of account types and click the "Next" button on the screen that comes up.

Step 5

Click the "Sign In" button under the caption saying "Already have a Google Account?"

Step 6

Enter your username and password in the appropriate fields and then click the "Sign In" button in the lower right corner of the screen.

Step 7

Wait for your Android device to communicate with your account.

Step 8

Touch the check box to the right of "Sync contacts" to turn on the check mark and activate contact synchronization. You can also sync Gmail messages, Picasa Web albums and calendar entries by clicking their boxes as well.

Step 9

Press your phone's home button, and the phone syncs your contacts in the background.

SQL Server CLR User Defined Function using Visual Studio 2010

n this post, we will see how to create a User Defined Function using Visual Studio 2010. In my previous article ‘SQL CLR Stored Procedure using Visual Studio 2010’, we have seen how to create a Stored Procedure using C# language with Visual studio 2010. Initial few steps are common for this article like –

1) Enabling CLR using SQL Server Management Studio.

2) Setting connection properties after creating Visual Studio project.

3) Setting security if you are implementing the functionalities like File IO operations or calling Win 32 APIs.

Please follow the steps for enabling CLR under SQL Server as specified in my previous article.

Now let’s create a ‘Visual C# SQL CLR Database Project’ with the name ‘SampleCLRUDF’ as shown below –

Once you create the project, it will ask you for a connection. If you already have created a connection, use the same or create a new connection to the database of your choice. I already have an existing connection to the database ‘SALCLRSampleDB’ database. I will choose the same.

Now let’s add a ‘User Defined Function’ to our project with the name ‘CheckEMailUDF’ as shown below – 



Write some code which will take ‘Email’ address as parameter and will return true or false value depending upon the validation. To do so, first import a namespace ‘using System.Text.RegularExpressions;’ in our function. Now write code to validate the email address as shown below – 

[Microsoft.SqlServer.Server.SqlFunction]
public static bool CheckEMailUDF(string EMailID)
{
   return Regex.IsMatch(EMailID, @"\w+([-+.']\w+)*@\w+([-.]\w+)*\.\w+([-.]\w+)*");
}

Now let’s deploy the project. Right click the project and click on ‘Deploy’ menu. Once the deployment is completed, test whether the deployment is successful or not in the ‘Object Explorer’ of SQL Server Management Studio as shown below – 



Let’s execute the function and observe the result as shown below – 

USE SQLCLRSampleDB
GO
SELECT dbo.CheckEMailUDF('dabade.pravin')
SELECT dbo.CheckEMailUDF(‘youremailaddresshere@gmail.com')

The result of both select statements is shown below  – 

Reference:

http://www.sqlservercurry.com/2011/05/sql-server-clr-user-defined-function.html

SQL CLR Stored Procedure using Visual Studio 2010

In this post, we will see how to use SQL CLR functionality for defining Stored Procedure using C# in VS 2010. We will also see how to enable CLR under SQL Server.

T-SQL is designed for direct access of data and for manipulation of that data. But T-SQL does not contain arrays, classes, collections, For-Each loop functionalities. However using SQL CLR, we can achieve all of this. With the integration of CLR in SQL Server, we can write managed code to define –

1. Stored Procedures.
2. User Defined Functions.
3. Triggers.
4. User Defined Type.
5. User Defined Aggregate.

The decision to use CLR functionality under SQL server needs to be implemented when you are performing –

1. CPU intensive operations.
2. Procedures that perform complex logic.
3. When you want to use BCL (Base class libraries) of .NET framework.

By default the CLR is not enabled under SQL Server. To enable CLR under SQL Server, execute the following command –

SP_CONFIGURE 'clr enabled',1
RECONFIGURE

You will see the following result – 



Once you enable the CLR, now let’s create a Stored Procedure using Visual Studio 2010 – 

This will display a ‘New Database Reference’ window where we will have to provide a database connection. Let’s set the configuration as shown below –

If the database is not available, it will get created or you can choose an existing database if you want. After this step, this will ask you whether you want to enable SQL/CLR debugging. Click the ‘YES’ button.

Important Note – Right click your project and go to properties window. Make sure that you have selected the framework - .NET 3.5. Now observe the project under solution explorer. It contains a Test.sql file to test the procedure or function. It also contains PostDeployScript.sql file and PreDeployScript.sql file as shown below –

Post and Pre deployment scripts can be used for modifying, dropping or recreating and taking other actions before or after deployment. Now let’s add a Stored Procedure in our project. Right click the project and add Stored Procedure with the name ‘FileIOOperation’. 

Now import a namespace for the I/O operation – 

using System.IO;

Write code for creating a file and writing a message in the file as shown below – 

Now let’s deploy the procedure. Right click the project and click ‘Deploy’ from the context menu. Once deployment succeeds, go to SQL Server Management Studio and confirm the deployment. Go to ‘Object Explorer’ > Expand the ‘SQLCLRSampleDB’ > under ‘Programmability’ > ‘Assemblies’ folder you will see our assembly and under ‘Stored Procedures’ folder you will see the stored procedure as shown below –

Let’s try to execute the stored procedure by writing the following code – 



If you execute the stored procedure, you will get a security exception as shown below – 



The reason for this exception is this stored procedure will only run under database scope and will not allow you to perform the IO operations. There are three permission sets which are available with CLR objects as explained below – 

1) SAFE – this permission will allow you to perform computation and data access operations within the server. This is the default permission.
2) EXTERNAL_ACCESS – this permission will allow you to access the external resources like files, network, registry, environment variables etc.
3) UNSAFE – this permission will allow you to access restricted resources like WIN 32 APIs.
So for our demo, let’s set the permission to ‘EXTERNAL_ACCESS’. Right click our project and go to properties window. From the properties window, chose ‘Database’ option and set the ‘Permission Level’ to ‘External’ as shown below – 

Now redeploy the project. The deployment will fail because our database is not set to ‘TRUSTWORTHY’ flag. So let’s set the ‘TRUSTWORTHY’ flag to ‘ON’ as shown below –

ALTER DATABASE SQLCLRSampleDB SET TRUSTWORTHY ON

Now again redeploy the project this time the deployment will be successful. 

Now test our stored procedure by executing it. Check on your ‘C:\’ the file is created with the name ‘Test.txt’. Open it and see the message as shown below – 

Are You Free? Know your palmistry

INTRODUCTION TO PALMISTRY

Palm reading--the art of decoding the secrets that lie in our own hands--may be as old as the human race itself. The shape of our hands, the mounts and ridges, the nails, and position of the digits--each element reveals something new about our personalities; left and right hands cover different aspects of our lives. In this comprehensive guide to palm reading, the significance of the various lines is revealed: the life line, the head, heart, and fate lines, and the Apollo line, which show how content with life we are. You can use this book to analyze not only your relationships, you career and money prospects, your compatibility withothers, and the state of your health, but also to predict how things may change for you in the future. Here is an exciting new series focused on today's most popular healing approaches and spiritual insights. Presented in a clear, concise format, the Secrets of Series demystifies popular alternative approaches and teaches proper application, providing a perfect balance of theory and practice.

History
No one can say for certain where palm reading originated. It is possible it came from the mysterious East, most probably India, or, because it was widely practiced in ancient Asia, some of its origins can be traced from those countries as well.

Many of the oldest writings and illustrations on palm reading are of Indian origins that seem to predate everything else that we know about. Palm reading was known as long as 5,000 years ago in the Middle East but not until much later on did the Western world start to record any knowledge of it. In western Europe and Britain specifically there are a small handful of very rare written records and a few drawings but they are difficult to date. In really ancient times, palm reading was largely a superstitution; no written rules were set down for anyone to learn, which meant that there was no method or system to be passed along. In these far-off days, few people were able to read and write anyway.

Early English written documentation is sketchy, not so much through a lack of knowledge but rather an inability to set down in writing anything clear-cut. In early Britain before 1066, the official written language was old English, and even that would have differed dialectically because the country was divided into many kingdoms. So, what we do know about reading hands was passed down by word of mouth and probably in secret because Mother Church did not approve.


The oldest know palm reading work in English language is a manuscript known as the Digby Roll IV, dated around 1440. It is a few strips of vellum sewn together in the style of the time, about 87 inches in length and about 8 inches in width.

The early fortune tellers would have used only the lines when they read the hands of their subjects. Chirognomy was not really developed properly until the middle of the 19th century, and we owe this to two Frenchmen, Casimir D’Arpentigny, who published LA Science de la Main in 1865, the definitive work on hand shapes, and Adrien Desbarrolles, who published Les Mysteres de la Main in 1859, based mostly on the study of lines of the hand. Dermatoglyphics also has its roots in the 19th century and was developed by Francis Galton. From Galton’s patient work came the fingerprinting system now used by police in criminal identification.

Hand reading is divided into three separate branches that make up the whole study:

Chirognomy: The study of the basic shape of the hands. Chiromancy: The study of the lines and other palm markings.

Chiromancy: This is the study of the lines of the hand without reference to any other feature of the palm. Any of the lines, especially the smaller influence marks, can change very easily at the time of a serious emotional incident. When an event such as this occurs and stirs the emotional nature it leaves its mark not only in the psyche but in the hands as well. Minor marks can come and go as and when the heart or mind needs to register such matters because of their importance, at the time or later when the full import of what has taken place has fully registered. Chiromancy is the original or true palm reading.

Chirognomy: This is the study of the shape of the hand and only really came into its own in the middle of the 19th century. This part of the discipline is concerned with the thickness and shape of the palm, thumb, and fingers, their relative lengths, tip formations, and flexibility. To this has been added a study of the nails and the way the hand may be used in gesture.

Dermatoglyphics: Specifically, this is the study of the fingerprints and the palmar skin patterns. These markings can never be destroyed or erased, but they may be disturbed by accident. There has never been a successful attempt to mutilate or destroy them by the criminal element in an effort to hide them. There are two basic types of palmar patterns; the open or coarse, and the closed, or refined. There are five basic skin patterns – the arch, tented arch, composite, loop, and whorl, and to these may be added occasional variations. Each has its own meanings and these are refined dependent on how they appear and where they are formed.

Gesture: It is only in recent times that a study of hand gestures has been added to hand analysis. It is not generally appreciated how much information may be given away by an individual’s sign language, either as the person speaks or with small silent movements that can mean so much.

palmistry: WHAT WOULD BE YOUR BEST CAREER CHOICE?

The hand can be based on the four elements - Fire, Earth, Water and Air. You'll be able to see which career element best suits you. The FIRE  hand has a rectangular palm with fingers shorter than the palm. On many cases, the fingers may seem to be a trifle wider at their tips. This shape implies an extrovert nature, for these folks are bright and intelligent and have natural leadership talents, always able to make changes when others fail.These people tend to excel at solving problems while others are still wondering what to do and when to do it. They are very good at lateral thinking and solves problems quickly. It doesn't always follow that what they do is right or wrong, but at least they do something! People with this type of hand gravitate to the emergency services - ambulance, fire, or police. They may also enjoy sports and the entertainment field.  Because the fire mentalities have to be occupied with something to keep their alert minds from being underemployed they often have hobbies that fully exercise them. They do sometimes have a lazy streak, but when not, they get burned out easily. The EARTH hand  has a square palm and slightly shorter fingers. The earth hand type are down-to-earth, reliable, and conventional. They like law and order and are very traditional. There is an innate capacity to cope with routine. They function well in the armed services and many turn to emergency services when they eventually leave. They enjoy outdoor work such as gardening, farming, construction, and they work well with animals.   One of the major faults is impatience. Some earth hand types operate on a very short fuse at times and they can make silly mistakes. They dislike being taken to task for their errors and do not like to make mistakes or be seen to do so. When there is a distinct curve or bulge running down the outer edge of the palm, it indicates very strong creative abilities and learning. These people normally possess great manual dexterity. The typical Air hand has a square palm with fingers longer than the palm and is often flexible and supple. Well-balanced and reliable, these people are very creative and crave variety in just about all they do. They must be kept busy, for then they are their very best! Air hand types are socially gifted and enjoy company. they prefer to be in a state of constant intellectual stimulation. However, while they are popular, in emotional relationships they can seem to be somewhat controlled - almost as if they are scared to "let go." They often find it difficult to express themselves emotionally and are not given to impulse behavior of any kind. While they appear to learn from their experiences, they seem unable to cope with one-to-one relationships and issues. As a result, their private lives are very changeable. Too much time is spent controlling their responses; they tackle problems with excessive logic. Air hand types thrive in the communications field. There is a flair for language and an understanding of modern technology such as computers and the Internet. The entertainment field is alive with Air hands because they have mercurial minds and an unflappable attitude. Many actors with Air hand characteristics often look to working behind the camera and turn into excellent directors, and soon learn how to be producers, because they can turn disadvantage into advantage with ease. They also know how to make, and keep money. Longer rectangular palms with rather long and graceful fingers typify the warm emotional nature of the Water hand. They do best in caring professions like social work, counseling, or therapy.   In fact, these people are more emotionally oriented than is good for them; their moods can swing in either direction so easily that it is difficult to know what they do next or how they will react. The circumstances have to be just right if you want to get the best out of Water Hand people. They are fluid, changeable, and impressionable, and often unreliable because they think with their hearts rather than with their minds. So, thy need to learn to keep both feet very firmly on the ground at all times. When a new romance starts, a frequent event in their lives, it sends them into a world totally of their own making. They probably fall in love with love rather than the object of their affections. Water hands are very sensitive people!

Leadership Style and Organizational Impact

Leadership has a direct cause and effect relationship upon organizations and their success. Leaders determine values, culture, change tolerance and employee motivation. They shape institutional strategies including their execution and effectiveness. Leaders can appear at any level of an institution and are not exclusive to management. Successful leaders do, however, have one thing in common. They influence those around them in order to reap maximum benefit from the organization’s resources, including its most vital and expensive: its people. Libraries require leadership just like business, government and non-profit organizations. Whether a public, special or academic library, that library’s leaders directly affect everything from patron experience to successfully executing stated missions, including resource allocation, services offered and collection development strategies. In fact, the influence of leaders and their effectiveness in moving people to a shared vision can directly shape the library’s people, its materials, how patrons use or interact with them and whether or not that experience is beneficial. With leadership potentially playing such a vital role in the success of information centers and patron experiences, it is useful to consider the different types of leaders and their potential impact on libraries as organizations.

Current leadership theories describe leaders based upon traits or how influence and power are used to achieve objectives. When using trait-based descriptions, leaders may be classified as autocratic, democratic, bureaucratic or charismatic. If viewing leadership from the perspective of the exchange of power and its utilization to secure outcomes, leaders are situational, transactional or transformational. Understanding these different tropes can provide a vocabulary for discussion that can lead to meaningful, desired results. It bears noting that not all leaders are created equal, and leadership quality may vary enormously across industries or simply within an organization. In addition, identifying an individual leader’s style is central to evaluating leadership quality and effectiveness especially as it relates to organizational goals. Below is a brief examination of each common leadership style listed above and their potential impact on a group as well as their relative usefulness.

Autocratic

Autocratic leaders are classic “do as I say” types. Typically, these leaders are inexperienced with leadership thrust upon them in the form of a new position or assignment that involves people management. Autocratic leaders can damage an organization irreparably as they force their ‘followers’ to execute strategies and services in a very narrow way based upon a subjective idea of what success looks like. There is no shared vision and little motivation beyond coercion. Commitment, creativity and innovation are typically eliminated by autocratic leadership. In fact, most followers of autocratic leaders can be described as biding their time waiting for the inevitable failure this leadership produces and the removal of the leader that follows.

Bureaucratic

Bureaucratic leaders create, and rely on, policy to meet organizational goals. Policies drive execution, strategy, objectives and outcomes. Bureaucratic leaders are most comfortable relying on a stated policy in order to convince followers to get on board. In doing so they send a very direct message that policy dictates direction. Bureaucratic leaders are usually strongly committed to procedures and processes instead of people, and as a result they may appear aloof and highly change adverse. The specific problem or problems associated with using policies to lead aren’t always obvious until the damage is done. The danger here is that leadership’s greatest benefits, motivating and developing people, are ignored by bureaucratic leaders. Policies are simply inadequate to the task of motivating and developing commitment. The specific risk with bureaucratic leaders is the perception that policies come before people, and complaints to that effect are usually met with resistance or disinterest. Policies are not in themselves destructive, but thoughtlessly developed and blindly implemented policy can de-motivate employees and frustrate desired outcomes. The central problem here is similar to the one associated with autocratic leaders. Both styles fail to motivate and have little impact on people development. In fact, the detrimental impact could be significant and far outweigh any benefits realized by these leadership styles.

Democratic

It sounds easy enough. Instead of one defined leader, the group leads itself. Egalitarian to the core, democratic leaders are frustrated by the enormous effort required to build consensus for even the most mundane decisions as well as the glacial pace required to lead a group by fiat. The potential for poor decision-making and weak execution is significant here. The biggest problem with democratic leadership is its underlying assumptions that everyone has an equal stake in an outcome as well as shared levels of expertise with regard to decisions. That’s rarely the case. While democratic leadership sounds good in theory, it often is bogged down in its own slow process, and workable results usually require an enormous amount of effort.

Charismatic

By far the most successful trait-driven leadership style is charismatic. Charismatic leaders have a vision, as well as a personality that motivates followers to execute that vision. As a result, this leadership type has traditionally been one of the most valued. Charismatic leadership provides fertile ground for creativity and innovation, and is often highly motivational. With charismatic leaders at the helm, the organization’s members simply want to follow. It sounds like a best case scenario. There is however, one significant problem that potentially undercuts the value of charismatic leaders: they can leave. Once gone, an organization can appear rudderless and without direction. The floundering can last for years, because charismatic leaders rarely develop replacements. Their leadership is based upon strength of personality. As a result, charismatic leadership usually eliminates other competing, strong personalities. The result of weeding out the competition is a legion of happy followers, but few future leaders.

Situational

Situational leadership theory suggests that the best leaders constantly adapt by adopting different styles for different situations or outcomes. This theory reflects a relatively sophisticated view of leadership in practice and can be a valuable frame of reference for experienced, seasoned leaders who are keenly aware of organizational need and individual motivation. Most importantly, it allows experienced leaders the freedom to choose from a variety of leadership iterations. Problems arise, however, when the wrong style is applied inelegantly.  Also, considering our earlier discussion regarding some of the more ineffective leadership styles like autocratic and bureaucratic, this style requires a warning or disclaimer related to unintended or less than optimal results when choosing one of these styles. With that said, situational leadership can represent a useful framework for leaders to test and develop different styles for various situations with an eye towards fine-tuning leadership results. Situational leadership, however, is most effective when leaders choose more effective styles like charismatic, transactional, and transformational.

Transactional

The wheeler-dealers of leadership styles, transactional leaders are always willing to give you something in return for following them. It can be any number of things including a good performance review, a raise, a promotion, new responsibilities or a desired change in duties. The problem with transactional leaders is expectations. If the only motivation to follow is in order to get something, what happens during lean times when resources are stretched thin and there is nothing left with which to make a deal? That said, transactional leaders sometimes display the traits or behaviors of charismatic leaders and can be quite effective in many circumstances while creating motivated players. They are adept at making deals that motivate and this can prove beneficial to an organization. The issue then is simply one of sustainability.

Transformational

Transformational leaders seek to change those they lead. In doing so, they can represent sustainable, self-replicating leadership. Not content to simply use force of personality (charismatic) or bargaining (transactional) to persuade followers, transformational leaders use knowledge, expertise and vision to change those around them in a way that makes them followers with deeply embedded buy-in that remains even when the leader that created it is no longer on the scene. Transformational leaders represent the most valuable form of leadership since followers are given the chance to change, transform and, in the process, develop themselves as contributors. Organizationally this achieves the best leadership outcome since transformational leaders develop people. Transformational leadership is strongly desired since it has no artificial constraints in terms of buy-in and instead is focused on getting followers on board based upon their own evolving thought process and changing responses to leadership challenges. It is particularly suited for fast-paced, change-laden environments that demand creative problem solving and customer commitment.

Libraries need more than leaders and leadership; they need the right kinds of each. To remain viable as institutions, and to add value to the constituents they serve, a library’s leadership must manage change, develop employees and provoke customer commitment. That said, there is a clear difference between leadership styles and there may be instances where one style is more effective; thus a need for flexibility and perhaps an inventory/awareness of who might best lead an initiative based on their styles.  In fact, certain leadership styles actually undermine morale, creativity, innovation and employee commitment. Taking the time to consider the types of leaders you have in your library could be a worthwhile exercise in terms of understanding leadership and its impact on your organization.

Further Reading

Harvard business essentials : managing creativity and innovation, 2003, Harvard Business School Press, Boston, Mass.

Adams, B. & Adams, C. 2009, “Transformation”, Leadership Excellence, vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 14-15.

Amabile, T. M. & Khaire, M. 2008, “Creativity and the role of the leader”, Harvard business review, vol. 86, no. 10, pp. 100.

Ayman, R. & Korabik, K. 2010, “Leadership”, American Psychologist, vol. 65, no. 3, pp. 157-170.

Boulter, J. 2010. Recovery Leadership. Leadership Excellence, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 13-13.

Brown, T. 2009. Leadership in challenging times. Business Strategy Review, vol. 20, no. 3, pp. 36.

Dixon, M. L. & Hart, L. K. 2010. The impact of path-goal leadership styles on work group effectiveness and turnover intention. Journal of Managerial Issues, vol. 22, no. 1, pp. 52-69.

Eisenbeiss, S., van Knippenberg, D. & Boerner, S. 2008. Transformational leadership and team innovation: Integrating team climate principles. Journal of Applied Psychology, vol. 93, no. 6, pp. 1438.

Giri, V. N. & Santra, T. 2010. Effects of  job experience, career stage, and hierarchy on leadership style. Singapore Management Review, vol. 32, no. 1, pp. 85-93.

Isaksen, S. G. 2007. The climate for transformation: Lessons for leaders. Creativity and Innovation Management, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 3.

Laohavichien, T., Fredendall, L. D. & Cantrell, R. S. 2009. The effects of transformational and transactional leadership on quality improvement. Quality Management Journal, vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 7-24.

Miles, R. E. 2007. Innovation and Leadership Values. California Management Review, vol. 50, no. 1, pp. 192.

Leadership Style Matrix

Choosing the Best Leadership Approach

Choose the best leadership style for the people and the project that you're leading.

When you start to manage new people, how do you know which leadership style you should use?

There are a number of things that determine this.

For example, does the work have scope for creativity, or does it need to be completed in a specific way?

Would close management be best, or should you encourage your people to work independently and deliver a finished product?

Different people and different types of projects need different leadership styles. But how do you know which approach is best for each project, person, or situation?

In this article, we'll look at the Leadership Style Matrix, a model that helps you decide.

Overview

Eric Flamholtz and Yvonne Randle developed the Leadership Style Matrix and published it in their 2007 book, "Growing Pains." The matrix, shown in Figure 1, helps you choose the most appropriate leadership style, based on the type of task you're involved with and the people you're leading.

Figure 1 – The Leadership Style Matrix

From "Growing Pains: Transitioning From an Entrepreneurship to a Professionally Managed Firm" by Eric G. Flamholtz and and Yvonne Randle. Fourth Edition. © 2007. Reproduced with permission of John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

The Leadership Style Matrix is divided into four quadrants. Each quadrant lists two leadership styles that are best suited for a specific situation and person (or group).

The Y-axis defines the "programmability" of the task. A programmable task has specific steps or instructions to complete. A non-programmable task is more creative; it's up to the individual to decide how best to accomplish it.

The X-axis describes the individual's capability and preference for autonomy. Several factors influence this, including education, skill, motivation, and their desire for feedback, interaction, or independence.

For instance, a person with a high level of education, skill, motivation and independence is likely to want autonomy. Someone with low motivation and skill will need – and may want – more feedback and interaction, so that he or she can complete the task successfully.

Using the Model

To use the model, first look at the Y-axis. If the task must be done in a specific way, or if it has specific steps, then move lower down the axis. If the task is more creative, or if the procedure will change depending on individual input, move higher up the axis.

Next, look at the X-axis. If the people you're leading prefer to work alone, move right on the axis. If they need more instruction and interaction from you, move to the left.

The quadrant that you fall into lists the two leadership styles that are most likely to be appropriate for your situation.

Applying the Model

Let's look at each quadrant, and the corresponding leadership styles, in detail.

Quadrant 1: High Programmability/Low Job Autonomy

Sometimes you'll be in charge of a task that must be done in a specific way; or that needs to be completed by a team that needs a great deal of motivation, guidance, feedback, or interaction. In these cases, a directive leadership approach is most effective.

There are two styles you can use here:

Autocratic – The autocratic style is sometimes criticized because it seems outdated. This leadership style is authoritative: you issue instructions without explanation, and you expect team members to follow them without question.

Although it might seem repressive, this style can be effective in some situations, especially when your team depends on your leadership and feedback, and when the work must be done in a specific way. It's also effective in a crisis or emergency situation; or when you're dealing with very significant risks.

It's important to strike a healthy balance when using this leadership style. You need to lead with strength and assertiveness, but it's also important to lead with kindness . Don't forget that your team members depend on the feedback   that you give them. Praise their good work regularly, and give them constructive criticism on how they can improve.

Benevolent Autocratic – The benevolent autocratic style is similar to the autocratic style. However, this approach is more participative. For example, instead of just issuing instructions, you also explain the reasons behind the instructions.

To use this style successfully, communicate the reasons why your team must follow your instructions. For instance, explain rules  , so that members of your team understand the reasons behind them. When they understand why certain rules or procedures are in place, they're more likely to follow them.

As your team is working, practice management by wandering around  , so that you're available to answer questions and provide feedback. This visibility and support will help you keep your project on track and show your team members that you're there when they need you.

Quadrant 2: High Programmability/High Job Autonomy

When the task that you're delegating must be completed in a specific way, and the person that you're delegating to wants to have autonomy in his or her work, you can use either a consultative or a participative style of leadership.

Consultative – You use a consultative leadership style when you ask your team members for their input and opinion, but you still have the final say. You consult with the group, yet you're responsible for choosing the best course of action.

To use the consultative leadership style successfully, build trust in your team. When trust is present, your team members will feel comfortable offering their opinions and reacting honestly to issues.

Be open to the ideas and suggestions that your team members provide – if you criticize or dismiss your team members' suggestions, they'll quickly stop speaking up, especially if they suspect that you've already made up your mind. Keep an open mind, and be willing to change your opinion if someone presents a better idea.

Participative – The participative leadership style is similar to the consultative style, where you still have the final say in a decision. However, the participative style goes a step further – you depend on your group to develop ideas, not just offer opinions on an idea. The participative style is more about group problem solving and brainstorming.

To use the participative style successfully, use group decision-making and group problem-solving tools to ensure that each person's voice is heard equally. (Our article on organizing team decision-making will help you develop team decision-making strategies.)

Keep in mind that while you're depending on your team members for their input, you still need to guide the discussion, you need to communicate goals, and you need to make the final decision. Make sure that everyone on your team understands your role in this process.

Quadrant 3: Low Programmability/Low Job Autonomy

Here, you're leading a highly creative project, with a person or with team members who don't want autonomy. Instead, they need direction, input, and interaction. The two leadership styles that best fit this situation are Consultative and Participative.

These are the same leadership styles that fit best in Quadrant 2: High Programmability/High Job Autonomy.

Quadrant 4: Low Programmability/High Job Autonomy

You fall into this quadrant when you're assigning a creative – or "loose" – project to a person who wants freedom and independence to work. This means that you need to take a nondirective leadership approach.

There are two styles that you can use here:

Consensus – One option is to use a consensual leadership style. Essentially, this means that you're going to give your team member a great deal of authority in the decision-making process. Instead of being the "boss," it's almost as if you become part of the team.

Ensure that your team member understands his or her responsibilities when you use this style.

Laissez-faire – Laissez-faire is a hands-off leadership style that you should use carefully. You give team members freedom over how and when they're going to do their work, but you're there if they need resources or help.

You should only use laissez-faire leadership in the right situations, and you should avoid taking this style to the extreme. However, when you're working with someone who is highly skilled, motivated, and intelligent, using this leadership style can be very effective.

To use laissez-faire successfully, make sure that you delegate the right tasks to the right people. A mismatch between the task and the individual will likely mean that the team member needs additional help from you, and that they may not thrive.

Tip:

This is a useful framework for deciding which leadership style to use for your situation, but there are several other tools that can give equally valuable perspectives.

For example, the Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership® Theory suggests different leadership styles for individuals with different levels of maturity; and Path Goal Theory looks at leadership styles that are appropriate for different individuals and different situations.

Explore all of these before you settle on your preferred leadership style.