Leadership Styles in Retail: Focusing on People and Performance

This article discusses the importance of leadership styles in the retail industry and how focusing on people and performance can drive success. It explores the impact of different leadership approaches, the benefits of collaborative and situational leadership, and the role of a positive company culture in enhancing customer satisfaction and employee engagement.

Leadership styles
Enhanced business foundations are of paramount importance in retail because of the
industry's low margins. The need of attracting new customers and keeping the ones you
have happy is often discussed in this setting. Other topics that come up include building a
customer-centric firm with efficient and productive teams that can enhance profits and focus
on the needs of the clientele. The underlying point regarding the sort of leadership style that
may allow the business to attain these goals is frequently overlooked.
The long-term vision, concentration, and quality of choices made by great leaders set them
apart from average Managers more so than the methods by which those judgments are
arrived at or executed. The leadership style is discussed in its latter two characteristics, with
particular emphasis on the latter.
The debate between a task-focused and a people-focused strategy is a common one.
There's a school of thinking that supports leaders that relentlessly enforce standards of
conduct, scientific analysis, and corporate strategy. Nonetheless, concentration on the work
at hand is sometimes mistaken for productivity. This line of thinking praises leaders who
exert strong pressure on their subordinates, who are then expected to exert pressure on the
teams below them. There's nothing wrong with it per se, except that it doesn't take into
account the expertise, awareness, or concerns and comments of downstream employees.
Democratic approaches often have too many untied ends, which may be problematic in
business settings. Performance in the execution phase may slow down!
It's important to keep in mind that retail businesses rely heavily on the enthusiasm and
productivity of their frontline, customer-facing employees, as well as their support personnel
in administrative and other roles. If a company wants to forge a lasting connection with its
clients on a daily basis, it must ensure that its employees are both competent and
enthusiastic about their work. For this reason, it's important to have a leadership style and
company culture that promotes a positive image of the company in the eyes of its customers
on a constant basis.
The success of a company is frequently attributed in silence to the presence of an
encouraging organisational culture. Envision visiting establishments where the employees
know their customers by name and are really happy to help them out with everything they
need. In most situations, a company's culture and atmosphere are not the result of a random
spark, but rather, they permeate the company's day-to-day operations. It's very much a
trickle-down from the top and has several essential concepts, including having a team that
knows what it's supposed to be doing, has clear objectives, is allowed to make tough
choices in times of dispute, and knows that management has their backs.
Those with retail experience know that a company's success depends as much on its
execution as on its plan. The task at hand, managing a store, is fast-paced, demanding, and
exhausting. It calls for a potent cocktail of analytical prowess, focus on detail, the ability to
connect with others, and the will to give it your best. Leaders who aren't there for their
people 24/7/365 and can't stand by them in times of crisis aren't cut out for this line of work.

Because of this, it's not a good fit for those who are only productive between 9 and 5, or for
those who struggle in big groups or who don't care about their coworkers.
As leaders, we must recognise and internalise the idea that "do as I say" or "just my way or
the highway" management approaches may be fatally wrong in the retail industry. Short-term
benefits include increased discipline and focus on tasks, while long-term effects include high
levels of stress, burnout, and employee turnover due to low morale and a lack of connection
with management. Reportees may also have difficulty when it comes to being open and
honest with the leader about the information they have gathered. They are less inclined to
speak out about problems, worries, or negative or difficult news for fear of upsetting leaders
who are confident in their own superiority. This becomes more challenging when lower-level
team members have greater expertise in the product, process, or area than their superiors.
Collaborative, adaptable, and situational leadership styles have a better chance of success
in retail. Such approaches foster an atmosphere of trust and honesty, making everyone in
the organisation, regardless of rank or status, feel like they have a voice and contribute to
the bigger picture. They are free to bring up problems as they come up with their immediate
supervisors and not feel restrained about escalating things as necessary because of the
supportive and encouraging atmosphere. The atmosphere not only keeps front-line workers
excited so that they can regularly provide their best to customers, but it also provides an
avenue for managers to reliably glean vital on-the-ground intelligence. Their capacity to
quickly and accurately make judgments is greatly enhanced by their newly acquired ground
knowledge. Also, none of this requires sacrificing concentration on work or sacrificing
progress toward organisational objectives.
Many managers would rather just lay out broad objectives and let their subordinate teams
figure out how to get them done. It's not a problem unless the objectives and ambitions are
too far-fetched and difficult to understand or accomplish. At this juncture, leaders don't give
up on their team members. Instead, they serve as examples of "what to do" and "how to do
it" by actively participating in the teams' efforts.
When it comes to retail, though, treating employees with dignity and respect is paramount.
This is the case because employees' actions often reflect those of their superiors. A grumpy,
sullen atmosphere and a "couldn't care less" attitude on the part of shop workers are
obvious results of negligence in this area.
Looking or performing like a CEO is the easiest part of leadership for those in charge.
Knowing and grasping what does and does not work is the more difficult aspect. Knowing
how to work towards a solution without ego in a way that breaks down walls and creates
natural connections is made simpler by a mix of common sense gained through experience
and the capacity to do so. At the same time, leaders who foster an environment where
employees can learn and develop while also being held accountable for their actions are
more likely to produce the desired results for their organisations. These leaders will also be
more successful at inspiring their teams to take initiative and work together to achieve the
organization's goals.