ABSTRACT

Leaders return to the followers the necessary information on the basis of which followers can self-correct. Where leaders are inclined to place more emphasis on challenging feedback than on appreciation, it is said that they have a demanding leadership style. By highlighting people's upside potential and refusing to accept that the current performance is the maximum achievable, the demanding leader can spur people to "jump higher" than they ever thought possible. Leaders who place emphasis on showing appreciation, rather than on being challenging, are said to have an encouraging leadership style. Encouraging leaders know that giving feedback showing approval and confidence is a much more powerful way to motivate and steer people than by trying to correct them. Therefore, leaders usually tend to favor one side over the other, giving rise to two opposite interpersonal feedback styles. Besides being excessively positive about the situation, encouraging leaders can also be excessively positive about people.