How to Identify the Leadership Style that is right for you

Let’s pretend we see a small docked boat floating peacefully in the crystal clear waters of Lake Tahoe. We also see an alluring rock that beckons to be discovered off in the distance. Intrigue and a sense of adventure about a maiden journey has overcome you but you don’t want to go it alone. You call a few trusted friends and say, “Come On!! Let’s Go!”

Excitedly these friends or confidants agree and you all jump in the boat and start rowing in the rock’s direction.

About a quarter of the way there, one person says they are tired of rowing, another questions if we are going in the right direction, and another inquires about a faster method of transport.

This is when leadership is required to step in. Someone is going to have to ‘lead’ to achieve the original desired goal - exploration of the rock.

Understanding what kind of leader you want to be and recognizing a leadership style that fits within a given situation is critical to your success on any journey you are on.

Developing your own leadership style should be based on your past experiences, your unique personality, and the specific needs of the circumstance. While every leader is different, there are common leadership styles listed below that you may recognize and some you may not. Familiarize yourself with these styles so you can recognize and draw on them to be a better leader.

Top 10 Leadership Styles:
 

1. Coaching Leadership

A coaching leader recognizes team members’ strengths, weaknesses, and motivations. They actively work to help each person improve. This type of leader often assists team members in setting s.m.a.r.t. goals and provides regular feedback with challenging projects to promote growth. They’re skilled in setting clear expectations and creating a positive, motivating environment.

This style is advantageous because it promotes a ‘coaching in the moment’ experience which has been proven to yield better long term personal growth results. Unfortunately, it’s one of the most underutilized styles; largely because it can be the most time-intensive.

Example: The ‘boat’ leader would assess the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the team’s performance thus far. The leader would then recognizes specific team members exceptional performance as well as point out the areas that need to be improved upon. The leader is hoping that the team will achieve the goal based on individualized coaching that will restore their confidence in the goal.

2. Visionary Leadership

Visionary leaders have a powerful ability to usher in change by inspiring people and driving progress on new ideas. Largely this is based on earning team members trust. A visionary leader is able to establish a strong organizational bond and strives to foster confidence among team members and colleagues.

This type of leadership is especially helpful for small, fast-growing organizations, or larger organizations experiencing transformations or corporate restructuring.

Example: The ‘boat’ leader would re-inspire the team based on new encouraging ideas and motivations for the future potential. They would re-cement the vision, direction, and amazing outcomes of their success despite headwinds or obstacles. The boat leader would drive the team to reach within and find the results the team needs to continue forward.

3. Servant Leadership

Servant leaders live by a people-first mindset. They believe that when team members feel personally and professionally fulfilled, they’re more effective and will produce great work. With an emphasis on team member satisfaction and collaboration, this leadership style tends to achieve higher levels of respect.

A servant leader is an excellent leadership style for organizations of any industry and size but is especially prevalent within nonprofits. These types of leaders are exceptionally skilled in building employee morale and helping people re-engage with their work.

Example: The ‘boat’ leader would take the time to recognize each team members feelings and thoughts expressed first. They would reflect on strategies to relieve the personal concerns by addressing the root causes of the issue. A servant leader reflects upon what changes they may need to make first, and then acts based on those findings. The boat leader would take time to re-gain their support and belief in themselves which will ultimately lead to the desired outcome of reaching the rock destination.

4. Authoritarian Leadership

This type of leader is focused almost entirely on results and efficiency. They typically make decisions alone or with a small, trusted group. Once a decision is reached, they expect team members to do exactly what they’re asked. Military commanders are a classic example of this type of leadership style as well as the context for when this is required.

This leadership style can be useful in organizations where strict guidelines or compliance-heavy industries is necessary. It can be beneficial when team members need a great deal of supervision—such as those with little to no experience. However, this leadership style can stifle creativity and make employees feel confined.

Example: The ‘boat’ leader would prioritize and then direct the team members, based on the pre-established commitment to the vision, that rowing is required and expected. They would follow by reviewing the guidelines related to the most effective and efficient way to reach the desired goal and instruct each team member of the consequences of poor performance.

5. Hands-off Leadership

This leadership style is the opposite of the authoritarian leadership type. It focuses on delegating tasks to team members and providing little to no supervision. A hands-off leader does not spend their time intensely managing team members. Because of this, they often have more time to dedicate to other projects.

Managers may adopt this leadership style when all team members are highly experienced, well-trained and require little oversight. However, it can also cause a dip in productivity if employees are confused about their leader’s expectations, or if some team members need consistent motivation and boundaries to work well. 

Example: The ‘boat’ leader would remind the team members that their job at this time is to row the boat and that their participation will lead to the desired goal. The boat leader would then continue to row or lead based on how they feel will most contribute to the mission.

6. Participative Leadership

A participative leader is a combination of the authoritarian and hands-off leader styles. This style asks for input and considers feedback from their team before making a decision. Because team members feel their voice is heard and their contributions matter, a participative leader is often credited with fostering higher levels of team member engagement and workplace satisfaction.

Because this type of leadership encourages discussion and participation, it’s an excellent style for organizations focused on creativity and innovation—such as the technology industry.

Example: The ‘boat’ leader would recognize the team members feelings and concerns. They would take time to learn more about how the team members would like to contribute to the overall goal or overcome the current challenges. After reflective review of the team members feelings, they would select the best strategy and direct the team accordingly.

7. Pacesetter Leadership

The pacesetting leadership style is the most effective for driving fast results. These leaders are focused on performance. They set high standards and s.m.a.r.t. goals and hold their team members accountable for hitting their goals by implementing consistent check ins.

While the pacesetting leadership style is motivational and helpful in fast-paced environments where team members need to be energized, it’s not always the best option for team members who need mentorship and feedback.
 Example: The ‘boat’ leader would motivate the team by setting a series of small goals, like ‘let’s all row for 10 more minutes and take a short break’ or ‘let’s row to a specific point and set a new goal’. The leader would continue goal or milestone based motivation until the rock destination is achieved.

8. Transformational Leadership

The transformational leadership style is similar to the coaching leadership style. It focuses on clear communication, goal-setting, and employee motivation. However, instead of placing the majority of the energy into each employee’s individual goals, the transformational leader is driven by a commitment to larger team objective.

These types of leaders spend most of their time on the big picture. This style of leading is best for teams that can handle many delegated tasks without constant supervision.

Example: The ‘boat’ leader would take the time to remind the team of the larger vision, then the leader would motivate the team to contribute, as best they can, to that larger vision by setting smaller team based goals. The leader would lead by example by continuing efforts toward the rock destination.

9. Transactional Leadership

A transactional leader is someone who is laser-focused on performance, similar to a pacesetter. Under this leadership style, the leader establishes predetermined incentives—usually in the form of monetary reward for success and disciplinary action for failure. Unlike the pacesetter leadership style, though, transactional leaders are also focused on mentorship, instruction and training to achieve goals and enjoy the rewards.

While this type of leader is great for organizations or teams tasked with hitting specific goals, such as sales and revenue, it’s not the best leadership style for driving creativity.

Example: The ‘boat leader’ meets with each team member to discuss ways they can meet or exceed the goal individually. They would then offer some personal development and training opportunities to help the team member with the rowing responsibilities and offer a compensation incentive to motivate the team member toward the leaders ultimate vision.

10. Bureaucratic Leadership

Bureaucratic leaders are similar to authoritarian leaders in that they expect their team members to follow the rules and procedures precisely as written. The bureaucratic leadership style focuses on specific duties within the organizational structure. Each team member has a set list of responsibilities, and there is little need for collaboration and creativity. This leadership style is most effective in highly regulated industries or departments, such as finance, healthcare or government.

Example: The boat leader directs each team member with a specific rowing responsibility that will ultimately achieve the goal. They then provide the consequences of not adhering to these expectations.

Any of these leadership styles applied to your trusted friends in the boat may bridge the gap between where you are now, and where you want to go. Choose wisely on the leadership style or styles that resonate with you, as a leader, the team members personality types, and the circumstance at hand.