Become a better leader by understanding your own leadership style. What is it that you do to provide direction, foster communication, implement actions, and motivate people?
Throughout our professional lives, we have likely encountered various leadership styles. From those dreaded, breathing-down-your-neck micromanagers to, if we are lucky, inspiring managers who recognize individual strengths in relation to the greater purpose.
Reflecting on different leadership traits can shape your own career path. What is most important however, is to have a solid awareness of your own leadership style, and if it is aligned with the one you strive for.
The Most Popular Leadership Styles, Explained.
Here, I uncover seven common leadership approaches and provide real-life examples of each leadership style.
Do any of them resonate with, or inspire, you?
1. Autocratic Leadership Style
Also known as authoritarian leadership style, this type of leader exercises control over all decisions affecting the group and its functions. These decisions are based on the leader’s personal perspective, belief system, and ideological inventory. Authoritarian/autocratic leaders typically forge ahead in decision-making without consulting others, as they more concerned with agreement over adherence. In an organizational chart, this is a hierarchical flow of power from the top down to the bottom. This style has its pros and cons, for example the cons may present riskier situations when stakeholders are not consulted, but the pros include quick answers in times of crisis and galvanizing a loyal following.
Autocratic leadership style examples: Martha Stewart and Bill Gates, who were both at the helm of billion-dollar organizations that they built themselves, based on their own unwavering visions. They were not influenced by others as their goals were already set, but they were able to influence their people to achieve great success.
2. Democratic Leadership Style
In contrast to autocratic, a democratic leadership style is centred on team collaboration, cooperation, and consensus. This type of leader includes their subordinates or team in making decisions. The democratic style seeks collaboration and consensus. Along with being part of the decision-making process, the team’s opinions and interests are considered. In this model, communication could be mapped as a two-way flow, from top to bottom and bottom to top.
Democratic leadership style examples: Founder and former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, and current Apple CEO Tim Cook, are both associated with a democratic leadership style. As entrepreneurs and empire conservators, being open to feedback and including employees in key matters are traits attributed to their effective impacts as leaders.
3. Delegative Leadership Style
A delegative leader’s approach empowers employees to step up in higher-level tasks, whether it is decision-making or responsibilities that may exceed their role requirements. This leadership style also has its advantages and disadvantages; proponents applaud delegation as being fair and motivational, whereas critics may deem the leader as shirking responsibility or lacking direction.This is also known as laissez-faire leadership, giving team members freedom to define their own workflow without a solid hierarchy.
Delegative leadership style example: Warren Buffet is among the most famous delegative leaders. He is known for his laissez faire, hands-off managerial method. And given his phenomenal wealth and success, it arguably works very well for him.
4. Transformational Leadership Style
These are the leaders whose mandate is to inspire and motivate their people, boost morale and hone in on the individual to achieve business goals at large. Often, this type of leader is hired by an organization to drive change. Their aim is to focus on action now that can improve the future of the business.
Transformational leadership style example: Susan Wojcicki, YouTube CEO, considered the most powerful female in tech, is inarguably a business powerhouse, with her insights and vision behind the acquisition of the multi-billion dollar platform. But it is also her transformative leadership culturally-speaking that is a driver of change, from initiatives to introduce more young women to working in tech, to increased maternity leave for Google staff.
5. Transactional Leadership Style
The leader who emphasizes order, structure, performance, and results could fall under the transactional style. Having worked in a sales capacity for many years at the start of my career, this type of management style was fairly common, and like others, has its benefits and downsides. It provides focus and a clear goal, and holds employees accountable for what they are assigned to do, helping ensure targets are met. However, the concern about numbers and the bottom line can overshadow employee wellbeing with a lack of empathy. It is effective for short-term wins, however its sustainability for long term goals may be questioned.
Transactional leadership style example: Steve Jobs, at different points of his renowned career demonstrated a few leadership styles, but I will categorize him here as a transactional leader, due to his ability to clearly identify necessary tasks at hand and see them through, propelling a small start-up into one of the biggest brands the world has ever known.
6. Coaching Leadership Style
Traits of a coaching leadership style include mentorship, tailored team support, identifying individual strengths, and career development for their people. Active listening and strategic questions are hallmarks of an effective coaching style. As mentioned in the previous style, transactional, a short-term, clearly defined period may benefit from coaching as well. That said, it also has merit for the long-term, as managers really get to know their people, what motivates them, where they perform best, and what makes them tick, which ultimately benefits the business.
Coaching leadership example: As a basketball fan, what springs to mind is NBA coach Red Holtzman, who mentored fellow NBA coach Phil Jackson early in his career and moving forward. Coaching is certainly not limited to sports and another great example of coaching leadership is Microsoft’s Satya Nadella, who rallied her people to adopt a growth-mindset (as many leadership coaches like myself encourage.) This made a direct impact on the company’s culture and resulted in one of Microsoft’s most notably successful periods.
7. Servant Leadership Style
As the name suggests, this leadership style aims to serve employees. A servant leader seeks to develop skills in their subordinates, and takes an active part in others’ career development. To servant leaders, the people are the company’s most valuable asset and cultivating their talents as well as a culture of belonging are vital. Some traits associated with this style include empathy, listening, and personal commitment.
Servant leadership style example: Herb Kelleher, the former CEO of Southwest Airlines, believed that “the business of business is people” and built his enterprise on a servant leadership framework.
7 tips to find your leadership style
You may already have identified with exclusively one type of leader, however if you see yourself in several of them, that is common and understandable, too. We may also shift styles depending on the company’s needs at the time.
Here are ways that you can hone your own individual leadership style.
1) Feedback from employees
Good leaders know that communication is key, and find ways of fostering communication effectively. When you are providing feedback to employees, it helps to balance negative with positive, however employees may not always do the same. Take criticism constructively and act on it so the employee feels valued, which is also key in preventing structural breakdown like quiet quitting. Of course, when they tell you what is working, keep that momentum up too, for boosting both results and morale.
2) Don’t fear falling forward
What is falling forward? It is the concept that you must be prepared for failure, and when it inevitably happens, that you can use it to improve. Essentially it is earning from one’s mistakes and using them to propel yourself into a better future outcome.
3) Stay focused
Whether it’s having someone hold you accountable or regular team meetings, focusing on what is important to you as a leader to drive the best results should be top of mind, and if it cannot always be, be kept at the back of your mind as a reminder of what you are doing now will provide achievement and success in the future.
4) Keep an open mind
It might be tempting to decide right off the bat what your style is, but pigeonholing yourself is risky, especially in situations where a more flexible approach works best. An open mind, coupled with a positive outlook, is a powerful tool in being a leader as well as identifying your own style.
5) Demonstrate and support transparency
Even if an authoritative is more your style, with a flow from top to bottom, transparency is still important. It extends of course to the two-way communication models as well, with all levels of a hierarchy demonstrating honesty and transparency, and even vulnerability.
6) Be persistent and patient
Whether it is no buy-in from superiors on ideas proposed by subordinates, or getting a new project up and running, patience and persistence are challenging but work wonders. As I have told more than one client on occasion, good things take time. Do not give up, to lead by good example you must show others your commitment and confidence about the task at hand or common goals.
7) Hire a leadership coach
Coaching statistics show that 2023 could be a record year for leadership coaching demand, as managers navigate a new world of working, professional roles become more blurred with people taking on more, and the unprecedented focus of workplace culture and individual wellness. As a certified leadership coach, I am versed in effective strategies to take you to your desired professional level, and am committed to my clients every step of the way.
What is your leadership style? I would love to hear from you. Contact me today at info@chris-march.ca
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