What is a Leadership Style?
A leadership style refers to a leader’s methods and behaviour when directing, motivating, and managing others. A person’s leadership style also determines how they strategise and implement plans while considering the wellbeing of their team.
Importance of Knowing Your Leadership Style
Recognising your leadership style is crucial because it can help you determine how you impact those who are under your direct influence.
Different Types of Leadership Styles in Businesses
Leadership styles are on a continuum, ranging from autocratic to laissez-faire, with a variety of styles in between. There are seven primary leadership styles.
1. Autocratic Leadership Style
The phrase most illustrative of an autocratic leadership style is "Do as I say." Generally, an autocratic leader believes that they are the smartest person at the table and knows more than others. They make all the decisions with little input from team members.
This command-and-control approach is typical of leadership styles of the past, but it doesn't hold much weight with today's talent.
That's not to say that the style may not be appropriate in certain situations. For example, you can dip into an autocratic leadership style when crucial decisions need to be made on the spot, and you have the most knowledge about the situation, or when you're dealing with inexperienced and new team members and there's no time to wait for team members to gain familiarity with their role.
2. Authoritative Leadership Style
The phrase most indicative of this style of leadership is "Follow me." The authoritative leadership style is the mark of confident leaders who map the way and set expectations, while engaging and energising followers along the way.
In a climate of uncertainty, these leaders lift the fog for people. They help them see where the company is going and what's going to happen when they get there.
Unlike autocratic leaders, authoritative leaders take the time to explain their thinking: They don't just issue orders. Most of all, they allow people choice and latitude on how to achieve common goals.
3. Pacesetting Leadership Style
"Keep up!" is the phrase most indicative of pacesetting leaders. This style describes a driven leader who sets the pace as in racing. Pacesetters set the bar high and push their team members to run hard and fast to the finish line.
While the pacesetter style of leadership is effective in getting things done and driving for results, it's an approach that can turn off team members. Even the most driven employees may become stressed working under this kind of pressure in the long run, suggesting that a more agile approach may be the ultimate leadership style required for leading today's talent.
Should you avoid the pacesetting style altogether? Not so fast. If you're an energetic entrepreneur working with a like-minded team on developing and announcing a new product or service, this style may serve you well. However, this is not a style that can be kept up long term. A pacesetting leader needs to let the air out of the tires occasionally to avoid causing burnout.
4. Democratic Leadership Style
Democratic leaders are more likely to ask, "How do you see it?" And, wherever possible, they share information with employees that affects their work responsibilities. They also seek employees' opinions before making a final decision.
There are numerous benefits to this participative leadership style. It can engender trust and promote team spirit and cooperation from employees. It allows for creativity and helps employees grow and develop. A democratic leadership style gets people to do what you want to be done but in a way that they want to do it.
5. Coaching Leadership Style
When you have a coaching leadership style, you tend to have a "Consider this" approach. A leader who coaches views people as a pool of talent to be developed. The leader who uses a coach approach seeks to unlock people's potential.
Leaders who use a coaching style open their hearts to and doors for people. They believe that everyone has power within themselves. A coaching leader gives people a little direction to help them tap into their ability to achieve their full potential.
6. Affiliative Leadership Style
A phrase often used to describe this type of leadership is "People come first." Of all the leadership styles, the affiliative leadership approach is the most up close and personal. A leader practicing this style pays attention to and supports the emotional needs of team members. The leader strives to open a pipeline that connects him or her to the team.
Ultimately, this style is all about encouraging harmony and forming collaborative relationships within teams. It's particularly useful, for example, in smoothing conflicts among team members or reassuring people during times of stress.
7. Laissez-Faire Leadership Style
The laissez-faire leadership style is at the opposite end of the spectrum from autocratic. Of all the approaches, this one involves the least amount of oversight. You could say that the autocratic style leader stands as firm as a rock on issues, while the laissez-faire leader lets people swim with the current.
On the surface, a laissez-faire leader may trust people to know what to do. When taken to the extreme, however, such a hands-off leader may end up appearing aloof. So, although it's beneficial to give people room to run, managers must find a balance to make sure they remain moored the critical goals of the organisation.
This style can work if you're leading highly skilled, experienced employees who are self-starters and motivated. To be most effective with this style, monitor team performance and provide regular feedback.
Choosing Your Leadership Approaches
Knowing which leadership style works best for you is part of being a good leader. Developing a signature style with the ability to stretch into others as the situation warrants may help enhance your leadership effectiveness.
Know yourself. Start by learning what your current dominant leadership style is. Ask trusted colleagues to describe the strengths of your leadership style. You can also take a leadership style assessment.
Understand the different styles. Familiarise yourself with the repertoire of leadership styles that can work best for a given situation. What new skills do you need to develop?
Practice. Be genuine with any approach you use. Moving from your current leadership style to a different one may be challenging. Practice the new behaviours until they become natural. In other words, don't abandon who you are. When it comes to gaining trust and loyalty, authenticity rules—meaning that the best leadership style is often what comes most naturally to you, with some key enhancements to help you evolve.
Stay agile. Traditional leadership styles are still relevant in today's workplace, but they may need to be combined with new approaches in line with how leadership is defined for the 21st century.
Today's business environments are fraught with challenges due to the changing demographics and the employee expectations of a diverse workforce. This may call for a new breed of leader who is an amalgam of most of the leadership styles discussed here.
An agile leadership style may be the ultimate leadership style required for leading today's talent.