How to Find Your Leadership Style

A strong leader can motivate the team and harness their talents. An ideal leader has the ability to communicate and mentor the employees while inspiring them to pursue the company’s mission. Any leader must be able to switch between various leadership styles to handle a particular situation. Even though leadership styles are rooted within one’s personality, background and preferences, rigidly sticking to one style can hamper your company’s growth. As a leader, if you are looking to increase your efficiency, developing a style that integrates several leadership techniques is crucial. In this article, we will read about the seven common types of leadership that can help you analyze and understand your leadership style.

Autocratic Leadership 

Also known as authoritarian leadership, the leaders are very clear about their goals and ways to achieve them. They can easily set guidelines and have their expectations regarding when and how the tasks should be completed. They also expect others to follow their instructions and act upon them immediately. Often regarded as know-it-alls, autocratic leaders primarily focus on achieving results through methods that they feel are the best. Such leadership is most efficient when you need consistent and predictable results. In industries like healthcare or construction, where there is very little time for discussion, and the employees need precise guidance, autocratic leadership works best.

While such kind of leadership produces efficient decisions in less time, it can make employees uncomfortable and even create a toxic work environment.

Pacesetting Leadership

Such leaders keep pushing their employees until the end of the finish line. They lead by example and set high expectations. Such leaders are also very energetic, and their primary goal is to deliver efficient results. However, such leadership can also create a high-pressure work environment that may not sit well with all the employees. It works best when you have a team of highly motivated employees who want quick results. If you have a crucial deadline to meet, especially in a manufacturing environment, then pacesetting leadership is ideal.

Pacesetting leadership is recommended for dynamic employees who can thrive in a fast-paced work environment. However, employees can quickly burn out if they consistently perform under such supervision. Additionally, not all employees are suited for such leadership and can make more mistakes in such a stressful work environment.

Transformational Leadership

They are also considered visionary leaders due to their commitment to larger goals and organizational purposes. Their future-focused vision is inspiring and often energizes those working around them. They also encourage and empower their employees to move out of their comfort zones in order to achieve personal and professional development. This kind of leadership is required in organizations that need direction. Transformational leadership places a high value on the company’s future vision and is driven by inspiration and motivation. However, with this kind of leadership primarily focused on the big picture, it is easy to miss the critical operational and employee details.

Coaching Leadership

Such leaders view their team as a pool of potential talent waiting to be developed. Like sports coaches, these leaders can help their employees achieve their full potential. They can recognize and nurture their strength through regular feedback. They not only provide motivational direction to improve weaknesses but can also provide their employees with challenging projects to promote growth. Coaching leadership is beneficial if a leader can devote time to the development of employees. It is also suitable for a work environment where employees know their limitations and are open to new challenges. While such kind of leadership can promote a positive work atmosphere, it involves a lot of time-intensive effort, and one can also lose sight of the big picture.

Democratic Leadership 

They are also called participative leaders because they include employees’ opinions before making decisions. Their goal is to encourage group participation through dialogues and discussion. They might even present their team with a problem and ask for suggestions before taking the final course of action, but the ultimate decision lies with them. This kind of leadership is very well suited for those who can thoroughly assess each step and figure out ways to achieve long-term goals. It is highly effective in companies that benefit from inspiration and creativity. Democratic leadership helps employees in finding their voice. It can boost their morale and engagement while fostering creativity. However, such kind of leadership prolongs the decision-making process.

Affiliative Leadership 

Affiliative leaders are also called facilitative leaders because they prefer putting their employees first. Such leaders pay close attention to their teams and support their employees’ professional and emotional needs. Such leadership focuses on encouraging harmony and forging collaborative relationships within the organization. The leader is part of the decision-making process, but most decisions are left to the employees. Such leaders also use praise to enhance individual and team confidence. They can also be effective during high-stress situations. Such leaders must have strong communication skills and the ability to address conflict in a level-headed manner. Employee well-being and a happy and satisfied workplace are top priorities of such leadership. They can also help solve conflicts quickly, but often the focus on individual needs can overshadow the entire team’s needs. It can also stifle employees’ growth while reducing the company’s overall productivity. 

Delegative Leadership 

They are also called laissez-faire leaders because they give their employees enough room to solve their problems themselves. However, such leaders can also define the limits and expectations before allowing employees to take charge. They must also remain available to discuss the decisions taken by their employees apart from monitoring their team and providing regular feedback. Delegative leadership works best when you have highly qualified employees with strong track records. It can guide employees involved in individual projects or needing out-of-the-box thinking. While delegative leadership can empower employees, it can cause a dip in productivity if the rules and expectations are not clearly defined.

The ideal leadership style is determined not just by the leader’s personality but also by his/her team members. In order to develop a leadership style, you must have the ability to adapt your ways according to the circumstances and help in enhancing the overall effectiveness that can benefit your employees as well as the entire organization.