The 6 Leadership Styles:
Each individual Leader is unique. They all have different leadership styles that help them lead and manage a team effectively. The style they implement will have an impact on the people they lead to achieve their objectives.
During my two and half decades of experience working alongside executives in corporate America, I have gained immense insight to each of the many different leadership styles and the effects it can have on the workforce.
Each leadership style can deliver the same outcome but the impact they provide to the companies people and their culture is different.
The greatest leaders are defined as someone with a clear vision of how goals are to be achieved to benefit the mission and people of the organization they represent.
Poor leadership has major negative implications for the organization. It can result in increased turnover, decreased productivity, high employee stress and overall satisfaction, and negative feelings within the workforce.
By initiating the right leadership style will positively impact an organization in many ways by empowering employees to be more productive, and strengthen company morale.
When leaders lead by example, it creates trust and a positive working environment. This enables employees to perform at their highest capacity.
The right leadership style can vary from one organization to the next. No matter what style you choose, the greatest leader must inspire and support their team and drive their organization forward.
Below are different leadership styles that leaders can adopt and look at how each one can empower or dismantle your employees’ and organizations success.
Autocratic leadership style
An autocratic leadership style resembles the traditional military command-and-control approach. It is what people refer to as top down management.
The autocratic leader is authoritarian, believes they are smart and always knows the best way to get things done. No matter the question, the autocratic leader has the answer.
Autocratic leaders rely on strict rules, policies, and procedures to govern the workplace. They make all the decisions with little input from team members.
Advantages
Crucial decisions will be made immediately when in a crisis.
Effective efficiency when working with an inexperienced or newly created team.
Improves productivity with their people but needs to follow a proven set of systems and procedures.
Disadvantages
Prevents creativity within the team as input isn’t sought.
Members of the team can develop dependency instead of making critical decisions on their own.
Morale within the team can be low as their work is routine and uninteresting not connecting to the individual value they provide to the organization.
Visionary Leadership style
Visionary leaders are driven and inspired by what a company can become. They bring cohesiveness and inspiration to the team aligning them to the mission. Well experienced to lead a company into new industries and markets.
They succeed by helping the company move into a new direction or innovating an environment for people to thrive in.
Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla Motors is a good example of a n innovative leader.
Advantages
Encourages creativity within its team members, producing ideas that innovate and others have likely never seen before.
Creates a future-focused mindset within its team.
Builds trust and commitment to innovative thinking.
Inspires individuals who want to move forward.
Disadvantages
Their vision is directed to the leader rather than the company as a whole.
Their long-term vision may impact short-term goals.
Leader’s vision may cause the team members to lose sight of innovative ideas from others.
Consultative Leadership style
Consultative leaders will assume their team have the knowledge needed to exceed at their jobs.
While every leader has the authority to make the final decision, the consultative leader will listen to every team member’s viewpoint before making a decision or taking action. They ask employees for their thoughts, views, allowing them to feel included.
While communication flows within both directions, the Leader will control the way it is completed.
Advantages
Increased employee engagement as team members are often consulted and feel a part of the outcome. Feeling respected.
Improves the quality of decisions as it considers input from team members.
Many different ideas may be generated, and people feel safe to voice their opinions.
Disadvantages
Many meetings are needed to reach a final decision the type of leadership style can be consuming of time and inefficient as it involves many meetings. Least effective for urgent matters.
Final decision can be slow as with many different opinions it is sometimes difficult to arrive at a consensus.
Participative Management/ Democratic Leadership style
Participative leaders generally involve their entire team. Encouraging to take part in the decision making process and include them when policies and procedures.
When meetings are conducted the Leader will often take a hand off approach. They function more like facilitators. They work alongside team members and focus on building their rapport and relationships.
Advantages
Motivates employees and increase the morale.
Increased performance due to greater ownership of responsibility for all team members.
Improved employee engagement with reduced employee turnover.
Disadvantages
Indecisive taking much time to come to a conclusion and reach a decision.
Social pressures conforming within a group.
Often results in inefficiency and low productivity.
Pacesetting Leadership style
The pacesetting Leader sets high standards to drive their team to achieve new goals. The Leader sets the bar high for themselves as well as their team.
They communicate their expectations and provide, expecting the team to follow. Many do not trust others to do their job, and they’ll take over when things don't move as they expect.
Advantages
Tasks and Projects done more efficiently.
Business goals can be achieved in the short term.
Time leadership issues will be resolved quickly without wasting time.
Disadvantages
Long term can hurt a business as the employees experience burnout and cannot keep up with the pace.
Leaves less room for little creativity and innovation as employees work under tight deadlines.
Trust and poor engagement when team members feel threatened for underperforming.
Coaching leadership style
In Coaching Leaders style leaders must adapt and move from one leadership style to another depending on the situation.
This type of leadership revolves around the basic leadership styles of directing, coaching, delegating, and supporting. A leader can determine which style is best based on the circumstance.
Coaching leadership focuses on helping employees become better individuals eventually leaders. The coaching style empowers team members to develop personally and professionally long term supporting and challenging their team members.
Advantages
Promotes a positive work environment of individuals motivated and eager to learn.
Increase awareness in the team to leverage their strengths while overcoming shortcomings.
Employees understand what is expected of them, and the strategy of the organization to reach its mission.
Disadvantages
Requires employee development.
Leaders and team members receiving coaching must commit to change and be motivated to develop through feedback.
Which style will you decide on to lead your team to success? As a Leader the choice is yours.
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