management

What’s your leadership style?

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FIND OUT WHAT YOUR LEADERSHIP STYLE IS

Leadership is pivotal to an organisation’s success. It equips teams with the skills and motivation they need to smash their organisation’s goals. Done right, it makes visions reality.

But leadership is of course an action, not simply a position. The way people lead is critical to success and there are several leadership styles which can be adapted to suit different personalities and scenarios.

If you’re a leader (or would like to be one), it’s a good idea to develop an understanding of different leadership styles and how they work best so you can adapt your style to the different people and scenarios you’re likely to encounter in your role.

AUTOCRATIC

An autocratic leader has complete control over decision making with very little input from their team. This style can work well in high-risk situations or where a team has limited skills but it can also damage morale and impede team creativity. Autocratic leaders must be sure to listen to their team and be reliable to keep their respect.

TRANSFORMATIONAL

A transformational leader inspires their team to align with their objectives. They are highly focused on their people, motivating and equipping them to succeed. Transformational leaders often enjoy a team that performs better and has a sense of wellbeing and empowerment, but they must be careful to watch and identify when their team needs a stronger direction.

DEMOCRATIC

A democratic leader empowers their employees to contribute to decisions and establishes a culture of trust. This leadership style inspires collaboration, creativity and innovation but it requires each team member to have the skills to contribute. Democratic leaders must stay communicative, enthusiastic and set clear expectations.

LAISSEZ-FAIRE

TRANSACTIONAL

Transactional leadership is rewards and punishment based. If employees succeed in their roles they’re rewarded and if they don’t, they’re essentially punished. Many see this as a fair, transparent system that helps employees see where their role fits in the organisational goals. It does, however, impact on both moral and creativity, taking out any human aspects so will only work for certain work objectives.

SERVANT

A servant leader prioritises the greater good over their own objectives. They build influence and authority, strongly supporting their employees to contribute their own expertise. Rather than prescribing a structure, they work to empower their team to thrive and achieve the common goal. This strengthens the team and inspires a pride in their collective achievements, but servant leaders must be adept in developing others holistically.

SITUATIONAL

Situational leadership recognises that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to leadership and allows the leader to adapt their approach to each individual and circumstance. It allows for flexibility but requires a strong, very adept leader who is tuned into each activity and can shift approaches accordingly.

SO, WHAT’S YOUR LEADERSHIP STYLE?

You may well find your style naturally fits into one of the above categories, or perhaps more than one. Given that you’ll likely be dealing with a range of leadership scenarios throughout your career, it’s important to stay flexible in your approach, though. With an understanding of the different leadership styles, you’ll know which is likely to be the more effective so, like the best leaders, you can adapt, giving you the highest chance of success.