Whether you are leading a small group or a large organization, your leadership style can greatly impact the effectiveness of your efforts. Although there are several types of leadership, the most appropriate one to use depends on you and your team. Christie Lindor, founder and CEO of Tessi Consulting, described some common traits of an effective leader to us.
“Effective leaders demonstrate the political will to make tough decisions and are accountable enough to follow through on promises,” she said. “Transparent communication styles also make leaders effective.”
In addition to making tough decisions and exhibiting clear communication, productive leaders should periodically examine their style and evaluate how their subordinates perceive it. Sometimes it is necessary to alternate leadership styles to accommodate a team’s changing needs. [Related article: 7 Common Leadership Mistakes You’re Probably Making]
Deciding what type of leader you want to be is a critical step in your career development. Your leadership style impacts your relationships with colleagues, how you make decisions, and your ability to drive results. There are many different approaches to leadership – which is the best match for you?
In this comprehensive guide we’ll explore the key types of leaders the traits that define them, and how to determine the leadership style that fits your skills and values.
Why Your Leadership Style Matters
Your leadership style sets the tone for your team. It affects:
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Team culture – Authoritative vs collaborative work environment.
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Morale and engagement – Inspiring vs demotivating for employees
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Performance – Achievement driven vs lackadaisical effort.
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Innovation – Creativity stifled or sparked.
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Communication – Open and transparent vs closed door.
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Workplace satisfaction – Enjoyable productive place to work vs stressful and tense.
In short, your leadership style directly impacts the working lives of your team members and your organization’s ability to execute. It’s far more than just your work persona – it shapes the environment people operate within every day.
5 Types of Leadership Styles
While there are many variations, most leadership styles fall into one of these categories:
1. Autocratic Leadership
Autocratic leaders make decisions without input from their teams. Key traits:
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Total control and authority over decisions and goals
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Dominant personality that takes charge
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Highly structured work environment
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Clear expectations, rewards, and punishments
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Better in crisis situations requiring quick decisions
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Can stifle creativity and morale over time
2. Democratic Leadership
Democratic leaders actively involve their teams in deciding goals and making choices. Key traits:
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Collaborative decision making
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Empowers employees to have input
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Builds trust and transparency
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Boosts morale through inclusion
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Slower decision making process
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Relies on team’s capabilities to provide direction
3. Laissez-Faire Leadership
Laissez-faire leaders give their teams full autonomy with minimal oversight. Key traits:
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Complete freedom to make own decisions
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Leader provides advice only when asked
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Highly motivated teams thrive
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Lack of guidance can lead to confusion
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Only effective with highly capable team members
4. Transactional Leadership
Transactional leaders focus on results, structure, and specific rewards and penalties. Key traits:
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Clear hierarchies and role definition
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Rewards success and punishes failure
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Focuses on transactions and exchanges
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Good for hitting targets and metrics
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Can discourage innovation beyond job roles
5. Transformational Leadership
Transformational leaders inspire teams to achieve goals and grow professionally. Key traits:
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Charismatic and passionate
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Motivates and uplifts team members
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Encourages innovation and push boundaries
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Develops employees to take on more responsibility
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Struggles with teams lacking motivation or communication skills
How to Determine Your Natural Leadership Style
Take an honest self-assessment of your innate traits, values and skills to decide which leadership style fits you best:
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Are you naturally commanding or collaborative?
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Do you thrive with structure or flexibility?
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Are you motivational and inspirational?
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Are you results driven, big picture, or hands off?
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Do you take charge or prefer to advise?
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Are you an innovator or executor?
Consider past feedback from managers, colleagues and direct reports on your working style and tendencies. Observe current leaders you admire – what qualities do you share?
Be honest about your comfort level giving up authority and desire to control outcomes. These factors often reveal leadership preferences.
Tailoring Your Approach
While you may have an inherent style, the best leaders adapt based on the situation and needs of their team.
Autocratic – Needed in crises, with problem employees or complex workflows.
Democratic – Effective when building team skills and morale is key.
Laissez-faire – Works with highly capable, self-directed employees.
Transactional – Appropriate for hitting sales targets and metrics.
Transformational – Ideal when growth, innovation and motivation are lacking.
Look at your team’s maturity level, work dynamics and strengths. Lead based on what brings out their full potential, even if it means flexing your comfort zone.
Putting Leadership Style into Action
Once you settle on the right style for you, focus on developing the specific mindsets and behaviors of great leaders within your chosen approach:
For democratic leaders:
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Solicit wide input before finalizing important decisions
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Delegate authority and responsibilities across the team
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Conduct regular one-on-one meetings to gather perspectives
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Discuss challenges and changes transparently as a group
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Offer coaching and support related to team member contributions
For transformational leaders:
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Set an inspirational vision for the future
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Challenge teams to go beyond their comfort zone
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Act as a mentor and coach on professional growth
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Recognize and reward growth and innovation
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Encourage questions and new ways of thinking
For laissez-faire leaders:
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Provide the tools and resources your team requests
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Offer guidance upon request, not by default
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Hold team accountable for outcomes, not process
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Praise the team’s initiative and independence
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Step in if projects go off track
For transactional leaders:
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Establish quantifiable goals and KPIs
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Clarify roles, responsibilities and processes
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Conduct regular performance reviews
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Link rewards and compensation to goal achievement
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Address poor performance constructively but promptly
For autocratic leaders:
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Make decisions independently based on end goals
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Set schedules, tasks and standards for work product
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Control communications and access to information
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Monitor results closely
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Provide frequent feedback on progress
Don’t try to emulate others’ styles if they don’t come naturally. Lead in the way that best allows you to leverage your own strengths while inspiring your team.
Partner With Other Leaders
Rather than forcing behaviors outside your comfort zone, partner with complementary leaders across your organization. For example:
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Democratic leaders seek autocratic leaders’ input on decision efficiency.
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Transformational leaders partner with transactional leaders to manifest their vision.
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Laissez-faire leaders utilize autocratic leaders for structure and processes.
Understanding your tendencies allows you to surround yourself with leaders who fill your gaps. Diversity of leadership styles benefits organizations.
Continually Develop Your Leadership Skills
Strive to grow your capabilities as a leader – whatever your natural tendencies. Some areas to focus on include:
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Communication and influence skills
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Providing coaching and mentorship
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Conflict resolution
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Strategic planning
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Project management
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Building high performance teams
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Change management
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Encouraging innovation
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Inspiring company vision and values
Look for leadership training, mentor partnerships and experiential learning opportunities. Great leaders never stop evolving!
Determining your inherent leadership style and consciously improving is crucial to unlock your potential. Take time to reflect on your values, traits and skills and observe respected leaders around you. Adapt your style when needed to bring out the best in your people. Seek out collaborations to complement your strengths. With conscious effort, you can become the inspirational, effective leader you wish to be!
How to identify your leadership style
After understanding the different types of leadership styles, determine which one feels most authentic to you.
To do this, ask yourself these questions:
- What do I value more – goals or relationships?
- Do I believe in structure or freedom of choice?
- Would I rather make a decision on my own or collectively?
- Do I focus on short- or long-term goals?
- Does motivation come from empowerment or direction?
- What does a healthy team dynamic look like to me?
There is no right or wrong answer to these queries; many individuals find their leadership style through trial and error. Experiment with different approaches to see which one works best for you and your team. You can also seek a leadership mentor who can offer advice on how they developed their style. Solicit feedback from people you trust as well. Most importantly, be authentic. Try to pick a leadership style that feels natural to use and is aligned with your strengths.
The 9 most common types of leadership
Leadership styles can be unique to each individual. However, experts agree that most leaders fit into at least one of these nine different leadership styles. Lindor said when you analyze which leadership style you use, keep in mind that there are no right or wrong styles.
“It’s all about pairing leadership styles with the right organizational fit, market, timing and needs in a way that drives successful outcomes,” she said.
- Autocratic leadership: This is one of the strictest types. Autocratic leaders tend to have complete control over the decision-making process. This leadership style can be effective when decision-making is urgent or workmanship is routine.
- Bureaucratic leadership: Although not as strict as autocratic leaders, bureaucratic leaders also tend to strictly enforce regulations and statuses in the hierarchy. This leadership style can be effective in healthcare and safety environments.
- Charismatic leadership: Charismatic leaders have an infectious presence that motivates their team to follow their lead. Their likability helps them and their teams achieve success in business. This leadership style can be effective in high-energy work environments that need a lot of positive morale.
- Democratic leadership: Unlike autocratic or bureaucratic leaders, a democratic leader often welcomes subordinate participation in decision-making. This leadership style is often admired and can be effective in creative work environments that don’t require quick decisions.
- Laissez-faire leadership: Laissez-faire leaders have a hands-off approach and let their employees assume responsibility in the decision-making process, although they must still set employee expectations and monitor performance. This leadership style can be effective when working with highly experienced and confident employees.
- Servant leadership: Servant leaders share power and decision-making with their subordinates and often direct the organization based on the team’s interests. This leadership style can be effective for humanitarian organizations, nonprofits and teams that need to create diversity, inclusion and morale.
- Situational leadership: Situational leaders implement a range of leadership types and modify their style based on the needs of their employees and the environment. Because of its versatility, this type of leadership is effective in most organizations.
- Transactional leadership: A transactional leader uses a reward/consequence system to motivate employees toward success and discourage them from failure. This leadership style can be effective for teams that are motivated by rewards.
- Transformational leadership: Like charismatic leaders, transformational leaders use their inspiring energy and personality to create an engaged workplace. This style is often more effective than charismatic leadership, as it also motivates teams to build confidence and accountability. It can be effective in organizations with intellectual team members who thrive in interactive environments.
“The leadership styles that I most admire are transformational, which is about articulating an inspiring vision and helping people reinvent themselves and their company; servant leadership, which is all about taking care of your clients, employees and the general community; and situational leadership, which is all about creating an agile way of leading and thinking depending on the needs of the organization or marketplace,” Lindor said.
4MAT for Leadership: What kind of leader do you want to be?
What makes a good leader?
They come alongside the people they lead to offer guidance and mentorship, as opposed to firm directions or reprimands. This type of leader is heavily invested in the development of other people and they’ll freely share their time, energy, and knowledge to help others learn, grow, and improve.
Do you need different types of leadership?
Different situations call for different types of leadership. A good leader can switch between those leadership types when they need to. And typically, every leader will need to, because one size does not fit all businesses. What types of leadership are the best?
How do I become a good leader?
Here’s a list of tips to consider implementing so you can become the type of leader you want to be: Be vulnerable. Becoming a great leader requires self-reflexivity and openness. Consider asking for feedback or being vulnerable with a mentor so you can learn ways to improve. Seek guidance.
What are leadership traits?
Leadership traits are the individual characteristics that create a specific leadership style. To be adaptable across types of leadership styles, the traits that every leader needs are things like: Leadership styles (like the ones discussed above) are the ways leaders use their respective traits.
