Whether you work in a management position or not, eventually there will come a time when a leadership opportunity presents itself. The way that a person leads is important regardless of whether it is only for a specific project or if it’s a promotion to a new department. Most people care whether or not they are an effective leader and to understand the skills that you’ll need it’s important to be familiar with the different types of leadership styles.
The most important step to being a successful leader is understanding the people and the situation so that you’re capable of hosing the appropriate behaviour to lead with. Using the correct method of leadership can help your team reach goals and have positive outcomes.
Here are the five types of leadership style.
Visionary leaders
Visionaries inspire those around them. A visionary leader will have the ability to create change and make progress. It’s important that a visionary leader acts with confidence and offers motivation to their team, which will, in turn, help to promote trust. This type of leader is often important in businesses that are expanding quickly or undergoing a transformation.
Pacesetting leaders
Under the leadership of pacesetters, there is a high standard and everyone is held accountable. When a business is in need of fast results or improvements the pacesetting leader will focus on performance. The fast environment can often motivate employees, however, people who respond better from receiving feedback or guidance may feel that the pacesetting leadership style is not effective.
Democratic leaders
A leader using the democratic style will value everyone’s input and take the feedback that they receive very seriously. This type of leadership can drastically improve employee performance as it leads to higher levels of engagement and workplace satisfaction. People want to feel as though their opinions matter and they are respected by the people in charge. Democratic leaders believe in participation and always leave room for discussion amongst their teams.
Authoritarian leaders
Authoritarian leaders are the opposite of democratic leaders and make their decisions alone or in very small groups. The focus of autocratic leadership is to produce results efficiently and only works well in industries that have a lot of compliance regulations or strict guidelines. Often times, people working under this leadership style feel stifled, making it an unpopular choice amongst people in charge.
Coaching leaders
The coaching type of leadership helps to promote an open and positive environment. The coaching leader is able to identify people’s strengths and weaknesses quickly and sets clear expectations. Understanding what motivates people is important as projects are assigned and achievable goals are set. This type of leadership can be much more time-intensive.
