6 Leadership Styles for Successful Leaders

Your leadership style should never be static.

When it comes to running a business, leadership plays a large role in the level of success you can attain. There are a variety of different models and theories regarding leadership style that can be studied, and you will likely learn about these in your business classes at school. This list is comprised using Daniel Goleman’s Six Leadership Styles (2000).

The key point to remember is that leadership style should never be static. As a leader, one must learn to adjust leadership roles to account for an assortment of situations. Your style may vary based on the people you are working with, the project you are working on, or even the culture you are working within. This list aims to highlight the pros and cons of some of the different styles you should expect to see in your current or future workplace. Give them a read and decide which styles you think are most suitable for you.

1) Commanding – Steve Jobs, Former CEO of Apple Inc.:

“Do what I tell you.”

This style is the most demanding and is often ideal for crisis-type situations. The leader will take on a role that offers criticism in place of praise. Meant to motivate employees, this style is not one that should be adapted for regular use around the office as it could result in a negative reaction from employees.

2) Visionary – Barack Obama, President of the United States:

“Come with me.”

This style is designed to evoke self-confidence in the leader and drive employees towards a vision or an ultimate end goal. When a definitive direction or an end goal must be changed a visionary leadership style works best to motivate the team.

3) Affiliative – Angela Merkel, German Politician:

“People come first.”

This style works best for a leader who looks to improve relationships within a team. When your team is going through a traumatic or stressful event or when there are problems between team members this style works well to help revitalize your team. This leader is the people pleaser.

4) Democratic – Donald Trump, CEO of Trump Organization:

“What do you think?”

Leaders in this category often seek out opinions from his or her team members. This leader encourages participation through each and everyone in the team in order to help develop a consensus. Adopt this style when a general consensus is needed amongst your team.

5) Pacesetting – Margaret Thatcher, Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom:

 “Do as I do, now.”

This style is used to set particularly high standards for your team and it is a lesser form of the commanding leader. When the goal is to achieve fast results, the urgency associated with this style of leadership should motivate your team to do so. Keep in mind that pace-setting should not be adopted for every-day use as your team will have a negative response after too long.

6) Coaching – Indra Nooyi, CEO of PepsiCo:

“Try this.”

Aimed at helping your team develop long-term skills and traits in the workplace, this style requires the leader take a role that empathizes with his or her team. The focus is not about the end goal, but instead about helping your team reach their potential. This is effective for almost any team at any time.

Taking these roles into consideration might make you rethink the way you manage your team when in the role of the leader. Learning how to properly assess the situation before asserting yourself to a particular role is also important. You can learn about these leadership styles and much more with a business program like the one offered at Brighton College.

For more information or to sign up for classes visit Brighton College and get started today!