Leadership Styles

Below are a collection of various Leadership styles that can be found in the work place.

Someone can either fall into one or or many of the below –

Autocratic

The phrase most illustrative of an autocratic leadership style is “Do as I say.” Generally, an autocratic leader believes that he or she is the smartest person at the table and knows more than others. They make all the decisions with little input from team members.

Authoritative

The phrase most indicative of this style of leadership (also known as “visionary”) is “Follow me.” The authoritative leadership style is the mark of confident leaders who map the way and set expectations, while engaging and energizing followers along the way.In a climate of uncertainty, these leaders lift the fog for people. They help them see where the company is going and what’s going to happen when they get there. Unlike autocratic leaders, authoritative leaders take the time to explain their thinking 

Pacesetting

“Do as I do!” is the phrase most indicative of leaders who utilize the pacesetting style. This style describes a very driven leader who sets the pace as in racing. Pacesetters set the bar high and push their team members to run hard and fast to the finish line.

Democratic

Democratic leaders are more likely to ask “What do you think?” They share information with employees about anything that affects their work responsibilities. They also seek employees’ opinions before approving a final decision.

Coaching

When you having a coaching leadership style, you tend to have a “Consider this” approach. A leader who coaches views people as a reservoir of talent to be developed. The leader who uses a coach approach seeks to unlock people’s potential.

Affiliative

A phrase often used to describe this type of leadership is “People come first.” Of all the leadership styles, the affiliative leadership approach is one where the leader gets up close and personal with people. A leader practicing this style pays attention to and supports the emotional needs of team members. The leader strives to open up a pipeline that connects him or her to the team.Ultimately, this style is all about encouraging harmony and forming collaborative relationships within teams. 

Laissez-Faire

The laissez-faire leadership style is at the opposite end of the autocratic style. Of all the leadership styles, this one involves the least amount of oversight. You could say that the autocratic style leader stands as firm as a rock on issues, while the laissez-faire leader lets people swim with the current.

Strategic

Strategic leaders sit at the intersection between a company’s main operations and its growth opportunities. He or she accepts the burden of executive interests while ensuring that current working conditions remain stable for everyone else.

Transformational

Transformational leadership is always “transforming” and improving upon the company’s conventions. Employees might have a basic set of tasks and goals that they complete every week or month, but the leader is constantly pushing them outside of their comfort zone.

Transactional

A Transactional leader rewards their employees for precisely the work they do. A marketing team that receives a scheduled bonus for helping generate a certain number of leads by the end of the quarter is a common example of transactional leadership.