When we think of the types of leaders, we will just group them into just two categories: good and bad. There are many styles of leadership that aren’t inherently good or bad, they’re just different. They all have their pros and cons, as well as their appropriate in certain scenarios.  If you aspire to take on a leadership role in a business or are about to start leading a team, it is important that you understand the different leadership styles used in a business.

In this article, we are going to discuss the main 8 types of leadership styles and you can identify which types of leadership are you!

1. Democratic Leadership

A democratic leader is a person who will ask questions like, “ what do you think?” before making a final decision. Democratic leaders believe in the importance of getting the thoughts and opinions of the team members in making effective decisions.

You may be a democratic/participative leader if you:

• Value group discussions
• Provide all information to the team when making decisions
• Promote a work environment where everyone shares their ideas
• Are rational
• Are flexible
• Are good at mediation

2. Autocratic Leadership

Autocratic leadership is the total opposite of democratic leadership. Autocratic leaders view themselves as having absolute subordinates. They decide not only what needs to be done, but also how those tasks should be accomplished.

You may be an autocratic leader if you:

• Have self-confidence
• Are self-motivated
• Communicate clearly and consistently
• Follow the rules
• Are dependable
• Value highly structured environments
• Believe in supervised work environments

3. Laissez-Faire Leadership

A laissez-faire leader is someone who is hands-off and provides little oversight to their subordinates. Instead, laissez-faire leaders believe in delegating work to employees who are the best fit for a task and giving them ownership over that task. Managers may adopt this leadership style when all team members are highly experienced, well-trained and require little oversight. However, it can also cause a dip in productivity if employees are confused about their leader’s expectations, or if some team members need consistent motivation and boundaries to work well.

You may be a laissez-faire leader if you:

• Effectively delegate
• Believe in freedom of choice
• Provide sufficient resources and tools
• Will take control if needed
• Offer constructive criticism
• Foster leadership qualities in your team
• Promote an autonomous work environment

4. Coaching Leadership

A coaching leader is someone who will analyse what their employees are good and not good at, and work with each employee to improve their skills. They will work with an employee to set actionable goals and give them progress updates as they advance toward those goals. The coach leadership style is one of the most advantageous for employers as well as the employees they manage. Unfortunately, it’s often also one of the most underused styles—largely because it can be more time-intensive than other types of leadership.

You may be a coaching leader if you:

• Are supportive
• Offer guidance instead of giving commands
• Value learning as a way of growing
• Ask guided questions
• Balance relaying knowledge and helping others find it themselves
• Are self-aware

5. Pacesetting Leadership

A pacesetting leader is someone who is driven by performance and expectations. This type of leader will set clear goals for their team and will lead by example. Instead of asking people to do something, they will demonstrate their ability to do it and expect people to follow their lead. This type of leadership works best in fast-paced and results-driven cultures where team members need constant motivation to keep going. However, this approach to leadership can result in employees feeling burnt out after a certain period of time especially if they are pushed too hard.

You may be a pacesetter leader if you:

• Set a high bar
• Focus on goals
• Are slow to praise
• Will jump in to hit goals if needed
• Are highly competent
• Value performance over soft skills

6. Bureaucratic Leadership

Bureaucratic leaders go by the books. This type of leadership is common in large organizations and governments, where each employee has clear expectations and a specific list of responsibilities they have to undertake. The people who benefit most from bureaucratic leaders are those who thrive on safety and security in their work.

You may be a bureaucratic leader if you:

• Are detail-oriented and task-focused
• Value rules and structure
• Have a great work ethic
• Are strong-willed
• Have a commitment to your organization
• Are self-disciplined

7. Transformational Leadership

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. This leadership style often promotes creativity, because employees are encouraged to think more about what drives the best results for the business than what approaches have been done in the past. But, for people who are less open-minded, working under a transformational leader can be difficult, because they are usually more hesitant to changes.

You may be a transformational leader if you:

• Have mutual respect with your team
• Provide encouragement
• Inspires others to achieve their goals
• Think of the big picture
• Places value on intellectually challenging your team
• Are creative
• Have a good understanding of organizational needs

8. Servant Leadership

A servant leader is someone who believes firmly in the abilities of the people with whom they work and strives to make those people feel fulfilled. Servant leaders focus on how they can improve the morale of their employees because they believe that more motivated employees are more likely to produce high-quality work.

You may be a servant leader if you:

• Motivate your team
• Have excellent communication skills
• Personally care about your team
• Encourage collaboration and engagement
• Commit to growing your team professionally

There is no “right” leadership style to use. In fact, a solid leadership style may look like a blend of a few of those we’ve mentioned in this article. Whatever leadership style you decide is best for you, the best way to adopt the style is to practice. Over time, as you practice, you’ll figure out what leadership strategies work best in certain situations, and which approaches do not work. You can then use this information to improve as a leader.

Reference:

ResearchGate Leadership Styles & Using Appropriate Styles in Different Circumstances

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