Leadership 101

Leadership Styles

Every leader, no matter how great or mundane, has their own particular leadership style. An interesting phenomenon, however, is that many leaders are not taught the styles of leadership, nor are they aware of which they favor most. Within yourself, it is vitally important to not only understand the leadership styles out there, but to choose which you would like to embody & hone your own personal leadership brand. There are six leadership styles which are most common, & each has their own set of pros & cons. It is important to note that no one leadership style is better than another, they are all slices of the same continuum of leadership.

Transformational Leadership

A leadership style which receives a ton of attention and adoration in the leadership studies community is transformational leadership. The transformational style is all about it’s namesake…transformation. Leaders who utilize this style are often striving to inspire others to follow them or inspire others into action. When an organization is undergoing a time of great change, this is where the transformational style can truly shine.

A transformational leader works to develop bonds in their organization, instill passion into their followers, drive up the organizational energy, create a unified voice for change acceptance, & transform their organization towards future-state operations. A transformational leader can also focus on non-operational changes, such as organizational culture changes. In this arena, the transformational leader employs the same tenets, but concentrates on where the current perceived culture of an organization is & strives to align the organizations mission with a refreshed culture.

The transformational style lends great strength to efforts focused on change, people, & the future.

Delegative Leadership

A leadership style which receives a lot of negative attention is delegative leadership. Many people call this style “laissez-faire”, where the leader doesn’t do the work, but passes it along to followers to handle. The delegative leadership style is all about delegating work & decisions to others. Sometimes this style is seen as a lack of leadership, however, delegative leadership can be an effective tool in a leader’s kit when employed correctly.

A delegative leadership style demands that the leader take their hands off the wheel of control and allow others to greatly contribute to the success or failure of an organization. Delegative leaders are the opposite of micromanagers. In fact, they allow their followers a great deal of leeway in making decisions, utilizing resources, & building relationships. The delegative leadership style is very difficult to master, as followers have to have a great deal of competence & be able to be accountable for their decisions. The delegative leadership style requires a deft hand & constant attention for it to work effectively.

The delegative style lends great strength to efforts focused on follower development, organizational “flattening”, & experience gain.

Authoritative Leadership

A leadership style which is highly coveted & successful when employed correctly is the authoritative style. A good way to think of this style is that it is a “come follow me” style. Traditionally, this style of leadership can be best attributed to trailblazers. In the authoritative style, the leader has a goal & vision in mind, which they then encourage others to follow suit on. When an organization has laid out a path forward and needs everyone to fall in line and do their part, the authoritative leader can really shine.

Authoritative leaders spend a lot of time focusing on inspiring & motivating others. Authoritative leaders spend a lot of time getting to know their followers, which allows the leader to learn what will best motivate each person in their organization. To become adept at this style, a leader must be comfortable in an extroverted position, shaking hands & talking with people both individually & as a group. The authoritative style can be difficult to employ & definitely to master, since it has connotations of an authoritarian style, which many individuals many not respond well to. Balance is key as the leader must give as much as they take with this style.

The authoritative style lends great strength to team building, intrinsic motivation inspiration, & increased operational capacity.

Transactional Leadership

A leadership style which you can find in abundance is transactional leadership. This style depends fully on rewards & punishments for work completed or not completed. Formerly, this style was known as “carrot & stick”, referring to horse training. This style is heavily focused on tasks & short-term goals. In this style, the leader’s main purpose is to motivate followers to complete tasks based on financial rewards or withholdings of rewards, depending on the measurement of task completion.

Transactional leaders spend a lot of time examining which rewards are appropriate for tasks completed, the standard completion rates for those tasks, & the effect rewards have on the overall process. Incentivizing work completion is a complex task, as workers do not all value rewards the same. Many transactional leaders tend to set their teams up for success via routines & procedures which are repeatable, making them easier to measure due to the lack of ambiguity. Successful implementation of the transactional style does require both a working knowledge of what drives employees, as well as a standard set of rewards which are reasonably attainable.

The transactional style lends great strength to project-based work, establishing routines, & daily fixed operations.

Participative Leadership

A leadership style loved by many employees, the participative leadership style is one which involves employees in the decision-making process, similar to the democratic process. This style is not to be confused with the handing off of decisions as in the delegative style, but is one in which the leader and employees work together to find solutions. This can be a great fit for organizations who have traditionally struggled with employees feeling powerless to affect change, as there is a real sense of power sharing.

Participative leaders spend a lot of time working on open, candid communications, as well as the internal struggle to not solely make decisions as a leader. This can be a struggle for some leaders, as they may not feel like they are “in charge” of things in their organization. Many participative leaders find that they gain an advantage when they include more than one employee in a decision, as they are able to view many solutions to the same problem. Leaders who wish to be successful in utilizing the participative style would do well to work on communication skills, power sharing, and employee empowerment.

The participative leadership style lends great strength to increasing communication, enhancing team dynamics, & building trust in an organization.

Servant Leadership

A leadership style in which most employees feel valued above just being a worker, the servant leadership style is coveted by many employees, & this style is celebrated in most organizations in which it is utilized. The servant leadership style is one in which the leader puts the needs & wants of the employees first. This style relies heavily on strong communication & relationship building. Ethics is the center of this style, as the leader strives to do what is right for the many, versus what is best for the few.

Servant leaders spend a lot of time focusing on learning what others want or need through individual communications & listening to the ideas of others. This style can make employees feel more empowered to share their ideas with leadership, & as such, it is prized by followers. This style also strives to build a peaceful, harmonious workplace. In the world of business, this type of leadership can be difficult to harness, as the inclusion of feelings & the thoughts of everyone may not be conducive to quick decision making. A balance should be stressed here, as while the servant leader is usually loved by the people, the operations can suffer from stagnation.

The servant leadership style lends great strength to relationship building, communication enhancements, & fostering a high-context organizational culture.