If you think back on your career, you’ll remember some people who needed a coach, while some needed an absolute dictator. Some want to be inspired by a visionary, while others need motivational management.
None of these styles are either right or wrong. Each style shines in its appropriate time and place. In terms of morality, what matters is the leader’s underlying intent. If a visionary doesn’t care about anything but making employees into their robots to fulfill the vision, then visionary leadership won’t work. If a dictator has everyone’s good in mind during a crisis when people need that level of coordination, then dictatorial style is the right answer there. Every leader speaks in their own voice and brings their own individual approach to situations.
People often get mixed up on the difference between being genuine and adapting your leadership style. These are not mutually exclusive. Being genuine means always being honest about your goals, needs, wishes, wants, and plans. Shifting style is simply changing the channel used to communicate those true things. Even highly collaborative leaders use the whole range of styles in different situations, as the business environment changes.
Leadership styles organize into five basic categories:
- Authoritative – also called autocratic
- Coaching
- Coercive – also called transactional
- Democratic
- Pacesetting
Authoritative Leadership
Authoritative, autocratic, or dictatorial leadership functions best when people need strong direction. This style of leadership looks to challenges ahead, then laser focuses the team on a common goal, yet lets individuals decide how their skills and work will get the desired end result. Authoritative leadership fails entirely if the team members are more educated on the subject than the leader because it’s impossible to be effectively authoritative on a subject where you lack deep knowledge and experience.
Authoritarian leadership works best when applied to challenges in which there is little time for group decision-making. The other circumstance in which it works well is when the leader is the most knowledgeable member of the group about the problem. The autocratic approach offers the best option when the situation calls for rapid decisions and decisive actions.
Coaching Leadership
Coaching as a leadership style works best when employees are receptive to change and learn. Coaches do just what the name implies: Helps employees grow and learn, expanding their skillset. This leadership style focuses on long-term personal development and job-related skills. Coaching fails when working with defiant employees or when the leader obviously lacks proficiency in what they’re trying to teach.
Coaching leadership works well whenever team performance or results need improvement. When using this style, the goal should always be to help others to advance their skills, build overall team strength and guidance.
Coercive Leadership
Coercive leadership often gets labeled transactional leadership, probably due to the negative connotations of being coercive. This style presents the most directive of all the styles, also known as the “do what I said because I said when I said” style. Coercion of any kind should be used very sparingly due to how it breeds resentment while stifling enthusiasm, creativity, and engagement. However, in absolute crisis sometimes it needs to be deployed. Examples of appropriate times consist of things like the building being on fire, out of control teammates, or overhauling organizations immediately.
Quick change is dangerous change, and so during those times of chaos is when transactional leadership shines. Managers might also resort to this style when business units are failing due to wasteful procedures, even though it’s not always the best option.
Democratic Leadership
Democracy as a concept is generally understood. So, democratic leaders in business encourage their teams to contribute lots of input on decisions and share ideas freely. Whenever the team as a whole needs to share ownership in the goal or plan, democratic leadership works well. Discussion flows freely because everyone has a seat at the table. Democratic leaders synthesize all given information and ideas into the best possible decision
This style is very time consuming, due to the nature of collaboration. It works best when deadlines aren’t looming and when employees all have expertise to contribute. Democratic leadership also works best when situations change frequently. Its flexibility allows a great deal of adaptation to shifting goals
Pacesetting Leadership
“Lead by example” is another way to express pacesetting leadership as a style. Leaders using this style demand quick results and set high expectations. It works when the team is motivated, skilled at their jobs, and the leader holds up to the same standards. When used poorly, leaders setting a demanding pace risk burning out their team and inhibiting innovation. When training or coaching is needed, pure pacesetting frustrates everyone.
Leading by example gets best results when the organization demands quick results from a team that’s already competent and highly motivated. With this leadership style, there’s no learning on the job or time to teach skills.
Choose The Right Leadership Style
Determining which leadership style fits any given circumstance requires knowing both your team and your situation. Sit down and analyze the strengths of your team and yourself, the goals before you, and then change your style to fit the desired end result. Knowing yourself and those you hire for leadership often is one of the most difficult and most necessary pieces of your organizational puzzle.
It’s easy to say to change your leadership style to fit the circumstances, but a lot harder to do on a consistent basis. It’s worth the time to reflect on what you think your default style and then ask trusted colleagues if they agree.
Ask yourself how you behave under stress. Do you collect other people’s opinions or tell them what to do more often? Which leadership style strikes you as most comfortable?
Once you know yourself, learning what works best for your people takes more time. Still worth doing.
Over time, you can mindfully create your own style of leadership. Balancing authenticity, adaptability, vision, and what works for your team helps your team achieve great things and keeps your business on track for ambitious goals.
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