Everyone has their own style of leadership, however many individuals like to place leaders in two categories: good and bad. Let’s face it, we’ve all had experiences with both. The reality is, leadership isn’t always good or bad, black or white. There are many different types of leadership styles out there; let’s take a moment to explore a few!
Autocratic
This leadership style is based on control and has a “my way or the highway” approach. You’ll find that this type of leader likes to tell team members what needs to be completed, and also how to complete it. Even though this style may help cut down on the time it takes to make decisions, it can seriously hinder creativity.
Democratic
Also called participative leadership, democratic leadership is all about running your team/projects as a democracy. The emphasis is more on working together and involving the entire team in the decision-making process. According to The Muse, leaders that fall under this category, “value ideas and input from others, and encourage discussion about those contributions.” Creativity and new ideas are welcomed and encouraged by democratic leaders.
Laissez-Faire
This hands-off approach is excellent for environments where creativity is at the forefront of day-to-day processes. You’ll find that teams with laissez-faire leaders are very self-motivated. Team members can get the job done while not having to worry about constant supervision. This, however, can sometimes lead to disorganization and confusion.
Transformative
You’ll find a lot of transformative leadership styles in the business world, simply because they work well there. Transformative leaders are charismatic and motivating and have a big picture approach. They will usually require managers under them that cover day-to-day tasks.
Transactional
Transactional leadership is all about transactions. This type of leader gives out instructions to team members and uses rewards or penalties to assess the performance of a task. With this type of style, duties and expectations are well defined. The rigidity of this style makes it hard for creativity and innovation to flow.
No matter what, it’s important to remember that leaders come in many styles, and most will match your work environment or industry. Are you curious about learning your leadership style? Take this quiz for a better insight.