Leadership Styles With Examples

Businesswoman giving a high five to her coworker. Jacob Lund/Shutterstock

The road to promotions and management positions starts with how you lead. A leader’s goal is guiding, training, and organizing people to give their best performance.

However, there are several management styles that you can emulate. The question is, which one is best for you and your company’s work culture? What are the different styles?

Leadership Style Comes With Experience

Motivating employees to achieve a goal or company vision is the hallmark of a good leader. Over time, most people develop a leadership style. Choosing a leadership style is based on personality and the company culture.

You may start with one leadership style, but as you mature in business, you may adopt a different style. In some cases, two styles may be merged.

But the first step to solid leadership is knowing your style.

Autocratic Leadership Style Rules

Autocratic is sometimes referred to as authoritarian. The boss is the boss is the theory behind the autocratic leadership style. This leader makes all the decisions and holds all the power.

Autocratic leaders have a lot of self-confidence and are highly motivated to succeed.

One autocratic leader that many people are familiar with is industrialist Elon Musk. He is the creative side of the autocratic leader and is driven by his unique vision.

But Musk rarely takes input and often makes impulsive decisions without discussing them with his team members.

Authoritative Leadership Visionary Approach

This leadership style shouldn’t be confused with autocratic. Authoritative leaders are visionary and consider themselves mentors.

They provide guidance and direction to their team. The authoritative leader gives feedback and motivation.

This style relies on knowing each team member and is very hands-on.

The problem is that authoritative leaders tend to micromanage, which can be overbearing.

An example of an authoritative leader is Martin Luther King, Jr. He was a visionary who relied on his team. And Rev. King was able to motivate people to join him.

Delegative Leaders Share Workload

Delegative leadership is often referred to as laissez-faire. It focuses on delegating initiative to employees. This is a hands-off leader.

These leaders rely on and trust their team to do their jobs. The delgative leader often allows decision-making authority to individuals.

Resources and tools are provided to the team to accomplish their tasks. But delegative leaders will also offer their knowledge as needed.

These employees are expected to address their own challenges.

But although the leader will allow employees to make decisions, the delegative leader will ultimately maintain responsibility for failures and successes.

A modern example of delegative leadership is Warren Buffet. Although he gives employees decision-making capabilities, he expects his people to accept responsibility for their actions.

He prioritizes mentoring. And, more important,, he leaves decisions in the firms he has invested in instead of swaying.

Participative Leaders Have Democratic Approach

Although this is like delegative leadership, it has some differences. Participative leaders use a democratic approach. These leaders rely on team members to provide input.

Participative leaders take this input seriously and use it to make their decisions. But unlike the delegative leader, the participative leader makes the final decision. This leader may go with their employees’ recommendations, but the participative leaders have the final say.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is a participative leader. He believed in empowering people. He felt that it was important to include employees in the decision-making process to be competitive.

Transformational Leaders Worry About Society

A transformational leader affects both people and society. He or she wants to instill meaningful and sound change in employees. The goal is to turn team members into leaders.

The transformational leader understands charismatic leadership. They don’t micromanage but encourage employee autonomy. They are encouraged to follow in the transformational leader’s footsteps.

Instead of focusing on setting strategic goals, they encourage organizational cooperation to move the vision forward.

An example of a transformational leader was Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. He empowered employees to express themselves creatively. Jobs used his leadership to increase employee happiness and use goods to make a worldwide difference.

Servant Leader Puts Employee Needs First

This leadership style puts the needs of others first. It focuses on enabling employees to reach their full potential. The servant leader wants to work at developing their team’s abilities. But at the same time, they are setting a good example and understanding the employees’ personal goals.

Servant leaders use ethical decision-making techniques. Their decisions are suitable for everyone involved. They have good communication between all involved parties.

President Abraham Lincoln exemplified a servant leader for his actions during the U.S. Civil War. These actions included preserving the Union and emancipating the slaves.

How to Determine Leadership Style

When determining your leadership style, consider the traits you'd like to emulate. Watch your manager and analyze their style. You can glean a lot of information by looking around you. How do your co-workers view your manager’s style? Take notes and decide if it will work for you.

Take a formal leadership test. Anyone in the corporate world has probably taken a personality assessment test. Ask for the results and determine what type of leader you might be.

A leadership test not only assesses the type of leader you are but also what strengths and weaknesses you might bring to your leadership role.

Ask for others’ input. When you have a performance review, ask for feedback. How does the team perceive your style? Discuss your style with a mentor or someone outside the company and absorb their ideas.

Leaders Adapt to Current Situation

Although there are several leadership styles, the ability to adapt is essential. Many companies have their own structure and culture when it comes to leading.

Someone who rules with an iron fist may not fit in a culture that wants employees to share their opinions and jointly make decisions. You need to be flexible.

Choose the leadership style that suits not only your personality but also your situation.

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