MARKETING  

| 8 MIN READ

The 8 Most Common Leadership Styles & How to Find Your Own

Written by Braden Becker

@BradenBecker
 "A good leader should always … "

How you finish that sentence could reveal a lot about your leadership style.

Leadership is a fluid practice. We're always changing and improving the way in which
we help our direct reports and the company grow. And the longer we lead, the more
likely we'll change the way we choose to complete the sentence above.

→ Click here to download leadership lessons from HubSpot founder, Dharmesh Shah
[Free Guide].

But in order to become better leaders tomorrow, we need to know where we stand
today. To help you understand the impact each type of leader has on a company, I'll
explain eight of the most common types of leadership styles in play today and how
effective they are.

Types of Leadership Styles

1. Democratic Leadership
2. Autocratic Leadership
3. Laissez-Faire Leadership
4. Strategic Leadership
5. Transformational Leadership
6. Transactional Leadership
7. Coach-Style Leadership
8. Bureaucratic Leadership

Then, I'll show you a leadership style assessment based on this post's opening
sentence to help you figure out which leader youare.
1. Democratic Leadership
Commonly Effective

Democratic leadership is exactly what it sounds like -- the leader makes decisions
based on the input of each team member. Although he or she makes the final call,
each employee has an equal say on a project's direction.

Democratic leadership is one of the most effective leadership styles because it allows
lower-level employees to exercise authority they'll need to use wisely in future
positions they might hold. It also resembles how decisions can be made in company
board meetings.

For example, in a company board meeting, a democratic leader might give the team a
few decision-related options. They could then open a discussion about each option.
After a discussion, this leader might take the board's thoughts and feedback into
consideration, or they might open this decision up to a vote.

2. Autocratic Leadership
Rarely Effective

Autocratic leadership is the inverse of democratic leadership. In this leadership style,

the leader makes decisions without taking input from anyone who reports to them.
Employees are neither considered nor consulted prior to a direction, and are expected
to adhere to the decision at a time and pace stipulated by the leader.
An example of this could be when a manager changes the hours of work shifts for
multiple employees without consulting anyone -- especially the effected employees.

Frankly, this leadership style stinks. Most organizations today can't sustain such a
hegemonic culture without losing employees. It's best to keep leadership more open to
the intellect and perspective of the rest of the team.

3. Laissez-Faire Leadership
Sometimes Effective

If you remember your high-school French, you'll accurately assume that laissez-faire
leadership is the least intrusive form of leadership. The French term "laissez faire"
literally translates to "let them do," and leaders who embrace it afford nearly all
authority to their employees.

In a young startup, for example, you might see a laissez-faire company founder who
makes no major office policies around work hours or deadlines. They might put full
trust into their employees while they focus on the overall workings of running the
company.

Although laissez-faire leadership can empower employees by trusting them to work

however they'd like, it can limit their development and overlook critical company
growth opportunities. Therefore, it's important that this leadership style is kept in
check.

4. Strategic Leadership
Commonly Effective

Strategic leaders sit at the intersection between a company's main operations and its
growth opportunities. He or she accepts the burden of executive interests while
ensuring that current working conditions remain stable for everyone else.

This is a desirable leadership style in many companies because strategic thinking

supports multiple types of employees at once. However, leaders who operate this way
can set a dangerous precedent with respect to how many people they can support at
once, and what the best direction for the company really is if everyone is getting their
way at all times.

5. Transformational Leadership
Sometimes Effective

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.

When starting a job with this type of leader, all employees might get a list of goals to
reach, as well as deadlines for reaching them. While the goals might seem simple at
first, this manager might pick up the pace of deadlines or give you more and more
challenging goals as you grow with the company.

This is a highly encouraged form of leadership among growth-minded companies

because it motivates employees to see what they're capable of. But transformational
leaders can risk losing sight of everyone's individual learning curves if direct reports
don't receive the right coaching to guide them through new responsibilities.
6. Transactional Leadership
Sometimes Effective

Transactional leaders are fairly common today. These managers reward their
employees for precisely the work they do. A marketing team that receives a scheduled
bonus for helping generate a certain number of leads by the end of the quarter is a
common example of transactional leadership.

When starting a job with a transactional boss, you might receive an incentive plan that
motivates you to quickly master your regular job duties. For example, if you work in
marketing, you might receive a bonus for sending 10 marketing emails. On the other
hand, a transformational leader might only offer you a bonus if your work results in a
large amount of newsletter subscriptions.

Transactional leadership helps establish roles and responsibilities for each employee,
but it can also encourage bare-minimum work if employees know how much their
effort is worth all the time. This leadership style can use incentive programs to
motivate employees, but they should be consistent with the company's goals and used
in addition to unscheduled gestures of appreciation.
7. Coach-Style Leadership
Commonly Effective

Similarly to a sports team's coach, this leader focuses on identifying and nurturing the
individual strengths of each member on his or her team. They also focus on strategies
that will enable their team work better together. This style offers strong similarities to
strategic and democratic leadership, but puts more emphasis on the growth and
success of individual employees.

Rather than forcing all employees to focus on similar skills and goals, this leader
might build a team where each employee has an expertise or skillset in something
different. In the longrun, this leader focuses on creating strong teams that can
communicate well and embrace each other's unique skillsets in order to get work
done.

A manager with this leadership style might help employees improve on their strengths
by giving them new tasks to try, offering them guidance, or meeting to discuss
constructive feedback. They might also encourage one or more team members to
expand on their strengths by learning new skills from other teammates.

8. Bureaucratic Leadership
Rarely Effective

Bureaucratic leaders go by the books. This style of leadership might listen and
consider the input of employees -- unlike autocratic leadership -- but the leader tends
to reject an employee's input if it conflicts with company policy or past practices.

You may run into a bureaucratic leader at a larger, older, or traditional company. At
these companies, when a colleague or employee proposes a strong strategy that seems
new or non-traditional, bureaucratic leaders may reject it. Their resistance might be
because the company has already been successful with current processes and trying
something new could waste time or resources if it doesn't work. 
Employees under this leadership style might not feel as controlled as they would
under autocratic leadership, but there is still a lack of freedom in how much people are
able to do in their roles. This can quickly shut down innovation, and is definitely not
encouraged for companies who are chasing ambitious goals and quick growth.

Leadership Style Assessment

Leaders can carry a mix of the above leadership styles depending on their industry and
the obstacles they face. At the root of these styles, according to leadership experts Bill
Torbert and David Rooke, are what are called "action logics."

These action logics assess "how [leaders] interpret their surroundings and react when
their power or safety is challenged."

That's the idea behind a popular management survey tool called the Leadership
Development Profile. Created by professor Torbert and psychologist Susanne Cook-
Greuter -- and featured in the book, Personal and Organizational
Transformations -- the survey relies on a set of 36 open-ended sentence completion
tasks to help researchers better understand how leaders develop and grow.

Below, we've outlined six action logics using open-ended sentences that help describe
each one. See how much you agree with each sentence and, at the bottom, find out
which leadership style you uphold based on the action logics you most agreed with.

1. Individualist

The individualist, according to Rooke and Tolbert, is self-aware, creative, and

primarily focused on their own actions and development as opposed to overall
organizational performance. This action logic is exceptionally driven by the desire to
exceed personal goals and constantly improve their skills.

Here are some things an individualist might say:

I1. "A good leader should always trust their own intuition over established
organizational processes."
I2. "It's important to be able to relate to others so I can easily communicate complex
ideas to them."
I3. "I'm more comfortable with progress than sustained success."
2. Strategist

Strategists are acutely aware of the environments in which they operate. They have a
deep understanding of the structures and processes that make their businesses tick, but
they're also able to consider these frameworks critically and evaluate what could be
improved.

Here are some things a strategist might say:

S1. "A good leader should always be able to build a consensus in divided groups."
S2. "It's important to help develop the organization as a whole, as well as the growth
and individual achievements of my direct reports."
S3. "Conflict is inevitable, but I'm knowledgeable enough about my team's personal
and professional relationships to handle the friction."
3. Alchemist

Rooke and Tolbert describe this charismatic action logic as the most highly evolved
and effective at managing organizational change. What distinguishes alchemists from
other action logics is their unique ability to see the big picture in everything, but also
fully understand the need to take details seriously. Under an alchemist leader, no
department or employee is overlooked.

Here are some things an alchemist might say:

A1. "A good leader helps their employees reach their highest potential, and possesses
the necessary empathy and moral awareness to get there."
A2. "It's important to make a profound and positive impact on whatever I'm working
on."
A3. "I have a unique ability to balance short-term needs and long-term goals."
4. Opportunist

Opportunist are guided by a certain level of mistrust of others, relying on a facade of

control to keep their employees in line. "Opportunists tend to regard their bad
behavior as legitimate in the cut and thrust of an eye-for-an-eye world," Rooke and
Tolbert write.
Here are some things an opportunist might say:

O1. "A good leader should always view others as potential competition to be bested,
even if it's at the expense of their professional development."
O2. "I reserve the right to reject the input of those who question or criticize my
ideas."
5. Diplomat

Unlike the opportunist, the diplomat isn't concerned with competition or assuming
control over situations. Instead, this action logic seeks to cause minimal impact on
their organization by conforming to existing norms and completing their daily tasks
with as little friction as possible.

Here are some things a diplomat might say:

D1. "A good leader should always resist change since it risks causing instability
among their direct reports."
D2. "It's important to provide the 'social glue' in team situations, safely away from
conflict."
D3. "I tend to thrive in more team-oriented or supporting leadership roles."
6. Expert

The expert is a pro in their given field, constantly striving to perfect their knowledge
of a subject and perform to meet their own high expectations. Rooke and Tolbert
describe the expert as a talented individual contributor and a source of knowledge for
the team. But this action logic does lack something central to many good
leaders: emotional intelligence.

Here are some things a diplomat might say:

E1. "A good leader should prioritize their own pursuit of knowledge over the needs of
the organization and their direct reports."
E2. "When problem solving with others in the company, my opinion tends to be the
correct one."
Which Leader Are You?

So, which action logics above felt like you? Think about each sentence for a
moment ... now, check out which of the seven leadership styles you embrace on the
right based on the sentences you resonated with on the left.
ACTION LOGIC SENTENCE LEADERSHIP STYLE
S3 Democratic
O1, O2, E1, E2 Autocratic
D2, D3, E1 Laissez-Faire
S1, S2, A3 Strategic
I1, I2, I3, A1, A2 Transformational
D3 Transactional
D1 Bureaucratic

The more action logics you agreed with, the more likely you practice a mix of
leadership styles.

For example, if you agreed with everything the strategist said -- denoted S1, S2, and
S3 -- this would make you a 66% strategic leader and 33% democratic leader. If you
agreed with just S3, but also everything the alchemist said, this would make you a
50% transformational, 25% strategic, and 25% democratic leader.

Keep in mind that these action logics are considered developmental stages, not fixed
attributes -- most leaders will progress through multiple types of leadership
throughout their careers.
 

Originally published Feb 7, 2020 9:13:00 PM, updated February 11 2020

Topics:
Leadership
 Don't forget to share this post!
Related Articles

5 Things I Learned About Product (and People) Management This Year

MARKETING   | 5 MIN READ
What Exactly is a Company's CMO?
MARKETING   | 2 MIN READ
 10 Lessons In Leadership From Don Corleone
MARKETING   | 2 MIN READ
 Increase Your Traffic
 Connect With Leads
 Close and Manage Leads
 Support and Tools
Contact HubSpot Support
 Facebook
 
 Instagram
 
 Youtube
 
 Twitter
 
 Linkedin
 
 Medium
English

 Deutsch
 日本語
 Español
 Português
 Français
Error! Filename not specified.Error! Filename not specified.
Error! Filename not specified.

Copyright © 2020 HubSpot, Inc.

 Legal Stuff
 
 Privacy Policy
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/leadership-styles
COVID-19 ResourcesFinding a JobResumes & Cover LettersInterviewingStarting a New JobResume SamplesCover
Letter SamplesPay & SalaryCareer DevelopmentCareer Paths

Career Guide / Career Development / 10 Common Leadership Styles

CAREER DEVELOPMENT

10 Common Leadership Styles

March 5, 2020

At some point in your career, you may take on a leadership role in some capacity.
Whether you’re leading a meeting, a project, a team or an entire department, you might
consider identifying with or adopting a defined leadership style.

Most professionals develop their own style of leadership based on factors like
experience and personality, as well as the unique needs of their company and its
organizational culture. While every leader is different, there are 10 leadership styles
commonly used in the workplace.

Easily apply to jobs with an Indeed Resume

Create your resume
Why are leadership styles important?
As you develop leadership skills, you’ll likely use different processes and methods to
achieve your employer’s objectives and meet the needs of the employees who report to
you. To be effective as a manager, you might use several different leadership styles at
any given time.

By taking the time to familiarize yourself with each of these types of leadership, you
might recognize certain areas to improve upon or expand your own leadership style.
You can also identify other ways to lead that might better serve your current goals and
understand how to work with managers who follow a different style than your own.

Here are 10 common leadership styles:

1. Coach
A coaching leader is someone who can quickly recognize their team members’
strengths, weaknesses and motivations to help each individual improve. This type of
leader often assists team members in setting smart goals and then provides regular
feedback with challenging projects to promote growth. They’re skilled in setting clear
expectations and creating a positive, motivating environment.

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 underutilized
styles—largely because it can be more time-intensive than other types of leadership.

Example: A sales manager gathers their team of account executives for a meeting to
discuss learnings from the previous quarter. They start the meeting by completing an
assessment together of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats regarding the
team’s performance. The manager then recognizes specific team members for
exceptional performance and goes over the goals achieved by the team. Finally, the
manager closes the meeting by announcing a contest to start the next quarter,
motivating the salespeople to reach their goals.

2. Visionary
Visionary leaders have a powerful ability to drive progress and usher in periods of
change by inspiring employees and earning trust for new ideas. A visionary leader is
also able to establish a strong organizational bond. They strive to foster confidence
among direct reports and colleagues alike.

This type of leadership is especially helpful for small, fast-growing organizations, or

larger organizations experiencing transformations or corporate restructuring.

Example: A teacher starts a group at work for colleagues who want to help resolve
anxieties and issues students have outside of school. The goal is to help students better
focus on and succeed at school. He has developed testing methods so they can find
meaningful ways to help students in a quick, efficient way.
Related: How to Demonstrate Leadership Skills at Work

3. Servant
Servant leaders live by a people-first mindset and believe that when team members feel
personally and professionally fulfilled, they’re more effective and more likely to produce
great work regularly. Because of their emphasis on employee satisfaction and
collaboration, they tend to achieve higher levels of respect.

A servant leader is an excellent leadership style for organizations of any industry and
size but is especially prevalent within nonprofits. These types of leaders are
exceptionally skilled in building employee morale and helping people re-engage with
their work.

Example: A product manager hosts monthly one-on-one coffee meetings with everyone
that has concerns, questions or thoughts about improving or using the product. This
time is meant for her to address the needs of and help those who are using the product
in any capacity.

4. Autocratic
Also called the authoritarian style of leadership, this type of leader is someone who is
focused almost entirely on results and efficiency. They often make decisions alone or
with a small, trusted group and expect employees to do exactly what they’re asked. It
can be helpful to think of these types of leaders as military commanders.

This leadership style can be useful in organizations with strict guidelines or compliance-
heavy industries. It can also be beneficial when used with employees who need a great
deal of supervision—such as those with little to no experience. However, this leadership
style can stifle creativity and make employees feel confined.

Example: Before an operation, the surgeon carefully recounts the rules and processes
of the operation room with every team member who will be helping during the surgery.
She wants to ensure everyone is clear on the expectations and follows each procedure
carefully and exactly so the surgery goes as smoothly as possible.

5. Laissez-faire or hands-off
This leadership style is the opposite of the autocratic leadership type, focusing mostly
on delegating many tasks to team members and providing little to no supervision.
Because a laissez-faire leader does not spend their time intensely managing
employees, they often have more time to dedicate to other projects.

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.
Example: When welcoming new employees, Keisha explains that her engineers can set
and maintain their own work schedules as long as they are tracking towards and hitting
goals that they set together as a team. They are also free to learn about and participate
in projects outside of their team they might be interested in.

Read more: Laissez Faire Leadership: Definition, Tips and Examples

6. Democratic
The democratic leadership style (also called the participative style) is a combination of
the autocratic and laissez-faire types of leaders. A democratic leader is someone who
asks for input and considers feedback from their team before making a decision.
Because team members feel their voice is heard and their contributions matter, a
democratic leadership style is often credited with fostering higher levels of employee
engagement and workplace satisfaction.

Because this type of leadership drives discussion and participation, it’s an excellent
style for organizations focused on creativity and innovation—such as the technology
industry.

Example: As a store manager, Jack has hired many brilliant and focused team
members he trusts. When deciding on storefronts and floor design, Jack acts only as
the final moderator for his team to move forward with their ideas. He is there to answer
questions and present possible improvements for his team to consider.

7. Pacesetter
The pacesetting leadership style is one of the most effective for driving fast results.
These leaders are primarily focused on performance. They often set high standards and
hold their team members accountable for hitting their goals.

While the pacesetting leadership style is motivational and helpful in fast-paced

environments where team members need to be energized, it’s not always the best
option for team members who need mentorship and feedback.

Example: The leader of a weekly meeting recognized that an hour out of everyone’s

schedule once a week did not justify the purpose of the meeting. To increase efficiency,
she changed the meeting to a 15-minute standup with only those she had updates for.

8. Transformational
The transformational leadership style is similar to the coach style in that it focuses on
clear communication, goal-setting and employee motivation. However, instead of
placing the majority of the energy into each employee’s individual goals, the
transformational leader is driven by a commitment to organization objectives.

Because these types of leaders spend much of their time on the big picture, this style of
leading is best for teams that can handle many delegated tasks without constant
supervision.
Example: Reyna is hired to lead a marketing department. The CEO asks her to set new
goals and organize teams to reach those objectives. She spends the first months in her
new role getting to know the company and the marketing employees. She gains a
strong understanding of current trends and organizational strengths. After three months,
she has set clear targets for each of the teams that report to her and asked individuals
to set goals for themselves that align with those.

Related: What Does Leadership Mean?

9. Transactional
A transactional leader is someone who is laser-focused on performance, similar to a
pacesetter. Under this leadership style, the manager establishes predetermined
incentives—usually in the form of monetary reward for success and disciplinary action
for failure. Unlike the pacesetter leadership style, though, transactional leaders are also
focused on mentorship, instruction and training to achieve goals and enjoy the rewards.

While this type of leader is great for organizations or teams tasked with hitting specific
goals, such as sales and revenue, it’s not the best leadership style for driving creativity.

Example: A bank branch manager meets with each member of the team bi-weekly to
discuss ways they can meet and exceed monthly company goals to get their bonus.
Each of the top 10 performers in the district receives a monetary reward.

10. Bureaucratic
Bureaucratic leaders are similar to autocratic leaders in that they expect their team
members to follow the rules and procedures precisely as written.

The bureaucratic leadership style focuses on fixed duties within a hierarchy where each
employee has a set list of responsibilities, and there is little need for collaboration and
creativity. This leadership style is most effective in highly regulated industries or
departments, such as finance, healthcare or government.

Example: Managers at a Department of Motor Vehicles office instruct their employees

to work within a specific, defined framework. They must take many steps to complete a
task with strict order and rules.

Remember, most leaders borrow from a variety of styles to achieve various goals at
different times in their careers. While you may have excelled in a role using one type of
leadership, another position may require a different set of habits to ensure your team is
operating most effectively.

By understanding each of these leadership types, and the outcomes they’re designed to
achieve, you can select the right leadership style for your current situation.

Related: 7 Types of Workplace Management Theories

Related Articles
View More 

Setting Goals to Improve Your Career

Setting goals can help you gain both short and long term achievements. You can set
professional and personal goals to improve your career.
Learning Styles for Career Development
Do you know the three types of learning styles? Here’s how to identify which style works
best for you, and why it’s important for your career development.

Active Listening Skills: Definition and Examples

What is active listening, why is it important and how can you improve this critical skill?
These useful active listening examples will help address these questions and more.

The information on this site is provided as a courtesy. Indeed is not a career or legal advisor and does
not guarantee job interviews or offers.

Explore Indeed
Find Jobs

Post Resume

Browse Articles

Browse Career Paths

Company Reviews
Salaries

Resources
Help Center

Contact Us

About

Follow us
Cookies, Privacy and Terms | © 2020 Indeed

Do Not Sell My Personal Information

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/10-common-leadership-styles