The Six Common Leadership Styles

Leadership styles are classifications of how a person behaves while directing, guiding, motivating and managing groups of people. Some popular styles discussed below include Authoritarian, Transformational, Situational, Participative, Transactional and Servant.

Authoritarian / Autocratic / Coercive Leadership

This traditional management was revolutionary in its day, especially in the early 20^th century, but that does not mean it is extinct today. As the name suggests, it refers to the management principles that focus on strict hierarchical organization, do-what-I-say attitude and centralized decision-making, with little or no input from the rest of the group.  

While this style may yield short-term results, the long-term impact is that it does not guarantee a happy and loyal manager or worker. Abuse of this method is usually viewed as controlling and bossy.  It is also one of the most dysfunctional and least creative leadership styles in most situations.  

Transformational Leadership

Perceived as one of the most effective at bringing about lasting change, this leadership style can empower people to believe in a positive vision of the future, get inspired and create changes. Their focus is on helping members of the group support each other and provide them with the guidance and inspiration they need to work hard, perform well and stay loyal to the group.

The four characteristics:

• Transformational leaders encourage doing things differently and explore new opportunities to learn

• They foster supportive relationships, openness for communication and ideas sharing

• They create trust and become a role model for their followers

• Transformational leaders are able to articulate their visions to their followers and call for action

Situational Leadership

Situational leadership theory suggests that no single leadership style can fit all. Depending on the situation, the cues of the task, the nature of the group and other factors that might contribute to getting the job done, the most effective leaders need to tailor their approach to meet the needs of their team and members in each situation.

Developed by Hersey and Blanchard in 1969, this model describes four primary styles of leadership, including:

• Low maturity (M1) – Telling (S1)

• Medium maturity (M2) – Selling (S2)

• Medium maturity (M3) – Participating (S3)

• High maturity (M4) – Delegating (S4)

Participative / Democratic Leadership

Together with transformational leadership, this leadership style is also one of the most effective types and encourages group members to participate, discuss and exchange ideas freely. Although democratic leaders will make final decisions, he or she will invite other members of the team to contribute to the decision-making process. Not only will it lead to higher job satisfaction, but it also helps to develop people’s skills and increase group morale.

This approach works best when teamwork is essential, and quality of work is more important than speed. The challenge of this leadership style is that in situations where a decision needs to be made quickly or mistakes are not tolerated or some members of the group may not have the expertise, visibility and knowledge to weigh on important matters in a helpful way, this tactic may not work efficiently.

Transactional leadership

If a transformational leader is believed to increase the follower’s intrinsic motivation through the expression of the value of the leader’s goals, transactional leadership focuses more on extrinsic motivation and contingent reward which are reinforced by the leaders once the followers meet specific goals or performance criteria.

The advantage of this type of leadership is that leaders motivate people with things that might matter to them such as money or recognition. However, it may encourage employees to work towards short-term goals, sometimes taking a shortcut to get those rewards. This helps explain why the subordinates under transactional leaders do not necessarily think innovatively or strive beyond expectations unless they are required and compensated with perks and incentives.

Servant leadership

Developed by Robert K. Greenleaf in 1970, the servant leadership model displays characteristics such as strong listening skills, empathy, self-awareness and the desire to create a healthy work environment. It all begins with a natural feeling that one wants to serve for the benefit of all.

With a selfless servant leadership type, a leader focuses on the needs of others, especially for team members’ well-being and long-term growth, before considering their own needs. Along with higher engagement, this approach will lead to more trust and stronger relationships as people feel being heard and their concerns are well taken off.

References:

Asana n.d., ‘Servant Leadership: A Guide for Leaders’, Asana, available at <https://asana.com/resources/servant-leadership>.

Center for Leadership Studies n.d., ‘Situational Leadership® | What Is Situational Leadership®’, Center for Leadership Studies, available at <https://situational.com/situational-leadership/>.

Cherry, K 2023, ‘Leadership Styles: Overview and Examples’, Verywell Mind, available at < https://www.verywellmind.com/leadership-styles-2795312>.

Cherry, K 2023, ‘What Is Transformational Leadership?’, Verywell Mind, available at <https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-transformational-leadership-2795313>.

Cherry, K 2023, ‘What Is the Situational Theory of Leadership?’, Verywell Mind, available at < https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-situational-theory-of-leadership-2795321>.

Cherry, K 2023, ‘What Is Democratic Leadership?’, Verywell Mind, available at <https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-democratic-leadership-2795315>.

Gallo, A 2024, ‘6 Common Leadership Styles and How to Decide Which to Use When’, Harvard Business Review, available at <https://hbr.org/2024/04/6-common-leadership-styles-and-how-to-decide-which-to-use-when>.

Leaders.com n.d., ‘Transformational Leadership’, Leaders, available at <https://leaders.com/articles/leadership/transformational-leadership/>.

National Society of Leadership and Success n.d., ‘Key Characteristics of Democratic Leadership’, National Society of Leadership and Success, available at <https://www.nsls.org/blog/key-characteristics-of-democratic-leadership>.

Positive Psychology n.d., ‘Leadership Styles: A Comprehensive Guide’, Positive Psychology, available at <https://positivepsychology.com/leadership-styles/>.

Peltier, J.W, Schibrowsky, J.A and Zhao, Y 2007, ‘Examining the impact of transformational leadership on followers’ attitudes towards their work’, National Center for Biotechnology Information, available at <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1876730/>.

Van Zyl, D n.d., ‘The Death of Traditional Management: Analyzing the Shift’, Dionne Van Zyl, available at < https://dionnevanzyl.com/the-death-of-traditional-management-analyzing-the-shift/>.

WGU 2021, ‘Charismatic Leadership: What It Is and Why It Matters’, WGU, available at < https://www.wgu.edu/blog/charismatic-leadership2103.html>.