6 Of the most universal leadership styles and how to discover yours

Being a good leader is not easy. Understanding different leadership styles can help you determine which one is optimal for both you and your organization. This article will tell you what a leadership style is and give you some examples of the most common types.

We’ll cover these topics:

• What is a leadership style?

• Why is your leadership style important?

• 6 common types of leadership styles

• How to figure out what your leadership style is

What is a leadership style?

Leadership is more than just supervising and managing people. Leadership is about motivating people to work towards a common objective without exerting direct control over them. The way you do these things defines your style of leadership. So, what makes up a leadership style? 

There is a combination of things that affect your leadership style. It’s primarily determined by your traits and abilities, such as professional background and experiences, personal values, skill sets, and even your personality and appearance. All these things impact the way you deliver your leadership. However, how you actually perform as a leader of others is a choice. There are many well-established methods or styles for leading groups, and we’ll cover some of the more popular styles.

Why is your leadership style important?

You may be thinking, what difference does it make what leadership style I have? All leadership styles can be effective when executed well and applied appropriately for an organization. There is no right or wrong way to be a leader. That being said, based on your personality and professional background, some leadership styles will work better than others.

Specific leadership styles also tend to be more effective in particular organizational environments. If you use a leadership style that does not suit your background or personality, then you’re probably going to have problems. Similarly, if you try to force a certain style of leadership at a company that is not a good fit for that particular style, then you’ll fail to achieve success.

In the next section, we’ll cover six different leadership styles, discuss some examples, examine the benefits and downsides, as well as consider the types of organizations they work most effectively for.

6 Common types of leadership styles

1. Autocratic 

One common and well-known leadership style is autocratic. An autocratic leader makes all the decisions and often doesn’t take advice or seek input for those decisions. This leadership style is usually based on the authority and power of the leader. They like to control everything and don’t like to hear dissent in the organization. 

Some examples of famous autocratic leaders are Elon Musk (CEO of Tesla), Jack Ma (Founder of Alibaba Group), Bill Gates (Former Microsoft CEO), and Steve Jobs (Former Apple CEO). 

An autocratic leadership style works well in very hierarchical top-down organizations and in businesses where fast decisions are required. However, autocratic leadership can  discourage creativity, lower staff morale, and create a high dependence on the leader.

2. Bureaucratic

Another style of management that is highly structured and formal is the bureaucratic management style. A bureaucratic manager is very dependent upon rules and a rigid hierarchy. They don’t deviate from the established norms and are less open to new ideas. 

Well-known examples of leaders with a bureaucratic management style are Steve Easterbrook (CEO of McDonald's), Collin Powell (former US Secretary of State), Winston Churchill (UK's PM during WWII), and Alfred Sloan (former CEO of GM). 

A bureaucratic management style is very suitable for military, government, and highly structured businesses (manufacturing and construction). The advantages of the bureaucratic style are that it creates a stable environment, work expectations are very clear, and they almost always have well-established processes and policies. Some disadvantages are that it often causes lower morale, discourages creativity, and the organization may struggle with changes in the industry or economy.

3. Coaching 

The coaching management style focuses on the employees instead of the leader. A leader with a coaching style succeeds by developing the skills of their employees. They spend most of their efforts on coaching and mentoring their teams to achieve success, overcome challenges, and grow professionally. 

Some famous examples are Satya Nadella (Microsoft CEO), John Wooden (legendary basketball coach), Dr. Marshall Goldsmith (former CEO of Best Buy), and Sara Blakely (founder of Spanx). 

Key benefits of a coaching style are that it can lead to a less stressful work environment for the employees and the employer because it empowers the employees to make decisions and get things done on their own. The boss is less stressed because the business doesn’t rely on them for all the decisions. On the negative side, this management style requires a lot of time and resources devoted to employee development. It can be problematic when large issues exist and quick actions are required.

4. Delegative

Another style of management that is geared towards the employees rather than the leader is the delegative management style, which is also referred to as laissez-faire leadership. As the name implies, the delegative leader delegates responsibility to others and leaves the day-to-day decision-making and operations to the employees. 

Examples of leaders that use the delegative or laissez-faire style of management are Warren Buffett (chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway), Paul Allen (co-founder of Microsoft), Andrew Mellon (American banker and businessman), and Robert Noyce (co-founder of Fairchild Semiconductor and Intel Corp.). 

The best things about a delegative management style are that it promotes independence for the employees and allows them to be more empowered and creative. Challenges of this style are that it can create a less team-oriented environment, causing employees to feel disconnected without a cohesive direction.

5. Democratic

The democratic management style relies on doing everything as a group. This style is dependent on teamwork and works best with a very collaborative group. It’s also known as participative leadership because it involves everyone working together in the decision-making process. 

Famous examples of people who had a democratic style of leadership are Nelson Mandela (former President of South Africa), Tim Cook (CEO of Apple), Muhtar Kent (CEO of Coca-Cola), and Larry Page (co-founder of Google). 

Positive aspects of a democratic style are that it encourages teamwork, motivates people, and fosters collaboration. The cons are that it can create a very slow decision-making process, it’s not the best in emergency situations, and it may not make the best use of resources.

6. Servant Leader

The servant leadership style of management is based on the idea that the leader is there to serve the company, its employees, and its customers. A servant leader is focused on the betterment of the team and places the needs of the organization above their own. 

Some well-known servant leaders are Jack Welch (former CEO of General Electric), Martin Luther King, Jr. (civil rights leader), Herb Kelleher (former CEO of Southwest Airlines), and Cheryl Bachelder (founder of Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen). 

The servant leader style of management is great for creating an environment that develops highly engaged and motivated employees. It also allows more effective communication and enables the organization to better deal with rapid changes. Being a servant leader is very difficult, and few people can execute this form of leadership well. The servant leadership management style can lead to a lack of direction and some employees may be given too much responsibility.

How to figure out what your leadership style is

What type of leader are you? This is very dependent upon your personality and how you like to work with others. Let’s look at the leadership styles that we defined above. We’ll tell you some of the characteristics that are most likely to make you a good fit for each:

• Autocratic. You are very independent and like to be in control. This is a good style for someone who is very disciplined and structured.

• Bureaucratic. You prefer to be very impartial. Working in a strict hierarchy is your preferred structure, and you love to have clearly defined rules and policies.

• Coaching. You love teaching people. You’re a natural mentor with good active listening skills. Encouraging people is your strong suit.

• Delegative. Autonomy is important to you. You prefer to manage things at a high level (no micromanaging) and you stress individual accountability.

• Democratic. Collaboration is your thing. You’re very inclusive, and you have outstanding mediation and negotiation skills.

• Servant leader. You’re very persuasive. Stewardship is critical to you. You have awesome awareness of yourself and others and can easily connect on an emotional level with people.

Just because your personality matches up with a particular management style doesn’t mean that you can’t use the other management styles. You should use a style that works best for your organization or company. If it’s a style that doesn’t necessarily go with your personality, you just need to be aware of this and make adjustments accordingly.

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Key takeaways 

1. There are lots of different management styles out there. There is no one right way to be a leader. 

2. Knowing which management style best fits your personality and your organization can help you be a successful leader.

3. Choose wisely, and lead your team and company to greatness!