When it comes to business leadership, whether it’s a department or an entire company, there are a variety of different management skills that researchers have found and defined. If you take the time to get to know your leadership styles, then you will be able to use them to your advantage in the future.
Democratic: Much like the title suggests, a democratic leader is one who is a figurehead for a group that makes decisions and sets goals as a team. This leadership style is great in highly experienced groups that value the ability to add input where they see fit. Be sure to still assert yourself as the leader from time to time, so that the balance of power isn’t constantly shifting.
Commanding: Like a drill sergeant shouting orders on the front lines, a commanding leadership style is frequently used, but rarely as effective as other styles. Remember, you’re managing a team, not commanding an army. If you tend towards a commanding style, always be mindful to provide positive feedback along with criticism.
Coaching: If you enjoy on-on-one interaction with your employees and training them from the ground up, then your leadership style is probably coaching. The upside is that you work closely and hard with your team to train them with the knowledge they need. The downside is that you may be seen as a micromanager and the training may take up a lot of your free time. A coaching style is perfect when you’ve hired a new staff member or are working with entry level employees.
Visionary: This is the business leader with a vision. They inspire their team to work towards a new, common goal. The downside is that this leadership style does not focus on how to achieve the goal. The upside is that it allows their coworkers to think freely and creatively. If you are visionary type leader, make sure you work with people you trust and that they help you develop a plan of action to achieve your goals.
Affiliative: An affiliative leader is the first one to say, “Go team!” rather than point out one individual. This is a great leadership style for creating a healthy group dynamic, but be warned, by only focusing on the group, individuals not carrying their weight can slip through the cracks. An affliative leader is someone you want to use when it takes an entire group to get a project done on time but, make sure that each person is still held accountable for their own work.
Pacesetting: If you are at your desk from 7 am to 7 pm, working your behind off, and you expect nothing less from your employees, then you’re likely a pacesetter. Because of your readiness to lead by example, people will likely be more motivated to work for you. However, constantly demanding the same performance from someone who may not be able to give that level all the time can demotivate some employees. Make sure your team isn’t afraid of a lot of hard work.
