Drawing
on research and experience, Goleman has identified six distinct
leadership styles that managers can adapt, depending on the situations
and the needs of their team members. He first introduced these styles in
his 2000
Harvard Business Review article, “
Leadership That Gets Results,”
and they have since been widely recognized as an essential framework
for effective leadership. The six leadership styles include:
- Coercive leadership style, which entails demanding immediate compliance.
- Authoritative leadership style, which is about mobilizing people toward a vision.
- Pacesetting leadership style, which involves expecting excellence and self-direction.
- Affiliative leadership style, which centers around building emotional bonds.
- Democratic leadership style, which involves creating consensus.
- Coaching leadership style, which focuses on developing people for the future.
Though the
world has changed
over the past two decades, these leadership styles remain relevant.
Mastering them will help you navigate the complexities of different
situations, boost morale, and drive your team’s long-term growth.
With
that in mind, here’s a closer look at each of the six leadership styles
— and when to use them — updated for today’s business landscape.
The Six Types of Leadership Styles
1. Coercive leadership style
Of
all the leadership styles, coercive is the least effective in most
situations, according to Goleman. It’s not difficult to understand why.
This style is characterized by top-down decision making,
an authoritarian approach,
and a demanding, do-what-I-say attitude, he says. While this style may
yield short-term results, it has a corrosive long-term impact on the
company culture, leading to high employee turnover and a disillusioned,
disengaged workforce.
When to use the coercive leadership style
This
command-and-control leadership style may work in certain crisis
situations where swift, decisive action and a clear chain of command are
needed: a corporate takeover or in an emergency room, for instance. In
most cases, though, this approach is likely to be detrimental, says
Goleman.
2. Authoritative leadership style
The
authoritative leadership style, not to be confused with authoritarian
leadership, involves motivating your team members by connecting their
work to a larger organizational strategy, helping them understand how
their day-to-day tasks contribute to a greater purpose. It’s about
setting clear guidelines; not micromanaging. It’s also about trusting
your staff members to work towards the shared vision with autonomy and
creativity, which creates high employee engagement and increased job
satisfaction. If coercive is the worst kind of leadership, authoritative
shines as the most
effective and inspiring style.
When to use the authoritative leadership style
This
leadership style is beneficial in lots of situations, and it’s
particularly useful during times of change or uncertainty. It can also
be integrated into daily operations by
reminding your team members of your company’s mission
in an organic way. For example, a pharmaceutical executive might say,
“Our work will benefit many patients,” while an insurance leader might
say, “We’re helping people secure their future.” These reminders make
the organization’s goals and mission tangible and meaningful for the
team.
3. Pacesetting leadership style
This leadership style involves holding yourself and others to high standards. While striving for excellence is admirable, the
pacesetting approach backfires
if the focus is on failures rather than successes. The constant push
for productivity and results can also create a pressure-cooker work
environment, says Goleman.
The
extreme focus on perfection can also make it difficult for employees to
see how their individual efforts fit into the bigger picture, which can
lead to increased turnover. “If your best people are leaving because
you’re alienating them or stressing them out, then you’re not acting in
the long-term interests of your organization,” he says.
When to use the pacesetting leadership style
Although
this style should be used infrequently, it can work in certain
circumstances where your employees are highly motivated and exceedingly
competent. It may suit specialized groups, like R&D or legal teams,
for instance. But even in these cases, it’s important to balance
pacesetting with other approaches to avoid consequences like employee
burnout.
4. Affiliative leadership style
This
leadership style involves building strong emotional bonds, creating a
sense of camaraderie and team spirit, and fostering a
positive and supportive workplace. This helps team members feel like they belong, can freely share ideas and feedback, and work together towards common goals.
According
to Goleman, this relationship-oriented style is especially valuable in
shaping a positive work environment, which is particularly important at a
time when some companies are
calling employees back to the office.
You can create a caring, cohesive community rather than an
administrative machine by getting to know your employees on a personal
level and celebrating their wins, he says.
When to use the affiliative leadership style
This
style builds connections and creates a positive company culture, but it
should not be used in isolation. It may not provide sufficient feedback
to address performance issues or deal with complex challenges.
Combining this approach with the inspirational, authoritative style
creates more balance by offering both support and direction.
5. Democratic leadership style
The democratic leadership style involves empowering your team to have a voice in decision-making. By taking the
time to gather input,
listen to concerns and diverse perspectives, and incorporate feedback,
you show your team members that their opinions matter, their voices are
heard, and their contributions are valued. This gives them a sense of
ownership and responsibility.
When to use the democratic leadership style
This style is ideal when you’re
unsure about the best course of action
and want to generate ideas. But it’s not a good strategy when your team
members lack experience or information, or in times of crisis.
6. Coaching leadership style
The
coaching style is focused on individual growth,
and involves dedicating time to understand your team members’ long-term
goals, both for their personal and professional development. “Asking
questions like, ‘What do you want from your life, your career, this job?
And, how can I help you?’ encourages your employees to reflect on their
aspirations and work towards achieving them,” says Goleman. By taking a
genuine interest in their development, you help your employees feel
valued and motivated.
When to use the coaching leadership style
This
style is especially useful during one-on-one performance evaluations,
but you can also slip it into everyday conversations, he says. A leader
in coach-mode might say, “You’re great at XYZ, but when you do ABC, it
doesn’t work as well because of these reasons. Have you considered
trying this other approach instead?” This real-time feedback helps
employees grow and learn, rather than letting potential problems linger.
How to Adapt Your Leadership Style to Fit the Situation You’re In
Research suggests that the most effective leaders
adapt their style to different circumstances —
be it a change in setting, a shift in organizational dynamics, or a
turn in the business cycle. That’s why you need to stay attuned to your
environment, understand your impact on others, and adjust your approach
accordingly.
As Goleman
writes
in his 2000 article, “The most effective leaders switch flexibly among
the leadership styles as needed…[They] don’t mechanically match their
style to fit a checklist of situations — they are far more fluid. They
are exquisitely sensitive to the impact they are having on others and
seamlessly adjust their style to get the best results.”
This
is how switching styles looks in real life: When launching a new
project, you would use an authoritative style where clear direction and a
compelling vision are needed to bring the team together and inspire
people toward a common goal. You would switch to a coaching style when
an employee is struggling with a certain task and you need to help them
learn a new skill. And you would employ a pacesetting style when your
team of driven and experienced employees needs to meet a challenging
deadline.
But what if you feel like you’re not equipped to take on a new and different leadership style — let alone more than one?
Goleman
says that anyone can expand their range of leadership styles through
dedicated practice and repetition. He also recommends focusing on
growing your emotional intelligence,
“To expand [their style repertories], leaders must first understand
which emotional intelligence competencies underlie the leadership styles
they are lacking,” he writes in his 2000 HBR article. “They can then
work assiduously to increase their quotient of them. For instance, an
affiliative leader has strengths in three emotional intelligence
competencies: in empathy, in building relationships, and in
communication… Such advice about adding capabilities may seem simplistic
— ‘Go change yourself’ — but enhancing emotional intelligence is
entirely possible with practice.”
. . .
The
good news is that personality is not destiny. Even if you’re naturally
introverted or you tend to be driven by data and analysis rather than
emotion, you can still learn how to adapt different leadership styles to
organize, motivate, and direct your team.
“A
leader’s success depends on the productivity and effectiveness of the
people who work for them,” Goleman says. “You’re shooting yourself in
the foot if you use a style of leadership that’s counterproductive to
their performance.”
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