What Type of Leader Are You?

Leadership is a hot topic on all sorts of business websites and in business magazines, so I thought that today I’d do something a little different and talk a bit about the different ways of leading. There are good leaders and bad leaders, but leadership can also be broken down into sub-categories – and some of those leadership types are better for certain situations than for others!

This infographic from Headway Capital includes a quiz that will let you know what type of leader you are. Not only that, but it also talks about when each of those styles is the best fit, when it is the worst fit, and how you can improve.  After all, if you want your business to be as successful and productive as it can possibly be, you need to be able to properly motivate, guide, and support your team. With that in mind, check out the infographic, take the quiz, and figure out your leadership style.

The 6 Leadership Styles

Pace-Setting Leader

The Pace-Setting Leader expects their team to live up to the standards that they set not only for the team but also for themselves. They show the team what is expected through their own behavior.

This style of leadership works well when you have a highly motivated and skilled team behind you, but doesn’t work well with every type of employee. It can lead to micromanaging, which can cause low morale.

How to improve: Work on building up your people-centered leadership skills. Ask questions, listen to answers, and give people more autonomy when it comes to choices regarding their long-term growth.

Commanding Leader

You say “jump”, you expect them to say “how high?”

This style of leadership can work well in a crisis situation or with very problematic employees, but in all other situations it can lead to high staff turnover – and that’s no good.

How to improve: Save this style for crisis situations only. In the meantime, work on developing a different style of leadership, like Coach or Visionary.

Visionary Leader

The Visionary Leader is patient and lets their team find their own way of doing things, based on a clear vision communicated to them. Visionary leaders get results through inspiring their team.

This style of leadership can work well when steering a company in a brand new direction. It can help boost productivity by helping employees to see themselves as parts of a bigger picture. If the vision doesn’t match reality, however, that boost can quickly grind to a halt.

How to improve: Make sure that your vision is easy to understand. Use stories and metaphors to share it, and make sure that the benefits are made clear.

Democratic Leader

Democratic Leaders work closely with their teams and often bring them into the decision-making process. They value results but understand that they can take time.

This style of leadership can work well in that sharing decision-making with your team can get them better engaged in both the results and the process. This style of leadership is less effective if team members aren’t informed enough to make the best decisions.

How to improve: Hire and coach an effective decision-making team. Ensure that you and your team develop effective speaking and listening skills, and value honesty and commitment.

Affiliative Leader

Affiliative Leaders work closely with their teams, and support and nurture them. They provide positive reinforcement and value loyal relationships.

This style of leadership can work well when organizations are undergoing a negative change or a team is suffering low morale. Affiliative leadership at these points can help to build team bonds and reinforce loyalty. Using only positive reinforcement, however, can demotivate employees to work on actively improving their performance.

How to improve: Affiliative Leaders need to be a little more Visionary – their friendly style pairs very well with a clear vision that drives outcomes.

Coaching Leader

Coaching Leaders challenge their employees to continually improve, supporting their efforts and often using structured development plans.

This style of leadership encourages employees to improve themselves and take responsibility for their professional development, which is great. But if your project requires quick results, coaching isn’t the best style to use.

How to improve: If you need fast results or an employee isn’t committed, then you need to try another style.

Your Results:

What’s your leadership style? Do you think that it reflects the way that you lead your team?  Let me know in the comments!