We would like to be able to give you a fool-proof, magical formula that could turn you into an ultimate leader. Unfortunately, that does not exist.
You probably know many different leaders with their own distinct personalities and leadership styles. What works for one leader is not necessarily effective for another. There are so many varying circumstances within different businesses and different teams of people, that great leadership techniques are hard to pinpoint.
However, after analysing close to 4,000 executives, Harvard researchers concluded that there are six distinct leadership styles used by managers. These generally come from differences in emotional intelligence and you are likely to recognise some, if not all of them:
1. The Authoritative Leader – Mobilising people towards a vision
2. The Affiliative Leader – Creating emotional bonds and harmony
3. The Democratic Leader – Building consensus through participation
4. The Coaching Leader – Developing people for the future
5. The Pacesetting Leader – Expecting excellence and self-direction
6. The Coercive Leader – Demanding immediate compliance
You may see your own style in one or more of those listed above, or you may be thinking I use all of those techniques. Well, that’s great because what the researchers actually discovered is that top performers rotate through many different management styles during their week.
When you are managing a team of people, you’re always going to encounter new leadership challenges. When your preferred style is not working as well as you would like it to, it’s definitely worth giving another style a try. Use your emotional intelligence to determine what will work well with each person or group of people that you are managing.
The infographic below highlights how each of the 6 distinct leadership styles can be used to motivate your team:
Source: Business-Management-Degree.net
What’s your preferred leadership style? Do you think that one of the six is more effective than the rest? Leave us a comment below and let us know your thoughts.
