From our editorial team to our readers:
It’s important that you keep in mind that, in the various topics we address week after week, we will always contribute our part to make reading the contributions of experts in each field more engaging.
Specifically, regarding today’s topic, about what can be a reflection of your leadership style—as we say in the title, «the way you drive your car is a reflection of your leadership style»—leadership as a discipline can be considered a fairly flexible principle, as it is not a rigid formula or a set of immutable rules, but rather a dynamic process of influence that must constantly adapt to circumstances.
When we face rigid leadership, it is the most direct way for this characteristic to lead the leader directly to failure, while flexibility allows the leader to be effective in a wide variety of scenarios. And today, the combination of change and the ability to respond to challenges and problems makes this type of flexibility prevail in the way we lead. A generation of current leaders are forced to understand human aspects much more, be empathetic, motivating, and especially sensitive to the concerns of their staff.
It should be noted that this change is due to certain main reasons that explain this flexibility, such as:
- The context
- The diverse situations that arise
Leadership is not the same in all situations. A style that works at one time can be disastrous at another.
- The leader must encourage creativity, listen to everyone, and create a safe space for ideas to emerge.
- In a long-term project with an experienced team: delegative or «laissez-faire» leadership can be ideal, as it empowers the team and relies on their experience.
- Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Leadership theory is based precisely on this idea: the leader must adapt their style (directing, persuading, participating, or delegating) according to the team’s level of maturity and competence.
Therefore, we must not lose sight of the essence of people management because teams are different; each person and each team has different needs, skills, and motivations. A flexible leader understands this and adjusts their approach.
- We must not forget the essential point of this subject: that there is no single leadership style.
Management history and theory have identified multiple leadership styles, which demonstrates that there is no single way to be a good leader. A flexible leader does not stick to a single style, but rather knows how to combine elements of several:
Autocratic leadership: makes unilateral decisions.
Democratic leadership: involves the team in decision-making.
Laissez-Faire leadership: delegates and gives complete freedom.
Transformational leadership: inspires and motivates through a shared vision.
Transactional leadership: relies on a system of rewards and punishments.
Servant leadership: puts the team’s needs first.
Therefore, the most effective leader is one who has a broad repertoire and knows which tool to use at the right time.
The 6 Most Common Leadership Styles and How to Find Yours
This contribution corresponds to the portal of Lausanne – International Institute for Management Development, Switzerland.
We are an independent academic institution with close ties to the business world and a strong focus on impact. Through our Executive Education, MBA, Executive MBA, and consulting programs, we help leaders and policymakers navigate complexity and change.
We support the transition to a new model that balances prosperity and growth with ecological sustainability and social inclusion. Sustainability, diversity, equity, and inclusion are in our DNA.
We combine a deep understanding of human dynamics with a pioneering approach to technology and AI. We offer effective learning experiences for individuals and teams around the world.
Leadership itself is a fairly flexible principle.
Generally, most leaders adapt their leadership styles to their situation.
This is especially true the longer they lead.
They adapt their leadership style as they learn and interact with their employees.
To become a more successful leader, leaders must understand their current leadership style.
In this article, we will answer the question «what is a leadership style?» and analyze six of the most common leadership styles and their effectiveness.
The six most common leadership styles are:
Transformational Leadership
Delegative Leadership
Authoritarian Leadership
Transactional Leadership
Participative Leadership
Servant Leadership
What is a leadership style?
A leadership style refers to a leader’s methods, characteristics, and behaviors when leading, motivating, and managing their teams.
A leader’s style is defined by various factors, such as personality, values, skills, and experiences, and can have a significant impact on their leadership effectiveness.
Understanding your leadership style is crucial, as it influences every aspect of your leadership, from daily interactions with team members to crucial decision-making moments. Research consistently shows that leaders who know their style and can articulate their approach are more effective at building trust, driving performance, and creating positive organizational cultures.
Strategies, Plans, and Change
A leadership style also determines how leaders develop their strategy, implement plans, and respond to change, while managing stakeholder expectations and the well-being of their team.
It affects how they communicate expectations, provide feedback, manage conflict, and inspire others to achieve common goals.
Leadership style also influences how they delegate responsibilities, make decisions under pressure, and adapt to different team dynamics and organizational contexts.
In many cases, leaders express a wide range of leadership styles and likely adapt them based on their situation.
However, a leader typically has one predominant style that they tend to express most frequently: their natural leadership style.
The most effective leaders develop what researchers call «leadership agility,»
the ability to recognize when their natural style may not be the most appropriate for a particular situation and consciously modify their approach.
This flexibility allows them to meet the needs of their team without losing fidelity to their core leadership values.
The key isn’t finding the «perfect» leadership style, but rather understanding their natural tendencies, recognizing their strengths and limitations, and developing the skills to adapt when circumstances require a different approach.
Why is it important to know your own leadership style?
As a leader, understanding your leadership style is crucial to your success.
By understanding your own leadership style, you’ll be able to determine how it affects those you directly influence.
It will also help you identify your leadership strengths and define what leadership skills you need to develop.
Some leaders can already categorize their current leadership style, recognizing whether it makes them effective or how their employees perceive them.
But this isn’t always the case. Generally, leaders can categorize their style; however, they often exhibit traits of many other leadership styles.
Detailed feedback is an easy way to understand your leadership style.
Asking those you lead to provide open and honest feedback is a useful exercise.
Doing so will allow you to adapt the characteristics of your style to your daily responsibilities as a leader.
Where will your leadership journey take you?
At IMD, we have been transforming leaders around the world for over 75 years. Let us help you shape the next chapter of your success story with our high-impact leadership development programs.
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- Transformational Leadership
We’ve probably all been in a group situation where someone took control, communicated with the group, and created a shared vision.
Creating unity, developing bonds, generating energy, and instilling passion. This person is most likely considered a transformational leader.
Transformational leadership is a leadership style that emphasizes change and transformation. Leaders who adopt this approach strive to inspire their followers to achieve more than they ever imagined, harnessing their potential.
This type of leadership can be very effective in organizations seeking to make significant changes or transformations.
Some of the key characteristics of transformational leadership include:
– Future-focus: Transformational leaders always look ahead and think about what needs to be done to achieve the organization’s goals. They inspire their followers to do the same.
– Focus on change: Transformational leaders are comfortable with change and understand that it is necessary for organizational success. They strive to ensure their followers are comfortable with change and can adapt to it.
– Focus on people: Transformational leaders see the potential in each of their followers. They strive to develop their followers’ individual strengths and abilities so they can reach their full potential.
- Delegative Leadership
Often referred to as «laissez-faire,» the delegative leadership style focuses on delegating the initiative to team members.
It is considered one of the least intrusive forms of leadership; this translates as «let them do it.» Therefore, it is considered a very passive leadership style.
Leaders who adopt this style trust their employees and believe they will do their jobs.
They do not micromanage or overly involve themselves in providing feedback or guidance.
In contrast, delegative leaders allow employees to use their creativity, resources, and experience to help them achieve their goals.
This can be a successful leadership strategy if team members are competent and take responsibility for their work. However, delegative leadership can also lead to disagreements among team members and divide the group.
Adapting to this leadership style can be challenging for newcomers, or for existing staff members, to understand who is in charge and responsible for results. Therefore, this leadership style must be monitored.
- Authoritarian Leadership
Authoritarian leaders are often considered visionaries.
Those who adopt this style consider themselves mentors to their followers.
Not to be confused with authoritarian leadership, authoritarian leadership emphasizes a «follow-me» approach. In this way, leaders chart a course and encourage those around them to follow it.
Leaders with authoritarian traits tend to motivate and inspire those around them. They provide overall direction and provide their teams with guidance, feedback, and motivation. This promotes a sense of accomplishment.
The authoritarian leadership style relies heavily on knowing each team member.
This allows the leader to provide more personalized guidance and feedback, helping people achieve success.
This means that authoritarian leaders must be able to adapt, especially as their team size grows.
Authoritarian leadership is very hands-on, but leaders must be careful not to micromanage. This is a tendency in this style, which can be overwhelming for team members and generate negative feelings.
Learn how to develop leaders prepared for change and complexity, and why adaptability is critical for long-term success.
- Transactional Leadership
Transactional leadership, often referred to as managerial leadership, is a leadership style that relies on rewards and punishments.
This leadership style clearly emphasizes structure, assuming that people might not have the motivation to complete their tasks.
With this reward-based system, a leader establishes clear goals or tasks for the team. Leaders also clarify how their teams will be rewarded (or punished) for their work. Rewards can take a variety of forms, but typically involve financial compensation, such as a salary or bonus.
This «give-and-take» leadership style focuses more on efficiently following established routines and procedures than on making transformative organizational changes.
Transactional leadership establishes roles and responsibilities for each employee.
However, if employees are constantly unaware of the value of their efforts, it can result in diminished results. Therefore, incentives should be consistent with the company’s goals and supported by additional recognition.
- Participative Leadership
Sometimes known as democratic leadership, participative leadership is a leadership style that encourages leaders to listen to their employees and involve them in the decision-making process.
This leadership style requires leaders to be inclusive, use good communication skills, and, crucially, be able to share power and responsibility.
When a leader adopts a participative leadership style, they encourage collaboration through accountability.
This often leads to a collective team effort to identify problems and develop solutions rather than assigning individual blame.
This leadership style has historically prevailed and has been used by many leaders in various organizations. However, as work habits have changed (accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic) and teams have become more decentralized, this leadership style has become more complex.
Spontaneous, open, and frank communication is often associated with a participative leadership style. Remote work or virtual teams can make it particularly difficult to maintain.
Participative leadership is often the preferred option, as it helps build trust with employees, empowering them and encouraging them to share their ideas on key issues, thereby demonstrating their value to the team.
- Servant Leadership
Servant leadership is a leadership style that prioritizes the needs of others. It focuses on building strong relationships with those around you and enabling them to reach their full potential. As a leader, it requires understanding the people you work with and developing their skills, while also setting a good example and understanding their personal goals.
At its core, servant leadership is based on ethical decision-making; following this model will make it more likely that decisions will be made based on what is best for everyone involved, rather than benefiting only a few. This approach fosters an environment where creativity and problem-solving thrive, as team members feel empowered to suggest new solutions and leverage the ideas of others.
Additionally, following the principles of servant leadership can result in better communication between all parties involved, from senior management to frontline employees. By considering the opinions of subordinates, leaders can prevent potential conflicts, maintaining healthy relationships and a calm work environment. Ultimately, these qualities help create a greater sense of loyalty among team members, which in turn translates into greater overall productivity.
How to Determine My Leadership Style
Determining your leadership style is key to the success of your team, your organization, and your growth as a leader.
This contribution corresponds to the Harvard Business Review website.
The author is Lian Parsons.
Lian Parsons is a writer and journalist based in Boston. She is currently a digital content producer at Harvard’s Division of Continuing Education. Her articles can be found in the Harvard Gazette, Boston Art Review, Radcliffe Magazine, Experience Magazine, and iPondr.
Why You Need a Leadership Style
Types of Leadership Styles
Can You Choose Your Leadership Style, or Is It Predetermined?
How to Choose Your Leadership Style
What Is Your Leadership Style?
There are almost as many types of leadership styles as there are individual leaders. Leadership styles refer to the way managers, executives, and other professional leaders choose to run their businesses.
These styles have a significant impact on the workplace, team morale, and company culture.
Understanding which style best aligns with you is essential to maximizing your effectiveness and potential as a leader.
Why You Need a Leadership Style
One of the things that effective leaders have in common is a distinctive leadership style. Developing your distinctive style is critical to developing as a leader.
It helps those around you know what to expect from you, understand how you work best, and reduce frustration.
Types of Leadership Styles
There is no single ideal way to be a leader. Every person, as well as their teams, organizations, and businesses, requires a personalized approach.
However, there are several general categories of common leadership styles that many managers and executives likely fall into. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses and presents various nuances.
This section includes many, but not all, leadership styles in management, and some may have overlapping attributes. Although this is not an exhaustive list, you will likely identify with these traits.
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– Autocratic Leadership Style
An autocratic leadership style focuses heavily on the input and decision-making of the person in charge. There is often a clear separation between the leader and employees, and the work environment is typically highly structured and rigid.
Autocratic leaders display traits such as self-confidence, motivation and drive, clarity, consistency, and reliability.
Advantages:
Decision-making is quick and efficient, as it is carried out by a single person with little outside input.
High-pressure or stressful situations are managed through firm, directive leadership.
A clear chain of command or supervision.
Relieves employees of the responsibility of complex decision-making.
Disadvantages:
It stifles team dialogue and can often overlook the perspectives of others.
It limits creativity.
It eliminates options for agency and collaboration.
It can generate resentment among employees, as they may feel their contributions are not valued.
An autocratic leadership style is most effective in environments that require a significant level of structure with relatively high risks and consequences, such as the military or crisis response.
To avoid resentment and dissatisfaction among employees, autocratic leaders must strike a balance between high levels of productivity and developing relationships with their team members.
Keep in mind that leading firmly does not necessarily mean disconnecting from those around you. Setting concrete goals also includes motivating employees, recognizing achievements, and building trust.
– Bureaucratic Leadership Style
A bureaucratic leadership style is primarily characterized by hierarchy. Bureaucratic leadership clearly defines the roles and responsibilities of each position, establishes a specific chain of command, and often has established rules and processes. Bureaucratic leaders are detail-oriented, disciplined and organized, hardworking, and often passionate about their area of expertise.
Advantages:
Clear understanding of roles, rules, and regulations
Eliminates confusion or ambiguity in daily work
Fair treatment of employees
Provides transparency in processes
Disadvantages:
Discourages creativity and innovation
Inflexible and difficult to change
Can create bottlenecks, as decision-making must follow a pre-established process
Teams are often siloed, limiting collaboration and communication
A bureaucratic leadership style is best suited for large workplaces and organizations that require complex systems, such as hospitals, construction sites, government or public offices, and intelligence or security services.
A bureaucratic leader can easily fall into impersonal behavior or micromanagement. However, it’s still important to treat employees as individuals and encourage them to take initiative, whether in their current position or if you’ve seen growth and believe they’re ready for the next step.
– Coaching Leadership Style
A coaching leadership style takes a personalized approach to leadership. Someone with this style focuses on improving employees as individuals, focusing on their unique strengths and weaknesses. They invite feedback, communicate with team members, and enjoy establishing mentoring relationships.
Coach leaders tend to be compassionate, encouraging, supportive, forward-thinking, and emotionally intelligent.
Advantages:
Close connections with colleagues and employees
Open lines of communication
A supportive work environment
Encourages freedom of thought
Disadvantages:
Significant investment of time and energy
Change can occur at a slower pace
Requires a compatible team (which is not always guaranteed)
Lack of coaching skills
Coach leaders possess emotional intelligence and work to cultivate their employees’ growth, with a focus on long-term success. They possess strong communication skills and are dedicated to both individual and group results. This is a particularly effective leadership style in close-knit teams that share a common goal, ideal for a work environment that allows for personalized attention.
To avoid becoming overloaded, coach leaders should schedule purposeful meetings and check-ins, set SMART goals to stay on track, be prepared and organized, and adapt as needed.
– Democratic Leadership Style
The democratic leadership style emphasizes shared decision-making among team members. Each person is encouraged to participate and contribute their unique talents and knowledge.
Democratic leaders are highly team-oriented, flexible, adaptable, and communicative. They value cohesion and commitment, and often reward innovative ideas.
Advantages:
Team members tend to feel valued, with greater job satisfaction and engagement.
Cultivates a positive work environment.
Higher levels of engagement.
Built-in inclusivity, as all team members are expected to participate equally.
Disadvantages:
A slower decision-making process.
Lack of decisive action from leadership.
Can lead to inefficiency and confusion if not managed properly.
Inequality of outcomes, as not all options can be chosen.
Democratic leaders thrive in collaborative and creative environments that allow for flexibility. In addition to valuing the input of others, democratic leaders must also have the confidence to intervene and take action to avoid delays.
– Laissez-faire Leadership Style
Laissez-faire translates as «let it happen,» which sums up this leadership style. Laissez-faire leadership is characterized by hands-off behavior, allowing team members to work autonomously. Employees are expected to make their own decisions and solve problems without excessive supervision.
Laissez-faire leaders are comfortable taking responsibility, are good at delegating, and trust their teams to accomplish daily tasks.
Advantages:
Fosters personal growth, trust, and innovation
Limits pressure on employees
Collaborative decision-making among team members
Employees feel empowered to work independently
Disadvantages:
Can lead to conflict without leadership intervention
Confusion about roles and responsibilities
Potential lack of motivation and poor time management
Employees may feel isolated
The laissez-faire leadership style is most effective with a knowledgeable and reliable team that possesses strong time management skills. To prevent employees from feeling isolated, laissez-faire leaders must make it clear that guidance and support are available. They must also be observant and take initiative when conflict arises.
To encourage employee engagement, laissez-faire leaders can seek feedback, provide clear direction and goals, and create regular checkpoints to measure progress.
– Leader Leadership Style
Leaders who set the tone choose to lead by example. They value results and take the initiative to achieve goals. They also tend to have high standards, seek challenges, and thrive under pressure.
Advantages:
Solves problems quickly
Achieves goals quickly
Values competence
Leaders actively engage and take on tasks alongside employees
Disadvantages:
Lack of trust can lead to micromanagement
Can create employee stress
Can reduce engagement due to lack of employee participation
Mismatch between leadership and employees
To be a good leader, those setting the tone must reward achievements to maintain employee motivation and engagement. This style should also be used sparingly and with caution; leaders should avoid overwhelming their team, offer readily available resources, and communicate regularly to ensure everyone is on the same page.
– Servant Leadership Style
The servant leadership style prioritizes the well-being and harmony among team members. A servant leader values active listening, empathy, and foresight, seeking to build community and resolve conflicts. Advantages:
Fosters a shared vision
Cultivates a supportive work environment
Empowers employees to be the best versions of themselves
Leaders can earn the respect of their peers, colleagues, and employees
Disadvantages:
Can slow down the decision-making process, which is inefficient in high-stakes situations
Leaders can overspend their time and energy
May require a significant cultural shift if the work environment is unfamiliar with this leadership style
Moral standards may be individualized for the leader rather than agreed upon
This style encourages leaders to lead by example, dedicating the same effort as their employees. It also encourages growth and engagement, emphasizes the importance of the work done, and cares for their team members as people, not just as employees.
– Visionary Leadership Style
Visionary leadership focuses on having a long-term goal for the future and working to achieve it with others. Startups or large corporations are often led by visionary leaders who have specific business goals in mind. Visionary leaders are optimistic, strategic, forward-thinking, motivating, and capable of formulating long-term plans.
Advantages:
They achieve goals
They inspire others, including employees and shareholders
They provide clear paths to results
They communicate easily with others
Disadvantages:
Details can be missed
Passion for the goal can override the input of others
Current issues can be overlooked in favor of the long-term goal
Motivation can decline if the leader leaves the company
Creating a unified vision for any organization requires comprehensive communication, setting clear goals along the way, and maintaining the enthusiasm and motivation of team members.
Can you choose your leadership style or is it predetermined?
While you may have identified your personality with the traits mentioned in each section above, leadership styles are not predetermined. You may lean more toward one style than another, or your workplace may accommodate a specific style.
However, we are constantly growing and changing. It’s important to be open to adapting your style if it best benefits you and your team. As a leader, you have a responsibility to dedicate yourself to developing your skills, professional relationships, and personal and professional goals.
How to Choose Your Leadership Style
Whether you’re a new manager, recently promoted, assumed a leadership role, or simply need to refresh yourself, choosing your leadership style can bring clarity.
Consider the following:
– Are you better at setting goals or building relationships?
– Do you prefer structure or creativity, with less defined rules or processes?
– Do you find it easier to achieve long-term or short-term results? Asking yourself these questions can point you in the right direction and allow you to reflect on your experiences.
– What is your leadership style?
In addition to identifying your priorities, there are several ways to find and practice the most effective leadership style for you.
Try different styles for short periods.
Observe how morale, relationships, and productivity at work change with each style.
Seek mentorship or guidance from a trusted peer or another leader you admire.
Solicit feedback from team members. Your team and employees will likely have opinions about what works best for them and their own effectiveness at work.
If your current leadership style doesn’t quite suit you, assess your personality traits and try to adapt to a style that aligns more with your existing characteristics.
Try combining a couple of styles and you might get the best of both worlds. Take a leadership style test.
If you’re looking to deepen your knowledge and training, the Department of Professional and Executive Development at Harvard’s Division of Continuing Education offers several programs specifically designed to improve your leadership skills.
Five Ways Leaders Can Practice Self-Reflection and Its Importance for Business Growth
The following contribution is from the People Management portal and is written by Tony Gregg.
Tony Gregg is CEO of the Anthony Gregg Partnership.
Tony Gregg discusses the benefits of reflection for personal development and how it, in turn, can improve organizational performance.
Taking time for self-reflection gives leaders the space they need to relax and assess their situation.
Practicing self-reflection regularly can strengthen your awareness and help you identify patterns in your decision-making. By reviewing your behavior, activities, and values as a leader, you can help transform your company, achieving new ambitions and goals for the future.
Leaders are currently facing geopolitical and economic uncertainty.
These significant obstacles require strong leaders. And strong leadership requires self-reflection to learn and grow as the retail landscape evolves.
How does self-reflection fit into strong leadership?
Good leadership requires self-awareness: leaders must be able to identify their strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. This level of contemplation can be achieved through regular self-reflection.
Leadership can be difficult, with a continuous balancing of responsibilities.
When facing challenges, trust, integrity, and transparency are key attributes for a great leader.
Self-reflection provides leaders with the opportunity to work on themselves and look for ways to improve these attributes.
One of the most important roles of a leader is to mentor team members.
This requires a high level of emotional intelligence and an understanding of others. This can be a difficult skill to hone if you don’t regularly assess your own productivity and performance levels.
However, after some self-reflection, you’ll be able to use your insights to strengthen working relationships and use daily interactions to guide your decision-making skills.
The Importance of Reflection
If leaders choose not to reflect on their business decisions, their role as leaders can result in oversights and stunted growth. Business decisions and ongoing activities should be periodically evaluated to ensure the right actions are taken, especially in a volatile and uncertain retail market.
Five Tips for Practicing Leadership Self-Reflection
Reflect Regularly
Set aside 10 to 20 minutes a week for self-reflection. Schedule it in your calendar so that it becomes a regular time for silent reflection and becomes a habit.
A quiet, distraction-free place is ideal for self-reflection. Sometimes, escaping the office environment helps clear your mind. Or you could even arrive at the office 30 minutes early, when it’s quiet, to reflect on the day ahead and what you hope to accomplish.
Former U.S. President Barack Obama frequently expressed the importance of reflection sessions, stating that he found clarity as a leader through his ongoing habit of self-reflection and journaling.
Through self-reflection, you’ll be able to see where business activity is headed, solving problems more quickly instead of constantly putting out fires.
Clarity of thought is critical: it allows you to rationally assess situations and make the best decisions for your team and the company.
Establish a Structure for Reflection
At first, self-reflection can be overwhelming, as a wave of experiences can arise in your mind without a defined focus. It’s worth starting with a single question or topic and then exploring it in more detail.
Here are some areas to focus on during self-reflection:
– Weekly Summary: What went well? What did you learn? What could you do differently?
– Highlights: What did you do well as a leader this day/week?
– Leadership: What kind of leader do you want to be? Which leaders do you admire? How does your team see you as a leader?
– Values: What are your key values? Do they align with your organization’s values?
– Team: What kind of leader does your team need? What areas could improve?
– Goals: What are your organization’s current goals? Are you on track? What needs to be done? What do you need to do as a leader to achieve them?
Be honest and realistic
Honesty is essential for true introspection. We often tell ourselves different stories about what really happened, reluctant to reflect on the reality of a situation.
You need to be honest and explore all perspectives of a situation, allowing for genuine recognition of weaknesses and setting realistic goals to address problems.
Being able to form a holistic viewpoint is a vital leadership skill that allows you to draw reasoned conclusions. This emotional intelligence will increase your self-awareness, making you a better leader.
Jot Down Your Thoughts
Writing down your thoughts and ideas during self-reflection frees up space in your mind and gives you the opportunity to organize them. You can write them down on paper or type them, whichever feels most natural to you.
Don’t be afraid to be descriptive: jot down your emotional reactions to events and why you felt that way. All of this helps improve self-awareness and your understanding of yourself as a leader.
Keeping a log of your self-reflective thoughts will allow you to review them periodically and see how you’ve improved.
Don’t limit yourself to self-reflection; ask reflective questions of your team members.
Not only is it your responsibility as a leader to reflect on yourself, but peer reflection is equally important.
Asking your team for feedback on your leadership and performance can be incredibly valuable. It allows you to better understand yourself and your team.
While self-reflection is key for leaders, your team can also find value in it. Encourage your team to regularly reflect on their own performance: Group sessions can be a great way for team members to self-reflect, boosting morale and growth.
Reflective leadership is about presence, self-understanding, and areas for improvement.
Leaders who develop a regular practice of self-reflection continually learn and grow, both professionally and personally. Follow these tips and you’ll become a much better leader.
Why Reflecting on Your Leadership Style Is Essential for Growth: Tools for Educators
The following contribution is from Coactive Education Consultancy.
The author is Jacque Allen.
Jacque has over 30 years of experience as an educational leader, university professor, and primary and secondary school teacher. She has worked internationally with educational and business organizations, boldly bringing her leadership expertise to bear and facilitating effective pedagogy and practice. As a professional development consultant, Jacque has worked in New Zealand, Australia, and North America. Her workshops and speaking engagements have taken her to diverse locations, including Singapore, Perth, Sydney, Queensland, Adelaide, Melbourne, and major cities in New Zealand. Jacque holds a Master of Business Administration, which complements her teaching qualification, from the University of Auckland. Her research expertise underpins her commitment to ensuring that students are at the center of attention when designing and delivering effective, research-informed training and professional development for educators and organizations.
A question:
When was the last time you reflected on your leadership style?
If your answer to this question is something like «I don’t remember,» «I don’t know if I’ve ever done that,» «I don’t know where to start,» or «It’s been a while,» you’re not alone.
As leaders, our days are often a chaotic mess of back-to-back meetings, responding to urgent matters, and securing support from our teams.
Let’s be honest: there are days when it’s hard to find time for a cup of coffee, let alone to reflect on how we lead our people.
But the point is, reflecting on your leadership style isn’t «okay»; it’s essential.
Most leaders become leaders because they’re good at their jobs and then are promoted to lead people who are now doing the same job they were before.
Rarely are we presented with a leadership opportunity and ready to apply best practices.
These best practices will motivate the reluctant team member, design strategies for teams to achieve collective results, and manage the latest crisis—and, let’s face it, all of this can happen before lunchtime.
We need to reflect on our leadership style so we can accept feedback, improve our skills, and become the leader we want to have.
So, why is it so important to reflect on our leadership style?
Let’s explore three key reasons. I’ve included some starter questions to help you reflect on your own leadership style and some resources for further reading.
Improve Your Self-Awareness
Good leadership begins with self-awareness. Reflection helps you identify your strengths and uncover your weaknesses.
It’s about understanding how your behavior, both intentional and unintentional, impacts your team’s overall dynamics and productivity. (A resource that might facilitate this: Dare to Lead, B. Brown)
Initial Questions to Consider
– What recent leadership moment am I proud of?
– How did my actions influence my team’s motivation and/or morale?
Improve Team Performance
Your leadership style directly impacts your team’s performance.
Reflection allows you to recognize whether you are fostering an environment of safety, trust, and collaboration with a shared purpose.
It gives you the space to adapt your approach and better meet your team’s needs. (A resource to help understand this: Leaders Eat Last, S. Sinek)
Initial Questions to Consider:
– Who on my team did I communicate with this week? Did I unintentionally overlook anyone?
– How much time did I spend being proactive rather than reactive last week?
Encourages continuous growth
Leadership is a journey, not a destination. Reflection helps you accept feedback, learn from challenges, and actively seek ways to grow.
It ensures you’re not leading on autopilot, but making deliberate choices to evolve as a leader. (A resource to help understand this: The Culture Code, D. Coyle)
Initial questions to consider:
– What feedback have I received recently that has caused me to rethink my approach to leadership?
– What leadership skill or behavior do I want to strengthen?
Knowing why we reflect on our leadership style is half the battle; now you need to find a tool that works for you.
Below are two simple tools that might help you with your leadership reflection process.
Jacque’s Leadership Reflection Tools
First, if you’re looking for a practical and in-depth reflection tool, there’s the 4R Leadership Framework (developed by Dr. Mark W. McCloskey). It’s ideal if you don’t know where to start and need to identify a professional growth approach for your role. The 4Rs offer a clear process for structuring your thinking.
The 4R Leadership Reflection Framework:
Recognize: Identify key leadership moments or challenges.
What situations stood out recently?
How did I respond as a leader?
Review: Analyze the impact of your leadership.
How did my leadership style influence my team’s performance and morale?
Did my actions align with my values and leadership philosophy?
Refine: Identify areas for improvement.
What could I have done differently?
Are there patterns in my leadership that need attention?
Reapply: Implement changes and commit to growth.
What specific actions will I take from now on?
Who can support me on this journey? Who could be my mentor or coach?
The second tool is a quick reflection card for leaders. You can use it by selecting only one area at a time and scrolling through the card whenever you have a chance to reflect.
How would you describe your leadership style?
The following post is from the Flash Hub website.
Flash Hub was founded in Germany by three entrepreneurs who grew their digital agency, Bright Solutions, to annual revenues of over seven figures. But the road wasn’t easy. Like many companies, we faced the same challenges: inconsistent leads, wasted ad spend, salespeople who didn’t close enough deals, marketing teams that wasted money, and an overload of random and inconsistent strategies that never yielded results.
What made the difference for us wasn’t a flashy tactic, but structure. Backed by the German mindset of clarity, discipline, and systematization, we built our own AI Marketing System after years of testing, failing, and perfecting. We invested over €1 million of our own capital in paid advertising to discover what really works, and generated €13.4 million in revenue over the past four years.
There is no «right» leadership style that works for everyone or every situation, but you can describe your approach and highlight some of the key principles that guide you.
Your answer should reflect your unique approach to leadership and your ability to inspire and guide a team toward achieving goals.
Table of Contents
Personal Values, Meaning, and Leadership Style
Transformational Leadership Style
Transactional Leadership Style
Delegative Leadership Style
Short Answer to the Question «How Would You Describe Your Leadership Style?»
Reflection Points for Discovering Your Leadership Style
- Vision and Direction
- Communication
- Decision-Making
- Empowerment
- Emotional Intelligence
- Accountability
- Continuous Improvement
- Ethics and Integrity
Leadership is not just about holding a senior position or being in charge of others. It is a set of skills, attitudes, and behaviors that can be developed over time and applied in any context, whether a small team or a large organization.
Leadership involves creating a clear sense of direction, motivating and empowering team members, and making difficult decisions when necessary.
Effective leaders are typically skilled communicators who can clearly articulate their vision, values, and expectations and inspire others to follow them.
Additionally, they possess strong emotional intelligence, which allows them to understand and connect with their team members on a deeper level, creating an environment of trust, respect, and collaboration.
What is your leadership style?
The answer to this question, which always comes up in interviews, will depend on your personal leadership philosophy and your management approach.
For example, when describing your leadership style, you might say something like:
“My leadership style is based on building strong relationships with my team members and creating a collaborative and supportive work environment. I believe in empowering my team to take ownership of their work and providing them with the tools and resources they need to succeed. I also value open communication and transparency, so I encourage my team to share their ideas and feedback with me so we can work together to achieve our goals.”
Strategies for Motivation
You can also mention specific strategies or techniques you use to motivate and engage your team, such as setting clear expectations, recognizing and rewarding outstanding performance, and providing ongoing feedback and coaching.
The best definitions of leadership prioritize motivation, transformation, caring for people, and empowerment as key aspects of leadership.
Personal Values, Meaning, and Leadership Style
Values are defined as the principles and beliefs that guide your life. Meaning is the subjective experience of feeling fulfilled and purposeful. Leadership research indicates a strong connection between your personal values and your leadership style.
Transformational Leadership Style
If you have a clear idea of your personal values and a strong sense of meaning, you are more likely to exhibit a transformational leadership style.
Transformational leaders are those who inspire and motivate their followers by articulating a compelling vision, providing intellectual stimulation, and serving as a role model of ethical behavior.
Transformational leaders tend to align their leadership style with their values and personal meaning, as they prioritize the growth and development of their team members, act as mentors, and create a culture of collaboration and innovation.
Transactional Leadership Style
Conversely, leaders who are not aligned with their values and personal meaning tend to exhibit transactional leadership styles, which focus on rewards and punishments and tend to be more hierarchical and controlling.
Delegative Leadership Style
Delegative leadership is a non-controlling, non-intrusive leadership style that empowers team members. To practice delegative leadership effectively, there must be alignment of core values and commitment to team-level goals.
The Tough Leadership Interview Question
Let’s imagine you need to attend an interview for a team leader position at a marketing agency and need to prepare to answer the question: How would you describe your leadership style? Consider taking these steps:
Before the interview, research the company and its culture to better understand the leadership qualities they value. This can help you tailor your answer to their expectations.
Reflect on your previous experiences as a leader, both professionally and personally. Consider what worked well and what didn’t, and what leadership qualities you demonstrated in those situations.
Consider which leadership values are most important to you: collaboration, communication, empathy, accountability, or innovation. These values can guide your leadership style and shape your response to the question.
To illustrate your leadership style, use concrete examples from your past experiences.
Talk about a time when you successfully led a team, overcame a challenge, or implemented a new strategy. Be specific about the actions you took and the results you achieved.
Demonstrate Self-Awareness. Recognize any weaknesses or areas for improvement in your leadership style and show a willingness to learn and grow as a leader.
Finally, don’t try to mimic someone else’s leadership style or say what you think the interviewer wants to hear. Instead, be true to yourself and describe the leadership style you feel is most effective for you.
A strong answer to the question «How would you describe your leadership style?» demonstrates your experience, values, and authenticity as a leader.
The Short Answer to the Question «How would you describe your leadership style?»
If you are asked to describe your leadership style in three words in the shortest time possible, you should be familiar with your goals, personal values, and meaning. Here are five possible elevator pitch-style answers to the question: «Describe your leadership style in three words»:
«Collaborative, Empowering, Visionary»
«Authentic, Inclusive, Strategic»
«Results-oriented, Innovative, Communicative»
«Adaptable, Trustworthy, Helpful»
«Inspiring, Accountable, Humble»
Self-awareness and alignment with your values and purpose are crucial for effective leadership.
Points for Reflection to Discover Your Leadership Style
If you haven’t yet reflected on your values, here’s a practical exercise to help you become a better leader: reflect on the following points:
- Vision and Direction
A good leader has a clear vision and direction for their team or organization. This involves defining goals, setting priorities, and communicating expectations.
- Communication
Leaders must be able to articulate their vision and goals clearly, listen carefully to their team members, and offer constructive feedback.
- Decision-Making
Good leaders weigh the pros and cons of each decision, consider the potential consequences, and choose the best strategy for their team or organization, often with limited information.
- Empowerment
Leaders empower their team members to take ownership of their work, encourage them to be creative and innovative, and provide them with the resources and support they need to achieve success.
- Emotional Intelligence
Good leaders are empathetic, able to build strong relationships with their team members, and create a positive and supportive work environment.
- Accountability
Leaders hold themselves and their teams accountable for their actions and results. This involves setting clear expectations, monitoring progress, and providing feedback and support when needed.
- Continuous Improvement
Good leaders always strive to improve themselves and their teams. They seek feedback, learn from mistakes, and adapt their leadership style to meet the changing needs of their team or organization.
- Ethics and Integrity
Leaders must act with integrity, uphold ethical standards, and be accountable for their actions. This includes treating team members with respect and fairness, being transparent and honest, and leading by example.
How does leadership style impact performance? Is the answer simple? Significantly.
This contribution corresponds to The Real Learning Experience portal.
We work with organizations to help them transform their work culture into the one they desire.
While the impact is not direct, it is clear and consistent. When leadership style is modified (for better or worse), results change accordingly.
The connection between leadership style and results is demonstrated by the leadership chain.
Working backward from results, the leadership chain shows that results improve when people put in more effort.
It’s hard to argue: it stands to reason that greater effort leads to improvements in both quality and quantity.
It also stands to reason that people put in more effort when they work in better environments.
If they enjoy coming to work, they will feel more motivated and/or less demotivated, which leads them to put in more effort.
By the way, if you’re a manager with Style X, you’ll already be slapping your forehead and rolling your eyes. Managers with Style X believe that people only work out of obligation, only put in effort when forced, and so on. I don’t want to give away the punchline, but we firmly believe that’s nonsense.
But—and this is a crucial point—that doesn’t mean creating simply warm and welcoming environments. People don’t have to feel happy all the time; they should feel valued, but they should also be held accountable.
What creates that combination of value and accountability? The first link in the chain: leadership style.
So, are poor results solely the leader’s fault?
No, not all of them. But much more than most leaders realize and accept. Studies indicate that:
Up to 70% of the variation in organizational climate (the work environment) can be attributed to differences in how leaders lead.
Up to 30% of the variation in results can be attributed to differences in organizational climate.
A leader’s style isn’t solely responsible for performance levels, but it plays a very important role. Clearly, if you want to improve results, the most effective way to do so is to work on your leadership style.
This can be difficult because no one wants to believe that their own style could be responsible for lower productivity, especially when there are many more comfortable factors we could work on, such as the way our team members act and behave.
Of course, as the leadership chain illustrates, the most effective way to change an employee’s actions and behaviors is for the leader to modify their style.
The Broken Mirror of Self-Reflection
Whether a leader needs to modify their general approach to leading their team or make more specific changes to be more effective with an individual, that process begins with reflection.
And that’s where problems often arise. Reflecting accurately can be very difficult because we have a natural tendency to validate the way we currently do things. To improve reflection, leaders should look for other evidence, and there are three excellent ways to get it.
Feedback
Don’t interpret the absence of feedback as evidence that you’re doing everything perfectly.
In fact, it can mean exactly the opposite: that your people are afraid to offer feedback because they think you might react, or that they’re reluctant because they don’t believe it will lead to any change.
Beware of Empty Promises
For feedback to be a valid source of information about your leadership style, it must be safe for people to provide it, and this isn’t achieved with empty promises.
It’s achieved through the repeated experience of team members providing feedback and you responding well.
That they don’t regret speaking up because it led to negative outcomes.
Listen to their feedback, take the time to reflect and process it, and then let them know how you will act on it.
One final piece of feedback advice: actively seek it out instead of waiting for people to approach you. Incorporate it into regular interactions with your team members. Normalize giving and receiving feedback as part of daily workplace conversations.
Psychometrics
Tools that generate 360-degree (or even 180-degree) feedback are especially useful when people fail to provide feedback to leaders, due to the leader’s style, their own lack of confidence and skills, or an entrenched cultural pattern.
When we use psychometric tools in these circumstances, we find results that surprise (even shock) the leader. The gap between the leader’s style as they perceive it and the leader’s style as experienced by their team can sometimes be significant.
If we analyze the leadership chain, this means they are impacting the work environment (organizational climate) in ways they don’t intend or realize. And this will be reflected in the results.
When reviewing the results of psychometric measurements, we observe that some leaders have excellent self-awareness, while others undervalue themselves and others; well, let’s just say we have to have uncomfortable conversations with them! In any case, the harsh reality is this: how a leader’s team responds is based on their perception of the leader’s style.
A leader’s perception of their own style is interesting, but irrelevant to performance.
The Actions, Thoughts, and Behaviors of Team Members
We’ve described self-reflection as a broken mirror. A more effective mirror is the way the people on your team act, think, and behave.
Often, this behavior is the response, and leadership style is the stimulus.
Some examples we see every week in our workplaces:
A leader who complains that their people aren’t showing initiative, but then looks for someone to blame when something goes wrong. To their employees, this sounds like: «It’s not safe to try anything new in case it goes wrong, so I stick with the old habits, even if they only produce mediocre results.»
Leaders who get annoyed when their people don’t make decisions, but who have a habit of ignoring them. To their employees, this sounds like: «They’re going to change what I decide anyway, so I’d better ask them what they want and avoid upsetting them.»
Leaders who don’t understand why their people seem to have petty disputes that never get resolved, but who are so uncomfortable with conflict that they smooth things over and hide problems rather than address them.
Team members who would otherwise be brave and address issues honestly end up feeling: «The last time I spoke to a colleague about my concerns, they got angry, and the boss told me I was causing trouble.»
People who don’t take the «rules» seriously
but don’t provide uncomfortable feedback when they stray from the path.
Leaders who get upset that people don’t try harder, but don’t show appreciation, gratitude, or positive feedback when they do a good job.
In each of these situations, there is something frustrating the leader; our recommendation is to start by asking themselves, «What leadership flaw could be causing or contributing to this?» It’s not all down to the leader, but it’s a good place to start.
This isn’t about harshly criticizing leaders; I’m a leader myself, and like anyone, I deal with this «perception gap.» However, as leaders, we have a responsibility to take a hard look at ourselves and the results we create, no matter how uncomfortable they may be.
Six Leadership Styles
The table above lists six leadership styles identified and developed by several researchers, including David McClelland and Daniel Goleman. Your true leadership style will not be any of the six, but rather your own unique combination of these styles.
None of the six is a bad leadership style, but there are some that should be used predominantly and others that should be used only when necessary.
The only real measure of whether a leadership style is good or not is whether it is right for the specific situation at the time.
This should be based on the needs of the people being led, the circumstances, and the desired outcomes, and not on the leader’s predetermined habits and styles (those they are comfortable with).
A helpful mindset is: «Lead people how they need to be led, rather than how you like to lead.» For example:
In a high-pressure situation with inexperienced people, a more controlling approach is needed.
In a situation where the outcome is still important, but there is less urgency and the people are more experienced, a facilitative approach will work better.
You’ll tend to use some styles more than others, but your leadership effectiveness will increase with your ability and willingness to use all six styles, assuming you use the right ones at the right time.
Evolving Your Leadership
Each of these styles may be the most appropriate in a specific situation, and the conscious leader is agile enough to switch between them as needed.
However, the directive and pacemaker styles are only effective as short-term solutions.
In the long term, these leadership styles exhaust leaders and disempower their employees.
The affiliative and participative styles can be very positive, but only if other dominant styles keep them in balance.
If you’re a leader reading this and wondering about your own style, congratulations on having the courage to look in the cracked mirror! Introspection is often uncomfortable, but genuine personal growth is impossible without it.
Here are some follow-up actions you can take:
Evaluate yourself according to each of the leadership styles. How often do you use each one? How comfortable are you with each?
Now re-evaluate yourself: Have you evaluated yourself based on how you think you should be, how you wish you were, or how you actually are?
Is there a team member you can ask for feedback?
How do they perceive you? Perhaps you need to make sure you’re open to information that doesn’t match your own perceptions.
What’s the difference between their perceptions and yours?
How does this affect performance, and what should you do about it?
Don’t try to act on everything at once. Coaching and Visionary are the styles that deliver the best long-term results, so focus on practicing more of these styles: the more time you spend on them, the less time you’ll have for others.
Choose a few suggestions from this table and make them your guiding principles as a leader.
Keep in mind that as you increase some styles, you’ll also decrease others. For example, when a leader coaches more by asking questions, directiveness and pacing also decrease.