From the authoritative leader to the motivating coach, there is a multitude of ways to support your teams. Daniel Goleman, an American psychologist, identified 6 styles of leadership in a study conducted in 2000 for the Harvard Business Review. While most of them are still relevant today, they are not always suitable for all situations. There’s an opportunity to unlock them one by one, keeping in mind that there is no one style of leadership better than the others. The choice of their use and interpretation will depend on different parameters: your circumstances, your collaborators, and your personality. The ideal is to be inspired by it according to the context in order to create your own leadership style!
- 1. Authoritative leadership: ‘Do what I tell you’
- 2. Visionary leadership: ‘Come with me’
- 3. Democratic leadership: ‘What do you think?’
- 4. ‘Pace-setting’ leadership: ‘Look at me and do as I do’
- 5. Coaching leadership: ‘Try this’
- 6. Collaborative leadership: ‘The team first’
- 7. Agile leadership: the emergence of a more adaptable style
1. Authoritative leadership: ‘Do what I tell you’
The directive leader imposes their authority on their team members. They tell them what to do, how to do it, and then checks the result. They expects their subordinates to perform their duties in accordance with the instructions given. On the other hand, they do not necessarily explain the purpose or try to give meaning to the work of individuals. They can then lack a global vision and understanding of what is expected of them. Initiatives or attempts to question things will not be well received. Conversely, obedience and immediate performance are valued.
This leadership style is focused on execution, result and discipline. In a directive style environment, hierarchy is important: decision-making power is attributed exclusively to the ‘leader’, according to their level in the organisational structure. Responsibilities are very clear and the framework is solid (even rigid).
When to use this leadership style?
The directive style is more suited to trades where the tasks are well defined and more technical than creative. It can be used from time to time, in a situation requiring rapid results, in a ‘task force’ mode. In times of crisis, it will be the preferred style for imposing significant measures, when the consequences of breaking the rules can be severe. On a case-by-case basis, a leader may be directive with certain disruptive employees.
Limitations
Used incorrectly or taken to the extreme, this style can make for a bad employee experience, who are deprived of autonomy and meaning. Indeed, these are two key elements of intrinsic motivation. In the long term, it tends to produce negative effects and degrades the team’s atmosphere and corporate feeling.
2. Visionary leadership: ‘Come with me’
Unlike the directive leader, the visionary leader mobilises their team around a vision. They are able to imagine the future and bring others with them. They knows how to convince and unite employees by giving them a common goal. Charismatic and unifying, the visionary outlines the ‘big picture’ and the direction to take. However, they do not always explain how to get there. They rely on ‘operational staff’ to translate their vision into an action plan.
The visionary style is oriented towards the strategy, the end goal, the mission. It is focused on the ‘why’, which instills motivation and commitment; but not on the ‘how’, which may confuse some. This work environment naturally favours independent people.
When to use this leadership style?
Visionary leadership can be used at the end of a crisis or to support a business transition (reorganisation, change of course). It will give employees hope and the ability to look to the future again. It makes it possible to envisage a strategy of return to normalcy, and even to cast an optimistic gaze upon new opportunities.
Limitations
If the vision is not translated into action, it is in vain. It is the same if the means granted are not in relation to the ambition. The visionary approach is also ineffective in obtaining rapid results. Finally, companies which do not have a clear mission, or which have difficulty communicating it in an attractive manner, will have difficulty in getting their employees on board.
3. Democratic leadership: ‘What do you think?’
In a participatory approach, the manager likes to involve their team in decision-making. They encourage each of their employees to express themselves, solicits ideas, asks for opinions, and more. They have a great capacity for listening and are open to dialogue. They seek harmony and consensus. They are convinced that we are more intelligent together and that ‘light shines from debate’.
The participatory style, also known as democratic style, is based on working as a collective, communication and creativity. It has a good influence on the atmosphere at work. Employees often appreciate this leadership because they feel listened to and valued.
When to use this leadership style?
Participatory leadership should be used to generate support, sometimes to encourage volunteering. We should adopt this method when we want to collect as many ideas as possible (brainstorming) and bring collective intelligence into play. Areas where innovation is at the heart of the activity are conducive to the implementation of the participatory style.
Limitations
Unsuitable for emergency situations, the decision-making process takes longer in the participatory style. Everyone’s opinions must be heard and unanimity is difficult to obtain. Team members might get bored with many meetings, and might even suspect their manager is not taking responsibility.
4. ‘Pace-setting’ leadership: ‘Look at me and do as I do’
The ‘pace-setting’ leader, or role model, is positioned as the example to follow. They are competent, sometimes an expert in their field. They are not authoritarian, as the directive leader can be, but they aim for excellence in their practices and expect the same from their collaborators. They can be very demanding. Aligned between what they think, what they say and what they do, they inspire admiration and respect.
This leadership style essentially values performance, success and rigor. The stimulating environment encourages employees to surpass themselves. Usually the goals are achieved and this brings joy and satisfaction.
When to use this leadership style?
This type of leadership will be effective and will obtain very good results with a supposedly motivated and already competent team. They will be able to take advantage of all their potential and take it very far. It works well, provided that individuals share the same values (work, effort, going above and beyond, competition, etc.).
Limitations
If such a pace is kept up over time, there is a risk of overwork for employees relying on an overly demanding leader. They risk exhausting themselves and ending up in burnout. People who do not feel they are up to the task will eventually become discouraged and disengage. A high turnover is a red flag.
5. Coaching leadership: ‘Try this’
The coach leader invests in their employees. They seek to develop their capacities and to make them grow. Their goal? To increase their skills and thus make them more independent and efficient. They supports their professional development, sticks by their side, and motivates them. They can sometimes play the role of trainer, although the approach of a coach is more to let the person find the solution on their own. The whole challenge is then to maintain the right balance: to guide, without providing a ready-made answer or deciding for the other person.
In this leadership model, the framework is benevolent, feedback is sought and the right to make mistakes is part of the learning process. Stemming from the theory of groups and relations in transactional analysis, the triangle of the ‘3 Ps’ (Patricia Crosman) confirms the point: Privacy and permission are the requirements to put the person in a place of power.
When to use this leadership style?
Coaching–oriented leadership will preferably be used in a development phase. It may relate to individual support, to help an employee progress in their work; or, on collectively, in order to allow the team to find its optimal functioning. It requires having empathy and wanting to plan for the long term.
Limitations
We cannot reasonably expect short-term results with this style of management. In addition, people must also agree to be coached. Coaching is a two-way street and forcing it on someone won’t work.
6. Collaborative leadership: ‘The team first’
The collaborative leader puts the collective first. For them, there is no one star in their team and all members are on an equal footing. The results, whether good or bad, are attributed to the team and not to specific collaborators. A good communicator, they know how to encourage interactions between individuals, lead working groups and facilitate exchanges. Team-building events are their specialty.
Collaborative leadership is based on a logic of cohesion, cooperation and partnership. A creator of strong bonds between individuals, this style ensures close-knit teams. Conflicts are more quickly defused because communication is facilitated. It helps to develop solidarity and the feeling of belonging to a group.
When to use this leadership style?
A team whose members are divided, or do not know each other, may benefit from collaborative leadership. However, it will be easier to set up in small teams. In a period of change, of stress, where the climate is tense, the manager can use the collaborative approach to encourage solidarity between individuals.
Limitations
The collaborative style may not be unanimously appreciated: some individuals may not feel they are receiving due recognition for their work. They might end up finding the situation unfair compared to their less involved or less efficient colleagues. People who have a strong need for recognition will gradually become demotivated.
7. Agile leadership: the emergence of a more adaptable style
One final style, the contours of which have been defined with the arrival of agile culture in companies, is that of agile leadership. At first glance, it can be a mixture of collaborative, participatory and coaching leadership; but not only that…
The agile leader is a person on the ground, close to their teams, at the heart of the action: they wants to understand their issues more closely. They have the approach of a facilitator: they help employees as much as possible to carry out their work correctly. To do this, they can seek out resources and information, play an interface role between departments, or whatever is necessary to enable them to achieve their objectives. What they want above all is that each individual can focus on their expertise and develop their area of excellence. They are ultimately at the service of the team. In agile literature, we use the notion of servant leader.
Agile leadership emphasises culture, openness, and feedback. It also encourages the team’s independence: once the means are at its disposal, it is up to the team to self-organise to produce the expected result.
When to use this leadership style?
This style is well suited in contexts where you are pursuing long term goals, while being open to change and learning. It will be used when you want to make continuous improvement of processes and to release the potential of excellence of the individuals in your team. It will bear fruit in particular in complex and/or creative professions.
Support can be beneficial in setting up agile leadership within your organisation. Our Wemanity experts will be able to advise you.
Limitations
You have to be ready to change the paradigm, to put your trust in it, and to experiment. This approach has its limits if you are basing your approach on a short-term logic. It is more a question of constantly seeking to progress in your practices. It is a long-term approach.
Our advice:
- There is no such thing as an ideal leadership style! It is important to understand the advantages and limitations of each style, in order to put them to good use.
- If one of them may be your preference, however, be careful not to overdo it and not get stuck in a particular style.
- It makes sense to compose a mix between two or three styles (such as agile leadership) and to strike a balance between these according to the situation and the people.
