15 Types of Leadership Styles: Which One Fits You Best?

There are many different types of leadership styles. Research suggests that effective leaders do not employ a one-size-fits-all approach, but instead seamlessly adapt their different types of leadership styles to different circumstances and changing business conditions.

What is a Leadership Style?

A leadership style is a leader’s approach to guiding, motivating, organizing, communicating, and managing their team. It encompasses their attitude, behavior, and decision-making process, which heavily influences organizational culture and employee performance.

Why Knowing Your Leadership Style Matters

Understanding your leadership style allows you to lead more effectively and adapt your approach to various situations. If you know the different leadership styles, you can craft your own unique well-rounded, targeted approach as a leader and mentor. 

This is enhanced by understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each style because you will know how to adapt the leadership styles as necessary to align with your organizational needs, long-term goals, and values. This in turn influences not only morale but performance and can be the difference between success and failure.

Leadership styles can apply to various leadership roles as well. For example, while both managers and executives hold leadership roles, the key difference lies in their scope of responsibility. Both however need to identify and adapt their own leadership styles for different circumstances.

What are the Types of Leadership Styles

So, what are the types of leadership styles? The most common different leadership styles are:

Transformational Leadership

Transformational leadership focuses on innovation, inspiring and motivating teams to work together to achieve a shared vision. Transformational leaders help people reach their potential, and create change within individuals, teams, and organizations. 

• PRO: Promotes creativity and innovation; empowers employees
• CON: Significant time investment

Transactional Leadership

Transactional leadership focuses on structure, order, and goal-oriented planning, is highly structured, and uses rewards and punishments to motivate employees to achieve goals. 

• PRO: Can be effective in goal-oriented settings, such as sales, and in crises where quick, decisive action is necessary 
• CON: Can also limit creativity and lower employee engagement 

Democratic Leadership

Democratic leadership includes multiple people in the decision-making process. The democratic leadership style encourages team members to participate contribute ideas, and then make decisions based on input from the group. 

• PRO: Can increase employee engagement, productivity, accountability, trust, and innovation
• CON: Can lead to more communication gaps and delay the decision-making process

Autocratic Leadership

In autocratic leadership, one person has complete control, making all decisions with little to no input from others. There is typically a very structured environment with clear rules, processes, and protocols.

• PRO: Useful when decisions need to be made quickly 
• CON: Allows for little creativity or collaboration; triggers low employee morale and resentment among group members

Servant Leadership

Servant leadership prioritizes the needs of others and aims to create a productive and inclusive work environment. Servant leaders typically focus on helping their team members grow professionally and personally, empowering their employees while leading by example

• PRO: Creates an inclusive environment, fostering a positive culture and morale
• CON: Difficult to balance team needs and organizational goals

Laissez-Faire Leadership

Laissez-faire leadership promotes employee independence, allow

ing team members to have a high degree of autonomy, with little supervision. These leaders provide tools and resources to their team and offer guidance and support but trust them to make decisions and handle the details. 

• PRO: Promotes accountability, allows for creativity, and provides flexibility 
• CON: Without structure and organization, chaos and confusion can ensue, leading to decreased productivity and efficiency

Bureaucratic Leadership

Bureaucratic leadership emphasizes a hierarchical structure with clear roles and responsibilities. The focus is on the organization’s performance vs. individual contribution. 

• PRO: Decision-making follows a clear chain of command 
• CON: Little creativity or flexibility, and limited employee engagement, potentially lowering morale

Charismatic Leadership

Charismatic leaders use charm, communication, inspiring storytelling, and persuasion to motivate others.

• PRO: Ability to connect with their team, gain buy-in, and promote employee engagement, commitment, loyalty, and trust
• CON: Rules and routines are often overlooked, so organizational goals may be compromised

Visionary Leadership

Visionary leaders focus on the future and inspire others to achieve long-term goals, have a clear vision, and use strategic planning to motivate others and take bold risks. 

• PRO: Encourages innovation and creativity; increases morale and professional growth 
• CON: May miss important details or other opportunities, because of focus on the big picture

Pacesetting Leadership

Pacesetting leaders lead from the front and focus on performance, constantly setting high standards and expectations with minimal management.

• PRO: Pushes employees to hit goals and objectives
• CON: Can lead to burnout

Coaching Leadership

Coaching leadership focuses on cultivating the talents of each team member while also moving the team toward a common goal. This style of leadership tends to elevate a team’s entire performance by showing each member the importance of their position within the group.

• PRO: Can help create a culture of trust, open communication, and personal growth; can lead to increased employee satisfaction, improved productivity, and better talent retention 
• CON: Significant time investment to provide ongoing guidance and feedback 

Strategic Leadership

Strategic leadership involves creating a vision for the future, using strategic thinking to develop long-term strategies, while guiding the organization toward both short and long-term goals. Strategic leaders use clear communication, creative problem-solving skills, and strategic vision to anticipate trends and identify opportunities as well as threats. 

• PRO: Inspires a team to work together to reach their goals;  promotes innovation
• CON: Difficult to anticipate threats, weaknesses, and opportunities

Affiliative Leadership

Affiliative leadership puts people first, focusing on building strong relationships and creating a positive work environment. Affiliative leaders strive to understand their team members’ feelings and promote open communication, active listening, and team building. 

• PRO: Promotes a strong sense of community among team members, and increases employee morale and satisfaction
• CON: Lack of accountability; ​​can be detrimental to a team that needs more structure

Situational Leadership

Situational leadership is based on the idea that there is no single leadership style that works in all situations. These leaders adjust their approach based on the situation, task, and individuals involved. They provide feedback often letting their teams make decisions.

• PRO: Fosters trust and encourages independent work 
• CON: Lack of consistency

Delegative Leadership

Delegative leaders give their teams autonomy and independence to make decisions. They also take responsibility for tasks while providing support, resources, and guidance.

• PRO: Empowers team members, and fosters trust and innovation
• CON: Potential for productivity loss and communication gaps

Leadership Styles Comparison: Pros and Cons

How to Identify Your Leadership Style

To develop your leadership style, start by taking inventory of your current approach. Follow these simple steps to identify what type of leader you are.

• Identify your strengths and weaknesses to help you focus on developing your leadership skills. 
• Ask your coworkers for feedback on your strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement to understand how others see you as a leader. 
• Evaluate your personality traits and align them with a leadership style that reflects characteristics you already have.
• Consider what you value, such as goals or relationships, structure or flexibility, and short or long-term goals. 
• Consider how your behavioral traits affect how you make decisions and interact with others. 
• Be genuine and true to yourself to help build trust and loyalty with your team. 

Leadership Styles in Different Industries

Leadership styles can vary significantly across industries, with sectors like technology often favoring transformational leadership focused on innovation and vision, while healthcare may lean towards a more transactional approach due to the need for strict compliance and established procedures. Some notable examples include:

Tech Industry (Transformational Leadership)

Example Leaders: Steve Jobs (Apple), Elon Musk (Tesla)

Key Characteristics: Transformational leaders in the tech industry are known for their inspiring vision, fostering creativity, and empowering employees to take risks. They maintain a strong focus on innovation and future-oriented thinking.

Why It Works in Tech: The fast-paced nature of the tech sector necessitates constant adaptation and innovation. Transformational leaders excel at motivating teams toward ambitious goals, making their leadership style particularly effective in this dynamic environment.

Healthcare Industry (Transactional Leadership)

Example Leader: Dr. Anthony Fauci (NIAID)

Key Characteristics: In healthcare, transactional leaders establish clear expectations and utilize performance-based rewards, structured guidelines, and a strong focus on compliance with regulations.

Why It Works in Healthcare: Given the high stakes and stringent regulations within the healthcare sector, a transactional approach is often essential to ensure quality standards and patient safety.

Finance (Transactional with Elements of Bureaucratic Leadership)

In the finance sector, leaders typically rely on clear metrics and performance-based incentives, emphasizing strict adherence to regulations. This aligns with a transactional leadership style, which is essential for maintaining accountability and achieving financial goals.

Manufacturing (Autocratic with Elements of Transactional Leadership)

In manufacturing, the need for precise execution and efficiency often leads leaders to adopt a more autocratic approach. They set clear expectations and closely monitor performance, which may incorporate elements of transactional leadership to ensure operational effectiveness.

FAQs About Leadership Styles

What are the four main leadership styles?

Though this article explores a total of 15 leadership styles, the four main styles are autocratic, democratic, laissez-faire (or delegative), and transformational. These four serve as foundational categories that encompass a wide range of approaches in different contexts.

Can someone change their leadership style over time?

Absolutely. It’s actually important for effective leaders to adapt their approach over time, based on situations and the needs of their team. This may require them to evolve their style as they gain experience and encounter new challenges—a process that involves self-awareness, continuous learning, and a willingness to embrace change. 

Which leadership style is most effective in high-pressure situations?

In high-pressure situations, an autocratic leadership style is generally considered the most effective. This is because it allows for quick decision-making and clear direction, which is crucial when immediate action is needed. 

How can I combine different leadership styles to be more effective?

You can combine different leadership styles by adapting your approach to the situation and your team. Be flexible. Consider the situation. Be self-reflective. Communicate openly. Listen to your team, involve them, and empower them. Be willing to learn continuously. Practice and repeat different leadership styles to expand your range. 

Choose Crummer to Develop Your Leadership Style

As you continue your leadership journey, consider Crummer Graduate School’s MBA and Leadership programs. Crummer’s mission is to develop global business leaders and innovators through experiential education which is why Crummer’s Graduate School of Business at Rollins College offers a variety of leadership programs, including: 

Crummer MBA

Each of Crummer’s MBA programs helps students develop interpersonal acumen in addition to business acumen. It also provides practical experiences to bridge the gap between leadership concepts and application.