When our Director of Digital Resources told me that our next blog series needed to address leadership styles, I wasn’t thrilled.
I knew I had experienced different leadership styles throughout my life, but I wasn’t sure how to describe or think about them.
Then, I came across Rebecca Knight’s article in the Harvard Business Review. In it, she draws on Daniel Goleman’s work to describe six primary leadership styles.
- Coercive leadership style–This style is characterized by top-down decision-making, an authoritarian approach, and a demanding, do-what-I-say attitude.
- Authoritative leadership style–The authoritative leadership style, not authoritarian, involves motivating your team members by connecting their work to a larger organizational strategy, helping them understand how their day-to-day tasks contribute to a greater purpose.
- Pacesetting leadership style–This leadership style involves holding yourself and others to high standards.
- Affiliative leadership style–This leadership style involves building strong emotional bonds, creating a sense of camaraderie and team spirit, and fostering a positive and supportive workplace.
- Democratic leadership style–The democratic leadership style involves empowering your team to have a voice in decision-making.
- Coaching leadership style—This coaching style focuses on individual growth and involves dedicating time to understanding your team members’ long-term goals for personal and professional development.
As I reviewed this list, I started categorizing the different leaders in my life.
My first leaders were my parents. Although they tend to be more reserved, they are hardworking and thorough. They primarily used the Pacesetting leadership style to set the direction for our family. (Sometimes, they would have to use the Coercive style if I was way out of bounds.)
My first boss (and uncle) used the Coaching leadership style. He was a patient teacher who showed me HOW.
After college, my first career-level boss primarily embraced the Coercive leadership style. In one meeting, he said, “I’m driving the bus. If you don’t like it, you can get off.” Now, at first, you may think, “That’s crazy.” But, the organization was in the start-up phase, and the situation may have demanded that level of control.
One of my bosses, whose background was in the military, employed the Affiliative style. His family invited college students who worked for them to live in their spare bedrooms in the summer. Those team members still connect with him regularly 25 years later.
You see my point, don’t you?
Great leaders are varied, and as Daniel Goleman says, “Being a great leader means recognizing that different circumstances may call for different approaches.”
Your homework for this week’s blog is to identify your primary leadership style from this list.
Mine is a mixture of the Authoritative (I love to talk about the greater purpose.) and Pacesetting (The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.) styles.
Those styles naturally fit who I am, but I must also use the other styles when appropriate. And that can be difficult because it feels inauthentic.
If you feel the same way, think of Leadership Styles like tools in a carpenter’s belt. Sometimes, you use a tape measure. Others, you use a screwdriver. Every once in a while, you need to use the hammer.
Use the tool you are most comfortable with most of the time, but also use the others.
