12 styles of leadership
“Never leave the planet without one,” said Chris Hadfield, Canadian astronaut and once commander of the International Space Station.
On 15 November 1995, Hadfield docked at the Russian Mir space station for a five-day mission. Unfortunately, just days earlier, NASA engineers had sealed the hatch to Mir too tightly, preventing Hadfield from entering. So he broke into it with a Swiss Army knife.
Just as the standard Swiss Army knife has 12 tools to solve a wide range of problems, there are 12 leadership styles to lead effectively in different settings.
1. Affiliative - “Let harmony reign”
An affiliative leader adopts a people-first approach and attempts to create a peaceful work environment. They focus on building team bonds while quickly resolving any team conflicts. They put a high value on the team’s emotional needs.
Famous affiliative leader: The Dalai Lama
2. Autocratic - “Do what I tell you”
This style is centred around the boss, where they make decisions on their own with little input from subordinates. A useful style in situations where quick decision-making is required.
Famous autocratic leader: Napoleon Bonaparte
3. Bureaucratic - “Follow the procedures”
This style is all about rules, structures and systems to get things done to a high degree. They set strict procedures which they follow precisely and expect their subordinates to do the same.
Famous bureaucratic leader: Winston Churchill
4. Coaching - “I support your growth”
Coach-type leaders teach, motivate, and develop others into leaders. They are strong in providing encouragement and giving meaningful feedback.
Famous coaching leader: Andrew Carnegie, who coached Charles M. Schwab
5. Democratic - “Your opinion matters”
While they are ultimately responsible for making the final decisions, democratic leaders include team members in the decision-making process by asking for their thoughts and opinions.
Famous democratic leader: Nelson Mandela
6. Laissez-faire - “I trust you”
Laissez-faire leaders are known for giving their team members a lot of freedom. They will provide support and resources for team members when it’s necessary, and don’t micromanage.
Famous laissez-faire leader: Warren Buffet.
7. Pacesetting - “Rise to my standards”
Just like in competitive running, a pacesetter sets the pace for others to meet it. This style focuses on performance and expects excellence from their team. Often they will jump into the work themselves to make sure goals are met.
Famous pacesetting leader: Jack Welch
8. Paternalistic - “Father knows best”
Paternalistic leaders view themselves as the “head of the family”. They know what’s best for the organisation and always have an employee’s best interests at heart. In turn the leader expects trust, obedience, and loyalty. This style of leadership is prevalent amongst the Chinese community.
Famous paternalistic leader: Lee Kuan Yew
9. Servant - “My job is to meet your needs”
Servant leaders are generous, and they work hard to ensure the growth and well-being of their people. They value people for who they are, not just for their work. They share power and put the needs of others first.
Famous servant leader: Mahatma Gandhi
10. Transactional - “You are rewarded when you achieve your goals”
A results-oriented approach is practised with this style, where employees are externally rewarded when they attain intended goals (usually with money), or reprimanded when there are deviations.
Famous transactional leader: Elon Musk
11. Transformational - “If we want to survive and thrive in the future, we need to change”
A transformational leader is all about initiating change in organisations and groups so that there is constant improvement. Typically, they set challenging expectations and will motivate and challenge team members to do more than originally intended to achieve outcomes they never thought were possible.
Famous transformational leader: Satya Nadella, Microsoft CEO
12. Visionary - “I have a dream!”
A visionary leader has a clear vision of what the future of the company looks like and the needs of its customers. This style uses the power of the charismatic personality and skilled verbal communication to influence their followers.
Famous visionary leader: Steve Jobs
Each of these leadership styles have their pros and cons. Just like the Swiss Army knife, each tool can be wielded to suit a wide range of situations, and there is no single tool to solve everything.
The same can be said about leadership styles. Be it to achieve strategic or operational goals or control or empower their employees, effective leaders are able to switch effortlessly between styles to best suit the situation at hand. ●