Largely created by the Covid-19 pandemic, present-day shifts in organizational trends accentuates how different leadership styles impact the effectiveness of your efforts. While several different leadership styles exist in today’s world, the most effective one directly depends on you and your team culture. Becoming a good leader requires a great deal of time, patience, and effort-with the ability to carry on these acquired skills throughout your career. Personally witnessing leader-related impacts on teams in over 500 businesses, our very own company CEO, Michael Rash, describes the common traits of the effective leaders he has seen.
“Successful leaders demonstrate the ongoing strength in making tough decisions and follow through with accountability,” he quotes. “Self awareness encourages these leaders by establishing the impact they want to have on their team, organization, and the rest of the world.”
While responding to regular demands and making daily difficult decisions consumes a majority of your time, genuinely examine your leadership style to further understand the direct impact on your team. To meet the constantly changing needs of your team, you may need to consider adopting a new leadership style.
While several different styles of leadership can mold an individual, many leaders can fit into one of these nine styles.
Autocratic leadership: The most sternest type, autocratic leaders tend to hold outright control over the decision-making process. Allowing little to no outside input from others, this leadership style can be effective when decision-making is urgent or strong, directive leadership is needed.
Bureaucratic leadership: One step down from autocratic leaders, bureaucratic leaders also tend to enforce rigid regulations and hierarchy statuses while creating impersonal relationships . This leadership style can be effective in healthcare and safety environments.
Charismatic leadership: With an infectious presence motivating their team to follow lead, charismatic connect company goals to the personal goals of employees. A likeable quality helps them and their teams achieve success in business. This leadership style can be effective in high-energy work environments that need a lot of positive morale.
Democratic leadership: Contrary to autocratic or bureaucratic leaders, democratic leaders often encourage and welcome subordinate participation in decision-making. Often admired for its focus on inclusion and mutual respect, it can be effective in creative work environments that don’t require quick decisions.
Laissez-faire leadership: Laissez-faire leaders demonstrate a hands-off approach-letting their employees assume responsibility in the decision-making process. However these leaders must still set employee expectations and track performance to ensure successful progress. With a focus on personal growth and innovation, this leadership style can be effective when working with highly experienced and confident employees.
Servant leadership: Servant leaders share power with their subordinates and opt to direct the organization based on the interests of the team. By effectively providing personalized support based on the needs of others in the team, this leadership style can be effective for humanitarian organizations, nonprofits, and teams that need to create diversity, inclusion, and morale.
Situational leadership: Situational leaders encompass all leadership types and implement a range of them while further modifying their style based on the needs of their employees and the environment. Because of its versatility, this type of leadership can be effective in most organizations.
Transactional leadership: A transactional leadership values structure, order, and rules; implementing a reward/consequence system to motivate employees to achieve success and discourage them from failure. This leadership style can be effective for teams who are motivated by rewards and financial incentives.
Transformational leadership: Similar to charismatic leaders, transformational leaders leverage their exhilarating energy to create an infectious workplace working towards a clear goal. Generally more effective than charismatic leadership, it also motivates teams to build confidence by providing accountability. It can be effective in organizations that have intellectual team members who thrive in interactive environments.
Evidently, each leadership style embraces its own list of advantages and disadvantages, but only some styles appear more effective.
Why You Should Find Out Your Leadership Style
The foundation of any good leader-self awareness provides deeper insight in understanding which leadership style works best with you and those in your organization. With a knowledge of personal leadership style, you can show up effectively in any organization-with the ability to adapt as the culture continues to evolve.
Furthermore, clear vision and communication is the key of any quality leader. The ability to listen and communicate with those in your team creates a community driven to achieve the same goals.
With a more employee focused approach in today’s workforce society, it’s critical that leaders take effort in appropriately matching the existing culture. By setting good examples for your employees and focusing on their success, they will more likely follow suit and work to their highest potential.
Furthermore, you will build a culture of trust when you demonstrate your abilities to stand up and support them-even through the tougher times.
As we mentioned above, becoming a leader requires commitment, and if you or another are struggling to meet expectations-whether it be retaining talent, maintaining a positive working environment, taking disciplinary measures when needed, etc.-there is a sense of urgency! Larger organizations may currently be offering your existing team members compensation far more than you can provide, and it’s time that you leverage an offensive approach to retain them.
Contact our team here at MCDA CCG, INC., as your first step in retaliation, where our team of business experts can help you develop strategies appropriate to your business and position. Located in Placentia, Orange County, California, we understand what it takes to be an effective leader-no matter the industry. The call is free, contact us today!