Leading to Success
Greer Campbell • May 16, 2022
Ever been in an interview, and the first question you get it, “Describe your leadership style for us!” What are you saying? “Uhhh…positive?”. You know your capabilities and effectiveness as a leader, now it’s time to communicate that. There are many different leadership styles, and many ways to assess what type of leader you show up as, let’s dive into it!
10 Most Common Leadership Styles and Their Meanings
- Coach – Recognizes team strengths, weaknesses, and motivators.
- Benefits: Positive and promotes development
- Challenges: Time consuming with one-on-ones
- Visionary – Progress-focused and inspirational
- Benefits: Unite teams, grow company, improve processes
- Challenges: Too focused on big picture, missing details of present day
- Servant – People first mindset, emphasis on employee satisfaction
- Benefits: Boost employee loyalty, productivity, and development
- Challenges: Burnout, hard time being authoritative
- Autocratic – Focused on results and efficiency
- Benefits: Promote productivity through delegation and direct communication
- Challenges: Lack flexibility, high stress environment
- Laissez-faire – Delegating tasks, little supervision
- Benefits: Encourages accountability and creativity leading to higher retention
- Challenges: Not effective with new employees, lack of training and attention to detail
- Democratic – Asks for input, and considers feedback from the team
- Benefits: Employee empowerment, value, and sense of unification
- Challenges: Inefficient and costly, always gathering big groups and waiting for feedback
- Pacesetter – Focused on performance, set high standards, accountability
- Benefits: Push employees to hit goals and accomplish objectives. Promotes high energy environment
- Challenges: Stressful environment, always worried about a deadline
- Transformational – Clear communication, goal setting, driven by organizational objectives
- Benefits: Boosts company morale and retention. Values ethics of organization and team
- Challenges: Can lead to team or company wins going unnoticed, overlooks details
- Transactional – Goal oriented, provides incentives for wins and disciplinary measures for losses
- Benefits: Achieve goals and set a clearly defined structure
- Challenges: Company struggles with adversity, style is unmotivating
- Bureaucratic – Rule oriented
- Benefits: Leads to efficiency, avoid clouding team’s ability to hit goals
- Challenges: Does not promote creativity, restricting to employees
As you can see, there are various styles of leadership, that all come with their advantages and disadvantages. It’s important to recognize what type of leader you are, and be mindful and aware of the challenges faced, to ensure you have implementations set to counteract these challenges.
How do I find out what type of leader I am?
Now that you know the different types of leadership styles, it’s time to find out which you resonate closest with! Of course, you can look at the definitions of each and take a guess, but most of the results you will find is whichever style sounds best, which will not be accurate. See below for other effective ways to find out your true leadership style and start developing your approach!
- Leadership assessments
- Myers-Briggs test
- CARES profile assessment
- Gallups Strength Finder
- Career Coaching or Mentors
- Sign up to meet with a career coach or mentor, so you can have a real-life conversation about your approach in the workplace, challenges you face, things that motivate you, and let the coach assess all your information and give you extensive background on what style of leader you are, why, and how to effectively lead your team to success
- Professional Development Programs
- Join a professional development program to collaborate with other leaders and gain insight on the pros and cons of each style through concrete examples, and activities on how to be the best leader
As a leader, you have a team looking to you for direction and advice on how they can become like you! It’s important to be the most authentic, engaging leader you can, for the positive development of your team and organization.
For more information on leadership, please contact us at DT@diverse-talent.com
While we are only 2 months into 2025, it may feel we’ve lived many lifetimes already. February is Black History Month, and this year it is essential to celebrate and support leaders and people of influence more than ever. As media coverage and information continue to grow at the tip of our fingers, it’s easy to feel that being just one person, you can’t make a huge difference for huge causes, but that is not the case. As professionals, every year we meet with our team, with our supervisors, and focus on goal setting. One major suggestion when entering this planning stage, has always been to set achievable goals. Don’t create chaos in your mind trying to achieve an unachievable goal, our supervisors tell us. The same goes for support change and community. You don’t have to be a major donor to a cause, or a legislator, decision-maker to be the change you want to see. Black history month is and always has been essential to education and honoring stories and perspectives of those that paved the way for communities of the present and future. Below, we’ve outlined ways to be an ally and support Black History Month this month, and every month after. Shop Local, Black Owned Businesses Small businesses thrive off community support. Individual care and attention go into each service and product a local business produces. So, next time you need a coffee on the go, a brunch spot to meet your friends, a new work outfit, or a concert for your next weekend outing, do a google search of black owned businesses around you, try it out, and refer your friends. Educate Yourself Did you know it was a black woman, Marie Van Brittan Brown, that invented the first home security system, which included a camera, peepholes, and a two-way communication system? Or a black man, Garrett Morgan, who invented the 3-light traffic light? Many life changing and saving innovations are credited to people of color, specifically African American people. Doing research and educating yourself on black leaders and people of influence can continue the knowledge and support of the black community, and further the narrative that teams and ideas flourish under diverse perspectives. Volunteer Act, to make change. Research organizations and causes that support racial justice, social equality, and community development. Join groups that work together to support community and engage your skill sets to work together and make a change. Ask the Questions, Use Your Voice See something, say something. If you see a coworker experiencing discrimination, call it out. If your organization is not operating inclusively, set a meeting with your manager to start the conversation. For more information on causes to support, where to start, and how to make change, contact Diverse Talent.
As the New Year kicks off, leaders are invited to take time to redefine aspirations for personal and professional growth. Goal setting as a leader helps to push forth an environment of accountability and ambition within teams. By embracing SMART goals ( S pecific M easurable A chievable R elevant T ime-bound) leaders provide strategy and achievable goals that resonate with evolving demands of 2025. If you are finding yourself drawing a blank in beginning the stages of goal setting for 2025, see below for a guide and items to consider adding to your spread: Begin by reflecting on the past year. What went well? What challenges arose? What needs to be discontinued? Identifying achievements and problem areas from the previous year can help in defining where to focus in the new year. This reflective process lays the groundwork for future successes. Connect with different teams and lead discussions to gain all perspectives of previous work, with a clear understanding of past performance and data. Engage your Team. When charting the course for the company’s future, engaging the team in thoughtful dialogue to gather invaluable feedback about ongoing projects and programs helps leaders understand not only what has fueled the organization’s successes, but also what challenges remain. True growth stems not only from pursuing high targets, but also from embracing diverse perspectives and insights from your team. Set Accountability Measures. Once your goals are set, it’s imperative to continue check ins and maintain accountability throughout the year. Scheduling 360 reviews with your teams s not just a procedural obligation, but an essential practice to ensure everyone feels encouraged to receive and give feedback and gain valuable insights that can shape the professional development of the team. Moreover, continuing the refinement of established goals is vital for maintaining focus and direction. As your team engages in regular discussions about their objectives, it facilitates a dynamic process of assessment and adjustment. This ongoing refinement not only ensures that everyone remains aligned with the overall vision but also fosters individual accountability, making each team member a crucial part of the larger mission. Continue your Leadership Education and Professional Development. Continued education is at the forefront for continued success of your individual position and company. Sharpen your leadership skills and ensure you’re up to date on how to effectively lead your team with online or in person programs. Diverse Talent’s DT University is a virtual, 6-session course focused on refining leadership qualities and skills. Meet with a mentor each week and learn through facilitated conversations and workshops to enhance your leadership abilities. For more information, contact us at DT@diverse-talent.com , or visit our website at www.diverse-talent.com .
