Selecting the appropriate leadership style for a given situation is crucial for effective management and organizational success.
That’s right: Selecting your leadership style.
While our personality style might inform what feels most comfortable for us as leaders, it’s possible (and essential) for us to learn different ways to motivate and lead our teams through changes, challenges and crises.
As leaders, we can make strategic choices about which leadership style to employ. Different scenarios demand distinct approaches to leadership, and understanding when to apply each style can enhance team performance and morale.
Researchers have found that the most successful leaders have high emotional intelligence (also called EQ for short). This means they have developed self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation and empathy, so they understand their own emotional response to a situation and the needs of others so they can respond effectively.
By boosting your leadership EQ, you’ll have the emotional intelligence competencies and agility to use different leadership styles to drive results in different situations.
Daniel Goleman’s Six Leadership Styles
In his seminal 2000 Harvard Business Review article, “Leadership That Gets Results,” Daniel Goleman identified six leadership styles.
Each style has unique characteristics and situational applications:
1. Coercive Leadership (“Do what I say”)
This style demands immediate compliance and is effective in crisis situations when quick decisions are necessary. However, it can negatively affect morale and motivation if it’s overused.
2. Authoritative Leadership (“Come with me”)
Characterized by a clear vision and direction, this style motivates by making team members understand their roles in achieving organizational goals. While the leader sets the goal, folks have freedom to figure out how to achieve it. It’s most effective if you want a new vision or need clear direction.
3. Affiliative Leadership (“People come first”)
Focusing on creating emotional bonds and harmony, this style is beneficial for healing rifts in a team or motivating during stressful times. It’s not ideal if poor performance is an issue.
4. Democratic Leadership (“Everyone has a voice”)
By valuing team input and building consensus, this style is effective when collaboration is essential, new ideas are beneficial and organizational flexibility is valuable. It’s not usually successful in times of urgency or crisis because it can take time to reach consensus.
5. Pacesetting Leadership (“Do as I do”)
By the leader setting high standards and exemplifying them, this style works well with highly motivated and competent teams. However, it can overwhelm others if expectations feel unachievable or unrealistic. It may also frustrate some high achievers, who grow weary of the leader taking over.
6. Coaching Leadership (“What do you think we should do”)
Focusing on personal development, this style helps in building long-term strengths but requires time. A coach approach to leadership may not be suitable in urgent situations or when there are performance issues and isn’t helpful when staff are brand new and learning a role.
Aligning Leadership Styles with Situational Needs
Now that you’ve read through Coleman’s six leadership styles, you probably have a sense of when each style could be useful.
Understanding when to apply each is vital, and it may take practice for you to feel confident with some styles.
- Crisis Management
Coercive leadership is appropriate during emergencies requiring swift action. - Vision Implementation
Authoritative leadership is effective when introducing a new vision or direction. - Team Building
Affiliative leadership helps to strengthen team bonds and boost morale. - Decision-Making
Democratic leadership is valuable when you want to get input from team members and foster collaboration. - High-Performance Cultures
Pacesetting leadership suits fast-paced environments with self-motivated professionals aiming for excellence. - Employee Development
Coaching leadership is ideal for focusing on long-term professional growth.
Gaining Confidence in Adapting Leadership Styles
It’s not unusual for folks to feel uncomfortable or even ill-equipped to try different leadership styles. At Padraig, our executive coaches help leaders understand their personal (inherent) leadership style to then help them grow and develop in their leadership roles.
We’ve discussed the importance of adapting leadership styles to various situations. The more informed leaders are, the more agile they can be in how they respond in the moment.
Embracing diverse leadership styles can enhance organizational effectiveness. Transformational styles of leadership have the potential to improve sales, innovation and employee motivation.
Incorporating in-the-moment coaching into your leadership style can reap huge benefits. By asking questions and encouraging team members to think for themselves, in-the-moment coaching builds confidence and problem-solving abilities.
Developing your cultural intelligence is also important in today’s diverse workplaces and global marketplace because misunderstandings arise when we don’t understand different cultural perspectives.
Effective leaders keep learning because they recognize that no single leadership style is universally applicable.
By assessing the specific needs of their team and the challenges at hand, leaders adapt their style to optimize outcomes, foster a positive work environment and drive organizational success.
Coach’s Questions
Have you ever thought about adapting your leadership style? Are there leadership situations that are frustrating you right now? Could a new approach to leading help? Which leadership styles would push you outside your comfort zone? Why? What would help you feel more confident to try a new leadership style?
