Six leadership styles

The leadership style of any organization depends on the nature of the organization, its philosophy, its mission, its people, the tasks that need to be undertaken, the culture of the organization. Thus the nature of leadership differs from organization to organization. There are six main styles of leadership that are prevalent today:

Visionary style : When the organization is resetting direction and goals for the future. The leader clearly explains the new perspective and allows individual to experiment, innovate and work towards the new target on their own.

Coaching style: Here leaders advise and develop people on a personal basis after ascertaining their strengths and weaknesses. This works best when people have trust in their leader and his ability to steer them in the right direction.

Affiliative style: This style works best when group members face problems – personal or professional. The leader helps his team bond and work together and fosters trust, communication and healthy team spirit among them. This style encourages groups rather than individuals.

Democratic/Participative style: This style is common when the path to the goal is not clear. The leader welcomes suggestions from all and the whole team gets involved in making a joint decision. This style is effective when the leader can clearly spell out the goals and assign specific roles and tasks to members who are competent and can work for the benefit of the organization.

Pacesetting style: This is common among high performing leaders who expect high standards of performance from the team. These leaders may demotivate individuals who cannot work to their standards

Directive/Commanding style: In this style leaders command and order rather than guide and motivate. There is little praise for good work and lots of criticisms leading to low morale and poor performance. This works only in times of crisis or when team performance is extremely poor.