Leadership Management Styles

Just as there are different types of leadership, there are also different styles of leadership determined by how a leader behaves towards a task or the people. Just as there is no one best leadership type, there is not one preferred leadership style. We will begin with a style that combines the leader and member relationships, the leader’s power in their position, and the task that is required to be completed.

Situational Leadership states that the style of leadership is best determined by the situation. Some situations may require an autocratic leader, while other situations may require another leadership type. The people and the task would determine which leadership style would be most successful. You might think of the leadership necessary to move a military unit through a difficult enemy situation. That situation would be difficult and require direction without question. In this situation, taking a vote or allowing all members to participate in decision-making would likely result in possible danger for the military unit. Some situations require quick action and less follower involvement such as in the example above, but a military type of leadership style would not work in all situations. The situational leadership theory would focus on the people and tasks to determine the ideal leadership style needed. The situation dictates the way the leader performs.

In contrast to situational decisions about leadership styles, the transactional leadership style focuses on people who exercise the authority of their position to lead and to tell others what tasks to perform. Transactional leaders are more focused on their authority and dictating what the followers should be doing. This type of leader might not ask what other employees think of a decision because their authority allows them to make final decisions. Transactional leaders are different from autocratic leaders because transactional leaders rely on the threat of punishment to motivate employees. Autocratic leaders make decisions alone but do not always use that authority to rule by threat. You might have experienced a transactional leader if you have ever worked for someone who told you not to question authority.

Transformational leadership, on the other hand, is about changing the culture of the organization to transform the people who work there. Transformational leaders raise people’s expectations of themselves and what they can accomplish. They focus on the vision of what the organization can achieve and how teamwork can get them to that goal. This type of leadership can lead to change in the culture of an organization because it empowers followers to set higher goals for themselves, to focus on change, and work together to achieve that change. The transformational leader thrives in an underperforming organization. They can change the way people work and get them excited about the organization’s goals. Transformative leadership is not a long-term leadership style, but it can be warranted when change is necessary.

Some leaders are called to serve others, to make a change, or to assist with something bigger than themselves. We refer to these as servant leaders. Their leadership starts with the desire to be a follower, but changes to a leadership role as they take more responsibility and make more decisions. We might think of servant leaders as reluctant leaders, where service to others is their primary motive. As an example of this leadership style, think about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who had a call to serve others and ended up taking on a leadership role and changing society and governments in the process.

Finally, the last type of leadership is authentic leadership. People who understand they are leaders and willingly take on the responsibility exemplify this style. Authentic leaders combine two qualities; a deep understanding of one’s own internal emotional state, values, and beliefs, and the commitment to behave in a way consistent with those beliefs (Zimmer, 2021). These leaders tend to be aware of the balance and responsibilities related to leadership and are self-aware of their strengths and weaknesses. Authentic leaders may end up as transformational leaders. Transformational leaders arise when an organization needs to change, and authentic leaders have underlying values of hope and optimism which make them ideally suited to step in when an organization requires transformative leadership.

There are various styles of leadership, and not all styles work universally. As organizational leaders, we might all strive to have an important impact on our company, but knowing the environment and the type of leadership style that is required makes the difference in how successful a leader can be in any organization.