7 Types Of Leadership Explained

At A Glance

Autocratic
Laissez-Faire
Servant
Transformational
Democratic
Affiliative
Coaching

Here are the seven types of leaders explained.

#1. Autocratic Leadership Style

You might think at first that there should only be one kind of leader. A good leader. And I wholeheartedly agree. Every leader should make an effort to be positive, genuine, and supportive of their team.

But not everyone operates in the same way. There are different leadership styles, just like there are different emcee styles, and there can be some big differences between them.

The first type of leader I’ll talk about is known as the autocratic leader. This leadership style focuses on achieving a clear end goal, sometimes without regard for anyone else.

An autocratic leader often makes decisions and gives orders without seeking input or feedback from followers. In an autocratic leadership style, the leader has complete control over the decision-making process and the team’s direction. But this can make for a pretty unfair leadership style.

Autocratic leaders don’t like to be questioned, and they want their team members to follow their lead without question.

What Makes A Good LEADER?

Not all leaders are necessarily good. Though we all like it when we can get paired up with a good leader, that doesn’t always happen.

Here are six qualities that any good LEADER should have. Make sure you’re working on fine-tuning these characteristics on your own!

L – Listening Skills

Any good leader needs to be able to listen to their followers. The input and feedback of your employees can be exceptionally valuable, and it shouldn’t go to waste!

E – Empathy

Good leaders seek to understand the problems and perspectives of those on their team.

A – Accountability

We all know a leader that likes to pin the blame on anyone else but themselves. That’s not the sign of a good leader. Good leaders know how to hold themselves accountable.

D – Decision-Maker

Decisiveness is a great quality everyone should have. Good leaders know how to make informed and timely decisions.

E – Emotionally Intelligent

There’s often a certain amount of emotion floating around the office. Leaders should know how to handle their own emotions and the emotions of others.

R – Resilience

Leaders need to be able to lead. It does no good if your leader has no passion and doesn’t care about the company’s mission. Good leaders are resilient and know how to adapt to changes and setbacks.

#2. Laissez-Faire Leaders

Laissez-faire leaders are also often called delegate leaders. This is a hands-off approach to leadership that prioritizes the freedom and capabilities of the team members. It’s very much the opposite of autocratic leadership.

In French, the term laissez-faire loosely translates to the English phrase let it be. The laissez-faire leader provides minimal supervision and support and allows their employees to determine their own goals and objectives.

#3. Servant Leadership

Servant leaders make their primary goal to serve the team. They are perhaps the most selfless leader and altogether drop any personal agenda to help their team and the company succeeds.

Instead of worrying about their own personal goals, they focus on the goals of the team.

#4. Transformational Leadership Styles

Transformational leadership, or visionary leadership, is centered around big-picture goals. These types of leaders set objectives focused on the organizational mission.

Transformational leaders are also great at inspiring their teams. Transformational leaders can build a solid and motivated team by encouraging and motivating them to work towards a shared vision.

However, this type of leadership typically only works when a clear goal is already set.

#5. Democratic Style

The democratic leadership style is just what it says – democratic. These leaders prioritize the feedback and input of their employees when working.

They want all employees to have a voice and do their best to consider all their team members’ concerns or ideas. They value the contributions of their team members and work with them to develop solutions to problems and challenges.

#6. Affiliative Leaders

Many leaders typically put the needs of the company or organization first. And while that is important for any professional team, it’s not all that being a leader is about.

For example, affiliate leaders choose to put the needs and desires of their employees above all else. In addition, affiliative leaders prioritize team harmony and collaboration and encourage their team members to support and help each other.

It’s a very effective leadership style when team morale is lacking.

#7. Coaching Leadership Style

Have you ever had a great coach before? That was a type of leadership in and of itself. The coaching leadership type is about training employees to be their best version.

Coaching leaders give employees direction and guidance to hone their skills and talents. In addition, the leader often works closely with the team to identify strengths and weaknesses. And this is the foundation of any coaching process!

Coaching leaders also provide ongoing feedback to their teams. The growth and development opportunities they offer their team never end.

They always support their team to be better and better!

For example, as I learned to become a successful corporate emcee, I had a few great leaders who helped coach me on my way. This type of leadership is effective and can help employees thrive!