There Are 5 Types of Leaders — Which Are You?

“What makes a good leader?”

It’s a question that just about everyone has been asked at some point in their careers. These days, regardless of your industry or your position within an organization, you will be required to demonstrate leadership. While employers value education, training and skills, it’s the intangible, “soft” skills such as leadership that can make the difference between skyrocketing up the ladder and floundering in mid-level positions.

And while there are literally thousands of resources available to help people become better leaders, almost all of them start with the same basic premise: there are several leadership styles. While specific terms and descriptions vary, most experts agree that there are five basic types of leaders.

Authoritarian

When many people think of leaders, the authoritarian style of leader is the first thing that comes to mind. Authoritarian leaders are those who tell others what to do and how to do it, without seeking any input or feedback — and they have the power to enforce consequences when things aren’t done. Some leaders misconstrue an authoritarian leadership style to mean leading by threats, yelling or other demeaning behavior, but that’s not true leadership. It’s that misconception that leads most people to list this as their least preferred leadership style, but authoritarianism does have its place. In emergency situations or times when there are specific tasks that must be completed in a limited time frame, an authoritarian leader can ensure that everything runs smoothly.

Procedural

A procedural leader is similar to the authoritarian leader, in that someone who uses this style tends to do a lot of directing and managing of others’ tasks. However, unlike an authoritarian leader, who makes many decisions on his or her own, a procedural manager tends to be more “by the book.” In fact, some argue that these leaders aren’t really leaders at all, but are better described as managers, as they know the steps that must be taken and ensure that others take those steps. While procedural leaders tend to have excellent performance in terms of task completion, their rigid and inflexible nature makes it very difficult for change to occur within their organizations.

Transformational

Transformational leadership is perhaps the most popular style of leadership taught today in graduate business, management and public administration programs (click here for more information about a master’s in public administration). Transformational leaders are visionaries; they present the goal of the organization and the parameters for performance, but then allow their followers to go about reaching their goals in their own ways. These leaders tend to be enthusiastic and energetic, and believe that everyone has something to contribute, so they are constantly seeking feedback and new ideas and encouraging others to find new ways of tackling problems. While these leaders tend to have happier and more engaged teams, they can fall into the trap of focusing too much on the bigger picture and failing to manage day-to-day tasks.

Participative

Many companies have shifted toward a participative model of leadership in recent years in an attempt to create a more equitable environment and give everyone a sense of ownership of the organization and its goals. Participative leaders are “in the trenches” with their teams; they may delegate tasks and entire projects to them, or they may involve subordinates in important decision-making processes. They still maintain the final authority, but they also understand that they cannot possibly know everything, so they turn to their teams for information and feedback. While this tends to be a very democratic process that leads to happy and engaged employees, it can also create a “paralysis of analysis” situation, in which reaching a decision is impossible due to too much information.

Laissez-Faire

This style of leadership isn’t necessarily common among the upper echelons of most organizations, but tends to happen naturally within team environments or in businesses when the “official” leader or manager is not demonstrating effective leadership skills. Some leaders inadvertently slip into this style of leadership under the guise of being a transformational or participative leader, but in most competitive or high-stakes environments, it’s not an effective leadership style. Without the guidance of a leader who has final authority and some level of power and influence, quality and productivity is likely to suffer even with a capable stand-in leader.

Few — if any — leaders, fall into the same category for their entire career, and most people display characteristics from several leadership styles depending on the situation. However, understanding where your leadership tendencies generally fall and the benefits and drawbacks of that particular style can help you learn new skills and develop your leadership abilities, putting you in the ideal position to meet your own career goals.

About the Author: Blogger Janice Allsup holds a Master of Public Administration degree and a certificate in leadership.