How to Use Diverse Styles of Leadership to Grow Your Team

In his article “Leadership That Gets Results”, Daniel Goleman, has identified six different leadership styles, and he believes that good leaders will adopt one of these six styles to meet the needs of different situations. Think about it, when you assemble a team, each and every team member brings a set of unique qualities and skills to the table. By bringing this diverse talent pool together, an effective leader will uncover a mass of undiscovered talent and endless resources, just waiting to be tapped.

Through a steady stream of new ideas, and ways of looking at things, leadership can keep everyone energized, focused, and determined as they forge toward a successful outcome. Just as each team is unique, so are the team leaders. Finding the optimum style for getting the most out of your team may mean changing the script, as the situation dictates. Sometimes that involves stepping aside and allowing someone with a different style of leadership to take over.

If progress slows, for whatever reason, there are leaders among the members of your team whose style may be more effective in helping achieve the goal

Recognizing Leaders

Being able to recognize these leaders, and their individual styles, and knowing when the time is right to hand over the reins, can be tricky. Here are six distinct styles of leadership that exist in almost every team. There is an explanation of each, with a “catchphrase”, so you can recognize these leaders and how they’ll help drive your team toward success.

The Pacesetting Leader – “Do as I do.”

With a skilled, and motivated team, management can often be fooled into seeing members as self-starting and take a “hands off” approach. When team members appear to be on task, leadership is less likely to get involved in the day-to-day, fearful of upsetting the dynamics of this motivated group.

Just as a pacesetter sets the pace for others running the race the Pacesetting leader assumes to lead by example, expecting the rest of the team to rise to the occasion. A Pacesetter has little time for criticism or feedback. He or she is too busy setting the stride.

The team that benefits most is that team which appears to be self-starting. You don’t want them to lose their stride by not providing the motivation necessary to move ahead. Pacesetters are skilled at keeping everyone moving rapidly toward success.

The Authoritative Leader – “Come follow me.”

Circumstances and goals can change on a dime in business. A member of the team may leave, or the vision and perspective may change for whatever reason. Not all teams are equipped to regroup and move forward, albeit in a different direction.

An Authoritative leader works well when your team needs a boost in morale and enthusiasm for the mission. An uthoritative presence keeps the team on task and assumes a solid presence, standing firm, even in chaos. However, be careful not to let the Authoritative leader become too controlling. A controlling leader can become a dictator quickly, causing team members to feel disconnected, and they may go elsewhere.

The Affiliative Leader – “People come first!”

Sometimes, no matter how devoted a leader is to forging bonds with, and among, team members, nothing seems to work. Left without the bond of trust among the group members, things can quickly come undone, with backbiting, and undermining at every turn.

If the atmosphere surrounding your team seems to be one of stress, with members lacking in motivation, or worse, an atmosphere of distrust and drama, an Affiliative leader can help. Ever the fence mender, peacemaker, and relationship builder, Affiliative leaders can prevent the negative from taking over, restore optimism to the group, inspire and motivate through team building skills.

Though positive, upbeat and well-liked among the ranks, an Affiliative leader, by themselves isn’t always optimal for the long-haul. Team members can become complacent and may not give their best, if faced with complex challenges.

The Coaching Leader – “Why don’t you try this?”

Teams made up of experienced members are best served by the coaching style of leadership. Coaching leaders are adept at discovering team members strengths. Like the best athletic coaches, Coaching leaders provide direction and guidance, recognize raw skills and talent, and help advance these attributes, honing and encouraging, through give and take among the team.

When performance is low, or you’re just not seeing the results you want, it’s time to bring in the coach. Coaching leaders are best utilized when the team, for all of their experience, may not recognize the strategy of the company, or have no clear-cut idea of what’s expected of them. This leadership style can work wonders in injecting positive energy and motivation when needed.

The Coercive Leader – “Do as I say!”

The Coercive leader can be described as demanding, controlling and relentless when it comes to moving the team in the right direction. While these traits aren’t necessarily desirable on a daily basis, the Coercive leader works to the good of the team in a crisis. This style works best when there’s a need for immediate compliance, as in times of total turnaround, or corporate takeover. During these scenarios, the viability of the team depends on the coercive leader.

Coercive leadership styles are not good for the long-term, however. Over time, team members grow weary of the harsh and unyielding style of management. This can result in a breakdown of the team, dissension among the ranks, and eventually, the loss of quality team members.

The Democratic – “What do YOU think?”

This Democratic leader is given to open discussions, brainstorming sessions, and free flow of ideas. Facilitator is an apt description of the democratic leader. Because of the collaborative environment, a Democratic leader fosters trust and respect among the team members. There’s a stronger sense of commitment to the outcome, and a dedication to problem-solving when a democratic leader takes control.

This style would not work well when there’s a time constraint, or in a fast-paced environment. Collaboration takes time. Also, inexperienced teams, or teams that aren’t confident yet in their abilities would not benefit from a Democratic leadership style.

Obviously, no two leaders are alike, and the best leaders are a mixture of styles. When you recognize a strong style of leadership within your team, help that individual hone his or her skills.  You may be surprised at the qualities a different style of leadership can draw out of the same team. If your team is stuck, or you can’t seem to make any headway, consider trying something new. Everyone will benefit from quality leaders who can rise to the occasion when necessary.