If Harry Potter needed the "sorting hat" to know which house he belonged to, a person who wants to be a good leader also needs to know what types of leadership he/she fits into. These are a few best leadership style examples you should learn from.
Overview
| How many Types of Leadership? | 8 |
| Who invented the term 'leadership'? | Samuel Johnson's |
| When was 'leadership' invented? | 1755 |
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Types of Leadership
Types of leadership or Leadership style are a method or way to help leaders make plans and directions as set implementation goals. At the same time, they show encouragement, sharing, influence, and motivation to all subordinate staff.
From an employee's point of view, leadership style is based on their leader's explicit or implied actions. Types of leadership are also a factor that directly affects the management effectiveness of leaders.
Different Types of Leadership and Their Importance
A good leader does not mean that you always apply only one leadership style to every different employee, but you need to choose types of leadership that are suitable for their level.
Many people fail to manage the team because they are not aware of this.
For example, they set too high demands on new staff or give good employees too little space to be proactive and creative at work. These make lower-level employees lack trust or remain obedient but do not feel comfortable bringing out their full potential.
Therefore, if you want to make the most of human resources or build high-performing teams (talent, intelligence, enthusiasm, etc.), leaders need to have a deep understanding of different types of leadership, refer to various leadership style examples, and learn how to apply them in managing employees or teams.
Benefits of Knowing what type of leadership is suited? In addition, knowing what kind of leaders you fit into has the following benefits:
- Strengthen the necessary leadership skills
- Improve communication and collaboration
- Increase employee engagement and feedback
- Improve team performance
- Retain employees longer
7 Types of Leadership Examples
Participative Leadership Examples
Participative leadership, also known as Democratic leadership, is a clear example of a leadership style in which members are more involved in the decision-making process.
The democratic type of leadership allows individuals to freely discuss and share ideas. While the focus is on group equality and the free sharing of ideas, the leader is still primarily responsible for the final opinion.
In different types of leadership, participative leadership is one of the most effective management styles to improve team productivity, and members' ability to contribute to common goals and improve morale and internal cohesion.
This leadership approach can be applied to any organization, from private businesses to schools and government agencies.
Real-life examples: George Washington
- Washington is exceptionally democratic when it comes to guiding the US government.
- He showed early signs of his democratic leadership style by appointing strong leaders for his employees.
- His decision not to serve a third term set the example of a democratic leader who knew when to pass the torch.
Autocratic Leadership Example
In this leadership style, the leader is the one who holds all the power and makes the decisions. They often assign tasks and show their employees how to do those tasks without listening to employees' suggestions.
They manage organizations and businesses with their own will, rejecting the will and initiative of all members.
There are many opinions that the imperative/authoritarian leadership style limits work efficiency and creates a tense atmosphere for the team. However, this style does not mean constantly scolding or telling employees. If applied correctly, this style can be effective.
Real-life examples:
- Elon Musk - is famous as a leader with an iron fist and even openly threatens to fire employees who dare to go beyond the limit.
- Steve Jobs - The head of Apple is known to have a high degree of control over and is a high micromanager. He was even kicked out of the company for a while due to his autocratic style.
Transactional Leadership Example
Transactional Leadership focuses on controlling, organizing, and short-term planning for projects and campaigns.
Leaders in this style are leaders or managers who carry out activities that motivate employees to work through rewards, punishments, and incentives. Họ có thể rèn luyện các kỹ năng cho nhân viên như giải quyết vấn đề,
If the subordinate does well and completes the work correctly or better than expected, they will be rewarded. On the contrary, employees will be penalized if their work is not effective.
Real-life example:
- Howard Schultz - was the chairman and CEO of Starbucks Coffee from 1986 to 2000 and then from 2008 to 2017.
- He turned a small local coffee chain into one of the most famous brands in the world.
- Power, loyalty, employee training, consistency, employee motivation, and side benefits are all values that Schultz demands of its employees.
Laissez-faire Style of Leadership Example
Need a laissez-faire leadership example? The laissez-faire style is the most liberal form of leadership. Laissez-faire in French means let them do.
For example, in a start-up, you will find that the director does not make any general rules/policies about working hours or project completion time. They put all their trust in their employees and focus almost their time on running the company.
Distinctive features of the laissez-faire leadership style:
- Managers do not interfere in the work of employees at all but are always devoted to training and supporting employees.
- All decisions are made by the employee. Management can give direction at the beginning of the project, but later on, team members can carry out their tasks without constant supervision.
Research shows that this style often results in the lowest team productivity. However, this approach still has advantages in some cases.
Real-life example: Queen Victoria
- “Heaven helps those who help themselves,” was often used to promote the Victorian leadership style in the United Kingdom.
- This era is also known as the Age of Individualism, as many people worked hard using their skills and talents to help create one of the richest and most powerful nations at that time.
Transformational - Leadership Style Examples
As the name suggests, transformational leaders are always ready to transform and improve. Employees will be assigned tasks and goals to achieve on a weekly/monthly basis.
Although goals may seem simple at the beginning, leaders could speed up deadlines or come up with more challenging goals - especially with senior employees.
This style is highly recommended for companies with a growth mindset - thanks to its ability to motivate employees to reach their full potential.
When implementing this approach, employees must receive appropriate coaching to successfully fulfill new responsibilities.
Real-life example:
- Barack Obama is famous for running the White House with a transformative style. He encourages everyone who works for him to be open about their ideas and thoughts for improvement.
- He is not afraid of change and encourages it to everyone who works with him.
Charismatic - Leadership Style Examples
Have you ever met someone who radiates intense charisma? This inexplicable charisma is something charismatic leaders -
charismatic leadership abound.Charismatic leaders use their communication, encouragement, and personality strengths to motivate others to behave in a particular way towards a common goal.
This leadership ability depends on the leader's eloquence, firm belief in their mission, and ability to make their followers or subordinates feel the same way.
Real-life example: Adolf Hitler
- Known as one of the most hated men in the world, Adolf Hitler rose to power purely based on his respiratory skills, a key trait of charismatic leaders.
- He moved his listeners by reinforcing that the Germans were direct descendants of the Aryan, Ergo race and were better than anyone else.
- He used his charismatic leadership traits to blame the fall of the Germans on the Jews.
How to Choose the Right Types of Leadership
All leadership styles have their strengths and weaknesses, and deciding what types of leadership belong to many factors:
Know Yourself Well
Who you are? What is your capacity? What is your aim?
These questions are important when choosing, maintaining, and developing your leadership style and are reflected in two aspects:
- First, you should be honest and aware of your abilities. Be prepared to listen to feedback from someone you trust, some advisor, or your staff member, and more importantly, evaluate yourself.
- Second, you should acknowledge and be honest with your beliefs. If you truly believe in a leadership style, you will tend to change your thoughts and behaviors to match that style.
Learn About Employee Needs
You can tailor types of leadership to suit real-world situations but never ignore the needs of your employees. An employee cannot stick to his or her mission if the leader has a leadership style that does not match their needs. You can use tools like surveys and polls to get feedback from employees or organize a town hall meeting.
Ready to Change
One of the core elements of any leader. No matter how hard you try, and how many goals you achieve, it is not perfect. Therefore, you need to know exactly what you are doing, listen and be ready to correct when necessary.
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Key Takeaways
Leadership style is the method and form to achieve the goals of the organisation. To have a comprehensive picture of excellent leadership skills, you can also observe well-known leaders and their leadership styles and then learn from them. In business, no one can predict everything that will happen, so depending on the different situations, you must be consistent, intelligent, and confident in choosing one or several types of leadership.
But no matter what type of leader, do not forget to motivate employees and help them be creative and inspired at work with live presentations. Good luck!
