7. Bureaucratic Leadership
For bureaucratic leaders, rules are more important than freedom of expression. Such leaders follow a set hierarchy and a fixed set of principles and do not appreciate when their team members exercise individual freedoms. Such leaders might consider the opinions of their team members but are under no obligation to follow these opinions.
Pros
- Suitable for organizations like the army, navy, and military
- Prevents chaos and conflicts that arise due to diverse opinions
Cons
- Makes people feel invalidated within an organization
- Takes away their creativity and freedom to exercise control
8. Laissez-Faire Leadership
Known to be one of the least intrusive leadership styles, this allows the employees to have a lot more freedom within an organization. It translates to ‘let them do’. It involves a leader that delegates authority and allows the decision-making process to be participative. Moreover, such leaders empower their team members and encourage them to hold themselves accountable. By doing this, they create a sense of intrinsic motivation within the team.
Pros
Allows individuals to exercise freedom and creativity
Makes individuals feel validated and appreciated for their efforts
Cons
Takes away the pressure that is sometimes needed to compel people to work
Without a central authority, the chances of chaos increase
9. Fear Based Leadership
More common than you think, this style of leadership is exercised by many popular leaders today. This involves leaders who are not secure in their position and feel that other people are out there to get them or to take over their jobs. This insecurity makes them hoard all the power for themselves and not delegate any of it to their team. Such leaders are also hesitant to take risks and hence rarely see exponential growth within their organization
Pros
- Keeps power central and thus inculcates unwavering obedience from followers
- Needed in times of crisis
Cons
- Makes people lose trust and faith in the brand and the leader
- Prevents people from developing creativity or exercising freedom
10. Strategic Leadership
Strategic leadership involves leaders that play the long game and use their wisdom, skill, and knowledge to help an organization reach its short-term and long-term goals. Moreover, these leaders strive to motivate and coach individuals, so they can help them reach their full potential. Strategic leaders are very intuitive and generally use their years of experience to come up with important decisions.
Pros
Helps team members make the best out of situations
Can help uplift a team or an organization that has lost all hope
Cons
May not be appreciated for their efforts as these leaders usually lead from behind
This may lead to slow progress at the start
11. Servant Leadership
Probably one of the most notable forms of leadership, at least in principle, this style requires leaders to serve others. It is embedded in a deep-rooted philosophy where the goal of the leader is to help others and decide for the good of everyone. Such leaders are different from traditional leaders, and their main focus is to help the company thrive and achieve exponential success for everyone involved.
Pros
Helps uplift an organization and uplift minorities within it
Create a domino effect that inspires other leaders to change
Cons
A capitalistic world often corrupts leaders who join with a noble cause
Leaders often end up losing the dominance that is needed to hold control
12. Transformational Leadership
Leaders generally want to create a change within the status quo. For transformational leaders, this takes precedence over everything else. These leaders identify problems within the status quo, carry out thorough research, devise plans to fix the status quo, and then deliver on their promises. Some of the most popular transformational leaders include Martin Luther King and Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
Pros
- Help fix the minor and major issues of society
- Have a high moral and ethical standards to follow
Cons
- Transformational leaders tend to aspire to unrealistic goals
- Requires a lot of capital and resources to fix the status quo
Which Is the Best Leadership Style Today?
The best leadership style is one that serves not just the leader, but also the organization that they are associated with. Inclusive, democratic, and participative leaders are quite popular because they serve the interests of the team and involve other people in the decision-making process. In short, there is no one best leadership style; it depends on how honest a leader is with their role and how much change they want to bring to the world.
How to Identify Your Leadership Style?
There are a couple of questions you should always ask yourself if you are unsure of your leadership style. Your answers will determine the kind of leader you will make. Here are some important questions.
- Do I value goals more than relationships?
- Do I believe in the absolute authority of the leader, or am I a champion of democracy?
- Do I prefer involving other people in the decision-making process?
- Do I focus more on the intrinsic or extrinsic form of motivation?
- Do I prioritize short or long-term goals?
Conclusion
After reading about the 12 styles of leadership, you would have guessed that most styles overlap with each other. This is why you mustn’t put yourself in a box and feel restricted by a particular style. You can pick and choose from different styles and create your unique leadership patterns. This will not only help you stand out in the crowd but will help you carve your path in this chaotic world.