Leadership Styles: Qualities and Skills 

• Affiliative leaders foster positive group dynamics.
• Authoritative leaders provide clear direction and require compliance.
• Autocratic leaders maintain complete control and decision-making powers.
• Charismatic leaders use sociable and charming personality traits to persuade followers.
• Coaching leaders teach and motivate others to reach goals.
• Coercive leaders force people to follow instructions whether they want to or not.
• Command and control, also called bureaucratic, leaders establish strict rules and regulations.
• Democratic leaders focus on compromise and group consensus; they include others in decision-making.
• Innovative leaders foster creativity and adaptability.
• Laissez-faire leaders take a hands-off approach.
• Pacesetter leaders use emotional-leadership styles to drive employees to achieve goals at a high rate.
• Transactional leaders use a system of rewards and punishment.
• Servant leaders focus on serving the needs of the group and the greater good.
• Situational leaders adapt their style to different situations and people.
• Strategic leaders focuses use different management styles to develop adaptable strategies.
• Transformational leaders motivate others to grow both professionally and personally.

How to become a better leader

The workplace has changed dramatically over the last few years, with the increase of remote work and the growing importance placed on employee touchpoints, such as diversity, equity and inclusion. There are several leadership qualities that can be refined to help individuals become better leaders:

Become more self-aware. Great leaders know their strengths, weaknesses and effects on the people they lead. They set a good example and model good behavior. One way to become more self-aware is to seek feedback from those people.

Refine communication skills. Leaders should be effective and clear in their communication; they must also be good listeners. Communication should be based in openness, honesty and transparency. This involves setting clear goals and expectations and giving regular feedback to employees.

Connect with team members. Connections build trust, understanding and bonds that are critical for successful leadership. The best leaders should get to know the personalities and capabilities of their team members.

Encourage growth. The best leaders encourage their own, their colleagues’ and their employees’ or followers’ personal and professional growth. Encouraging growth strengthens bonds and trust between leaders and team members, and increases what teams can accomplish.

Be open to change. Change is inevitable in business; being open to it and encouraging new ideas and perspectives from team members can help leaders become more effective.

Develop positive attitudes. Responding to negative situations and problems with positive approaches and encouragement is a great way to model and improve problem-solving skills.

Seek out growth opportunities. Great leaders look for opportunities for continuous improvement and education. This can involve attending conferences, finding a mentor and reading books on leadership.