What Defines Your Leadership Style?

What type of leader are you?

There are many different styles and approaches that someone in a managerial position can take. Ask yourself:

• How do you support your employees?
  
  
• Do you care if your employees are productive 100% of the time?
  
  
• Are you hands on or hands off manager?
  
  
• How do you handle employees when projects don't meet your expectations?
  
  
• Do you want to see the process or just the results?

These are some of the questions you need to ask yourself to determine if you are really managing to the benefit of you, those you supervise and for the overall good of your company.

Listed below are the 3 most common types of leadership styles seen throughout the business industry.

Can you identify with one of these, or are you a combination of a few?

3 Common Types of Leadership Styles:

Transactional

Leadership based upon performance results. Rewards and punishments are determined by a pre-set goals and are enforced by those in a managerial role. This style of leadership allows for managers to reward their team when performance is high and/or they accomplish goals.

Laissez-Faire

Simply put, a lazy approach to leadership. These type of leaders have very little interaction with those they supervise. This type of leadership prohibits employees who need direction and/or training from performing effectively. Often leads to high turnover, poor productivity and increasing costs.

Participative

Also known as the democratic leadership style, because this type of leader values a team effort. They are constantly working with their employees to build up productivity and morale. This type of leader boosts productivity, creativity, and revenue as they create trusting and engaged employees.

Qualities of a Great Leader:

It is pretty clear from the options above which style of leadership we believe is the best for your employees and your company. Being a participative leader will help your company boost productivity and foster loyalty among employees. It is important to do some deep digging to determine which qualities of your leadership style are worth keeping around and which ones are better off not used.

Additional qualities we see in great leaders across all industries:

• Vulnerability & Self Awareness
  
  
• Authentic & Sympathetic  
  
  
• Clear Vision & Strong Communication
  
  
• Commitment to Helping Others
  
  
• Keeping a Positive Attitude
  
  
• Rewarding employees for going above and beyond
• Ability to Inspire
  
  
• Know When to Ask For Help
  
  

Unfortunately, many leaders or those in managerial positions don’t stop to think about the implication of their leadership style. Put simply, if you want retain your top talent and grow revenue while uncovering operational efficiencies, you need to have a participative leadership approach.