Drive change in your organisation with ICML's leadership courses.

5 of the best leadership types: Which do you want to be?

 

Every business needs a strong leader to guide the team. Without someone at the helm, the organisation will lack direction, motivation and a strategy for moving forward. However, there are no cookie-cutter leaders – everyone has their own style and approach to being the head of a team.

There are no cookie-cutter leaders – everyone has their own style and approach to being the head of a team.

Let’s look at five of the most common and most successful leadership types there are in business today. Which one are you, or which one would you like to be? Through our various leadership training programs, ICML can help you become the type of leader you want to be.

Over the next few months, we’ll be releasing more in-depth looks at each of these different leadership types, so stay tuned!

1. Authentic leadership

Just like the title implies, an authentic leader is someone who shows employees their true self. By focusing on the long term and letting the mission of the company drive them, authentic leaders earn the respect of their employees while achieving real results, according to Forbes.

One of the most important aspects of being an authentic leader is remaining self aware, open and communicative with your team. If they see that you’re willing to connect with them, they’ll respect you for it.

Authentic leaders require openness, communication and a dedication to the mission of their organisation.Authentic leaders require openness, communication and a dedication to the mission of their organisation.

2. Transformational leadership

Transformational leaders rely heavily on communication – both with the rest of management and with employees – to achieve goals across the organisation. The Houston Chronicle suggests that those who emulate this leadership style inspire members across the business to be productive, efficient and engaged at work.

More than anything, transformational leaders drive change in their companies and collect loyal followers in the process.

Transformational leaders drive change in their companies and collect loyal followers in the process.

3. Servant leadership

A much less prominent variety, servant leaders tend to stay out of the spotlight. They support their team and give responsibility and credit to individuals rather than taking it for themselves. This type of leadership is usually found in organisations with a strong mission, such as nonprofits. It doesn’t work as well for high-stress businesses with tight deadlines, according to American Express.

4. Democratic leadership

As the name suggests, democratic leaders rely on the input of the entire team to achieve success. They value the suggestions and viewpoints of employees, no matter how they rank, and understand that having a variety of perspectives is important.

While this style is great for employees, it can be challenging for the leader themselves. Collecting input from everyone can be a stressful and time-consuming process; a democratic leader must also know when to take charge and make the decision themselves.

Like Martin Luther King, charismatic leaders should inspire change in their employees.Like Martin Luther King, charismatic leaders should inspire change in their employees.

5. Charismatic leadership

There have been a number of well-known charismatic figures throughout history, such as MLK and Gandhi. Charismatic leaders utilise their people skills and ability to read others to reach their goals. In a business, it’s important for employees to actually want to follow you – not just feel like they need to in order to keep their job.

Like transformational leaders, charismatic leaders drive change in their organisation by inspiring their employees and bringing them on board with the mission of the business.

How can I become a better leader?

If you are interested in working on your leadership style, take a look at ICML’s various management training courses in Australia. We offer a variety of options for leaders across industries and would love to hear from you – get in touch today!


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