Different types of leadership styles
- Rona McCann
- Nov 24, 2021
- 2 min read
Updated: Feb 9
Leaders are found in every industry. There are certain skills leaders must have to influence and encourage their people but this does not mean all leaders must act the same.
Here are some different leadership styles that prove that whatever your approach, you can be an effective leader.

Different types of leadership
Coaching leadership
coaching leadership is one of the most important leadership types, as a coaching leader, you are driven by bringing out the best in everyone in your team. You welcome collaboration in decision-making and you want your team to support one another to achieve their goals. Working with each member on a personal level, you hone their skills to see them reach success.
Democratic leadership
another type of leadership styles is Democratic leadership which refers to a group structure in which everyone has a say in decisions made and how the team goes forward. You may be the leader but when it comes to choosing the future direction of the team, you are no more important than anyone else.
Visionary leadership
Visionary leaders have not only the ability to come up with a clear goal for their group and practical methods to get there but are also able to effectively lead the team to work towards this goal. You are organised, ambitious, and driven.
Servant leadership
Even though you are in charge, your first instinct as a servant leader is to serve your cause and your team. You want to use your position as a leader to do the best by both of these, rather than being motivated by authority.
Autocratic leadership
An autocratic leader makes their moves as the sole decision-maker. You run a top-down operation and leave no power in the hands of your team. You come up with the group’s goals, tasks, and plans of action with the expectation that your team will follow.
Laissez-faire leadership
Like in laissez-faire economics, the laissez-faire leadership style is a hands-off approach. You do not micromanage but instead, leave your team to carve their path and work out for themselves how to complete their tasks. By leading this way, you are putting a lot of trust in your team’s skills, time management, and goal-setting ability.
Bureaucratic leadership
Bureaucratic leadership is rule-orientated with set-out processes within your organisation and plenty of documentation. Hierarchies within your team are clear and with strict regulations, your team will always know what they are supposed to be doing.
Pacesetter leadership
As a pacesetter leader, you have high expectations of your team and you expect them to put in their best effort. You are results-driven and set goals for your organisation to grow and thrive.
Which leadership styles do you prefere?
Become a leader within the teaching world with a Diploma in Educational Leadership & Management at Notting Hill College.
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