Whether your goal is to run a Fortune 500 company, launch a start-up, or steer a nonprofit, how you lead and inspire others will help determine your success.
Leadership takes many different forms depending on your personality, industry, and job function. Earning a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree can help you understand different leadership styles and refine and strengthen your approach. So, what kind of leader are you?
Common Leadership Styles
Adaptive
These leaders adjust their approach based on changing situations, challenges, or new data or information. Change is inevitable in every business and industry, making adaptive leadership a crucial trait in most management styles. “Being a great leader means recognizing that different circumstances may call for different approaches,” says psychologist and author Daniel Goleman.1
Affiliative
This type of leader puts the emphasis on strong relationships and the emotional well-being of their team. Affiliative leaders create a supportive environment, where employees feel valued and appreciated.
Authoritarian
Authoritarian leaders make decisions on their own and expect strict obedience from their teams. They focus on structure and discipline. You might find this type of leader in some military roles, for example.
Bureaucratic
These leaders strictly follow guidelines, rules, and procedures, leaving little room for flexibility or creativity. This leadership style can be found in highly regulated industries like finance and healthcare, where adhering to policies and laws is critical.
Charismatic
Charismatic leaders motivate and inspire others through energy, confidence, and personal appeal. Many experts cite former president Barack Obama as a textbook example. However, not all charismatic leaders use their influence for good. As the business consultant Peter Drucker once said, “What matters is not the leader’s charisma. What matters is the leader’s mission.”2
Coaching
This type of leader focuses on professional development, guiding team members to improve their skills and performance. A coaching leader may schedule regular one-on-one meetings and encourage mentorships and personal development opportunities.
Delegative
Delegative leaders do just that: they delegate tasks to members of the team. They offer guidance only when necessary, avoiding micromanagement. Successful delegative leadership relies on hiring and retaining employees who excel at working autonomously, without constant oversight.
Democratic
Democratic leaders prize collaboration and strive to make sure that all stakeholders have a voice in the decision-making process. While leadership may make the final call, some decisions are made collectively. This inclusive approach can foster a sense of ownership among team members, increasing their engagement in the process.
Laissez-Faire
This type of leadership style is similar to delegative leadership. Laissez-faire leaders give employees the freedom to work independently, trusting them to make decisions and intervening only when necessary.
Pacesetting
The Academy to Innovate HR (AIHR) calls pacesetting leadership “a results-driven style in which leaders set high performance standards and lead by example.”3 Pacesetting leaders want team members to mirror their actions, dedication, and effort. This is a fast-moving, high-driving management style.
Servant
These leaders focus on supporting their teams and making their needs and growth a priority. Although the idea of servant leadership has existed for centuries, Robert Greenleaf introduced the term in his 1970 essay, The Servant as Leader.4 “It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions,” he wrote.4
Situational
Situational leadership is a flexible approach where leaders adjust their style based on the team’s needs, the specific task, and the overall situation. Developed by Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard, this model is sometimes called the Hersey-Blanchard Model.5
Transactional
Transactional leaders set expectations and goals for team members and use rewards and penalties to achieve results. Managers in sales environments and other results-driven job fields may use this leadership style.
Visionary
According to the Center for Management & Organization Effectiveness, you’ll find visionary leaders across the management spectrum: “A visionary leader is one who inspires their team toward a common goal or purpose through innovation and collaboration. They encourage team members to leverage their own innovative ideas to fuel creativity while navigating the team toward a unified vision.”6
Earn a Business Administration Degree
Are you a pacesetting, charismatic, or democratic leader? Earning an MBA can help you build leadership skills that align with your strengths, personality, and career path. Walden University’s online Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree program is designed to provide knowledge and skills you can apply to your business administration goals.
In this online graduate degree program, you can pursue a broad curriculum that covers a wide range of business topics in the General Program. Or you can tailor your coursework to your career interests by choosing one of these specializations:
- Healthcare Management: Focus on the unique challenges and opportunities in the healthcare industry.
- Human Resource Management: Develop expertise in managing and developing talent within organizations.
- Self-Designed: Customize your MBA to fit your career goals and interests.
Walden’s master’s degree program also is distinguished by these world-class features:
- Flexibility: Choose between a traditional structured program with weekly deadlines or the self-paced Tempo Learning® option, which allows you to move at your own pace.
- Robust Support: Walden provides comprehensive student support, including career resources to help you navigate your professional journey.
- Accreditation: The program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), ensuring a high standard of education and enhancing the value of your graduate degree.
Online learning at Walden is flexible and accessible, allowing you to balance your education with professional and personal commitments. With the convenience of online coursework, you can study anywhere you have an internet connection. Learn more by contacting us online or calling (855) 646-5286. If you’re looking to advance your education to become a more effective leader, consider enrolling in Walden’s MBA degree program.
Walden University is an HLC-accredited institution offering a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree online. Advance your education and earn your degree in a convenient, flexible format that fits your busy life.
1Source: https://hbr.org/2024/04/6-common-leadership-styles-and-how-to-decide-which-to-use-when
2Source: www.azquotes.com/quotes/topics/charismatic.html?p=2
3Source: www.aihr.com/hr-glossary/pacesetting-leadership/
4Source: www.greenleaf.org/what-is-servant-leadership/
5Source: https://emeritus.org/in/learn/situational-leadership-theory/
6Source: https://cmoe.com/glossary/visionary-leadership-style/
Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, www.hlcommission.org.
Walden’s BS in Business Administration (BSBA), Master of Business Administration (MBA), Doctor of Business Administration (DBA), and PhD in Management programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).