Discover the seven main types of leadership and find out which one you fit in!

In a world where competitiveness and innovation continue to accelerate, the need for managers and entrepreneurs to become leaders in their organizations is a critical point for business development.

Even if managers have expertise in managed processes, if they do not know how to deal with employees in a committed and motivating way, their knowledge may not be useful!

We will show in this article that there are different types of leadership and you will identify which one you fit into. Check out the following topics:

• Theory of the Four Pillars of Leadership
• 7 Types of Leadership
• How to become a better leader?
• Capacity building is essential for successful leadership.

Theory of the Four Pillars of Leadership

William Bushelle, a former member of the US Navy, developed the theory of the "Four Pillars of Leadership" by understanding the importance of leadership and recognizing that not all managers are leaders in practice.

After all, who hasn't had a bad leader? So, let's get to know the pillars of this theory before addressing the main types of leadership:

I'm the boss

The first stage of leadership is positional that’s when the person is the boss because he is in that position and because his title says he is a leader. However, this does not apply to leadership, in fact. It is the time many leaders meet, where people obey because they are told and not because they are inspired to do something.

A leader focused on results

It is the stage where the person is in the leadership position and is starting to bring results. It is the first step to having respect in the organization. Even at this stage, either the leader develops or he "dies." It is important to point out that most leaders never leave this stage!

Inspiring Leadership

This stage generates consistent results because he manages to continually inspire people to give their best. It takes work and a lot of daily effort - anyone can get out of here in the blink of an eye. It is the moment that confronts the contributor, because the boss commands, the leader inspires!

Transformative Leadership

This is the stage which leaders can transform an entire culture! People follow him because they know he is inspiring them to achieve something greater than themselves.

At this stage, followers want to follow the transformational leader, and they do so because they believe in him. With a team engaged in results, there is no need to say the consequence, right?

Learn to monitor projects!

When we talk about projects, we think about something of great magnitude. This is a mistake, because a project may be involved with small day-to-day activities. We can cite some examples in solving internal problems, negotiating with suppliers, delivering products, implementing systems and strategies. The correct management of the projects brings benefits to the organization, being able to be used in problem-solving. Good project management defines precisely the decision-making processes and also identify causes and effects.

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Now, let's find out what the main types of leadership are and how to identify the one that best suits your goals.

Types of Leadership

Here are the main leadership approaches:

1. Autocratic Leadership

The type of autocratic leadership is marked by the centralization of power in the boss, who is responsible for the decision-making process and preventing the interference of his subordinates.

Focused on results and not on people, the autocratic leader is still one of the most common leadership styles in companies, and he can be responsible for stifling the creativity of his employees.

2. Democratic Leadership

On the other hand, democratic leadership is the opposite.  In this approach, the employees participate in the company's decision-making, known as empowerment, acting actively in the development of solutions and actions, encouraged by the leader. It is one of the most effective leadership styles.

To get the team involved in the projects, democratic leaders are constantly listening to the ideas of the collaborators and keeping the channel with the followers open. This makes employees more satisfied as they feel part of the organization.

3. Liberal Leadership

The liberal leader does not work directly with the subordinates, as the team is qualified to develop projects autonomously, without the need for supervision, reaching a stage of self-management. It is also called Laissez-Faire leadership.

A Laissez-Faire leader can face the problem of low productivity, caused precisely by the absence of the figure of the leader in everyday life, who in addition to demanding results could also provide feedback on the result, as in democratic leadership.

4. Situational Leadership

The characteristics of this leader are not fixed, he has the ability to adapt his style according to the situations and the profile of the followers.

This style of leadership is able to constantly readjust, changing processes to suit the team situation and other factors that can influence performance.

The theory of this type of leadership was created by Paul Hersey and Kenneth Blanchard. They suggested that there are four types of situational leadership:

• support,
• guidance,
• direction,
• delegation.

It is critical that each of the types should be employed according to the maturity level of the team.

5. Technical Leadership

Technical leadership is one of the types of leadership that is exercised by people who have high technical knowledge about their area of ​​expertise and are recognized for that, which generates respect for this leader within the organization.

In this way, this leader is recognized for mastering the processes, but it is important that he knows how to pass on this knowledge so that the team can develop their skills through their example.

6. Leadership Coaching

The coaching leader works on the characteristics of the team members and their skills, with a focus on improving the team by better understanding the profile of each member and providing them with professional growth to achieve the best results.

This leader contributes to the employee having the opportunity to be continuously improving. Standing out as a profile that works with a focus on people and results, shaping the team for the best performance.

The 4 main differentials of coaching leadership, which make it stand out among the types of leadership, are:

• team encouragement,
• dedication to problem-solving,
• constant improvement,
• people management.

7. Visionary Leadership

The visionary leader is able to see opportunities through market analysis, people's behavior, processes, and products. In addition, he has the ability to perform one for the observed situations.

This type of leader must have the ability to accept mistakes, as well as a good relationship with the team so that the team also buys into their ideas.

 How to become a better leader?

To be a good leader you need more than just knowing which type of leadership you are in. It is important to always be up to date with market trends and consequently the news that arises in organizations.

In a Deloitte survey carried out in 2019 with 10,000 leaders from 119 countries, 86% said they felt the need to learn more about the new technologies that emerge at every moment and 80% understand that diversification is the key to success.

So, in order to exercise good leadership and follow market developments, the research points out some trends to be followed:

• Need to provide people with a purpose at work beyond profits, focusing on actions that benefit both the client and society;
• Requirement of ethical conduct due to the treatment of large databases with customer information in new technologies, as well as the creation of new functions;
• Adopt a human vision in teams;
• Be transparent about business challenges.

Capacity building is essential for successful leadership

To be a successful and recognized leader, it is essential that you have authority in your field.

Do you want to develop leadership skills?

Want to know how to jumpstart your career and become a true leader?

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Do you know the importance of self-knowledge in shaping a true leader? Knowing your options and weaknesses is fundamental for you to be ahead of a team and be prepared for the most adverse situations.