This article is an excerpt from the CharityVillage Essential Leadership Skills Guide: An Introduction to People Management.
Determining your leadership philosophy
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to being a leader. Your leadership style will likely differ from those around you, and that’s okay!
The first step to becoming a good leader is to determine what kind of leader you are and want to be. Listed below are 12 common leadership philosophies. To identify your leadership philosophy, read over the descriptions below and reflect on what style(s) might fit you best.
Asking yourself the following questions can be helpful:
- What leadership qualities do I value in myself?
- What leadership qualities do I value in others?
- What do I think is the most important objective of a good leader?
- What are my natural leadership strengths and weaknesses?
- Does this leadership philosophy fit how I’ve led in the past?
- Does this leadership philosophy fit how I hope to lead in the future?
Asking a trusted friend or coworker for input is also a great strategy. This external insight combined with your own reflection will be invaluable as you move forward on your leadership journey. This is because once you know your leadership philosophy, you will also better understand your leadership strengths and weaknesses. And remember, most leaders employ a mix of different leadership philosophies at any given time, so don’t feel stuck with just one option!
#1 Authoritative
Authoritative leaders rule by a “follow me” approach. They are commanding, provide lots of feedback, and favour a hands-on management style. Unfortunately, this can lead to retaining control through micromanaging or even intimidation.
#2 Affiliative
Affiliative leaders work by building trust and relationships with their team as a foundation to achieve their objectives. A downside to this approach is that projects and long-term goals can get put to the side as they focus on people over profits.
#3 Bureaucratic
Bureaucratic leaders like to maintain order through rule-following. Their focus is on company values and protocols over team opinions. Tending towards a by-the-book approach, bureaucratic leaders can be more resistant to change and creative problem-solving.
#4 Coaching
Coaching leaders focus on mentoring individual team members. They like making connections and getting employee feedback, and they value professional development. Leaders who focus on coaching can sometimes wind up micromanaging instead of encouraging employee independence. Another downside is that this method can require a significant investment in time spent building relationships to see results.
#5 Democratic
Democratic leaders are good listeners and encourage team feedback when making decisions. The objective of this style is to ensure everyone both feels and is included. A challenge with democratic leaders, however, is finding a way forward with decisions when there is not a group consensus. They can also sometimes struggle to find their own leadership voice.
#6 Laissez-Faire
Laissez-faire leaders, also known as delegative or “let them do” leaders, aim to empower others by leaving decision-making power within the team. This can help to build trust, independence, and creative thinking. The downside is that the leader can be mentally removed from team dynamics, and conflict can arise due to lack of direction.
#7 Servant
A servant leader leads through service for their team. Servant leaders empower their workers by putting trust in their teammates, building a sense of community, and considering the team in all decision-making processes. Unfortunately, sometimes these leaders can burn out due to feeling personally responsible for solving every problem.
#8 Strategic
Strategic leaders focus on creating, implementing, and achieving long-term goals. They are often more open-minded about innovations and favour reward systems to ensure productivity. With such a focus on the long run, these leaders can miss out on the key day-to-day realities of their team.
#9 Transactional
Most commonly found on sales teams, transactional leaders are task-focused. They often lead through a reward and punishment mentality for task completion. They like establishing roles for team members, value commitment to the organization and can put building relationships second.
#10 Transformational
Transformational leaders push teams outside of their comfort zone to achieve more than what was originally thought to be possible. These leaders are very charismatic and like adopting new policies and processes. Due to their ambitious and sometimes inspirational nature, team burnout is a risk with this leadership style.
#11 Visionary
Visionary leaders are abstract problem solvers. They have a passion for big ideas, which they can articulate well to their team. Like strategic leaders, visionary leaders have a clear objective for how to achieve their goals but can often get hyper-focused on side details.
#12 Situational
Situational leaders adjust their leadership style and approach depending on the needs of each project, team, and/or employee. While most people’s leadership styles will shift over time and in different situations, a constantly changing approach can be very confusing for teams, especially when a shift is made unnecessarily.
Leading nonprofit teams is a balancing act. Whether you are interested in developing your skills, mastering the art of delegation, boosting employee engagement, or succession planning, we have you covered. Access the Essential Leadership Skills Guide: An Introduction to People Management.
