Leadership Styles

I recently read an article in the Harvard Business Review (no I'm not a subscriber, someone made me a copy) by Daniel Goleman the acclaimed writer of the original book Emotional Intelligence. In this article he describes six different leadership styles and according to his research, the impact that each of these styles had on the working environment.

Let's go over the six commonly seen styles of leadership:

• Coercive: Demands immediate compliance. "Do what I tell you!" These types of leaders are your "military drill sergeant" types. According to Goleman's research these kinds of leaders typically have a negative impact. However, they can be quite effective during times of crisis when tough decisions need to be made and unconditional compliance is necessary.
  
• Authoritative: Mobilizes people towards a vision. "Come with me" Goleman found that the authoritative leadership styles seemed to have the most positive impact overall. No wonder it tends to be the leadership style that we think of first when we think about what is a leader. (Though the name 'authoritative' is probably a misnomer).
  
• Affiliative: Creates harmony and builds emotional bonds. "People come first" Affiliative leaders also make a strong positive impact, though some of the standards of work quality and worker responsibility may fall as compared to with the authoritative leadership style.
  
• Democratic: Forges consensus through participation. "What do you think?" We know this one... Typically positive though less than either the authoritative or the affiliative. With this style, work quality and worker commitment tend to suffer. (So maybe what they say about government work and workers... is founded in some truth?)
  
• Pacesetting: Sets high standards for performance. "Do as I do, now" The pacesetting leadership style was found to also have a negative impact. I would typically call this person the "micromanager". They might be high performers, but they probably also have a strict idea of the "right way" of doing things. This obviously, decreases employee/team morale.
  
• Coaching: Develops people for the future. "Try this." The coaching leadership style also has a positive impact however, however like the affiliative leadership style, worker responsibility is reduced, because responsibility falls upon the coach to constantly remind and motivate the worker / team member.
  

OK, so one thing to remember is that neither Goleman or I am trying to say that one leadership style is "the best". In fact, Young Leaders need to use all of these styles, just in different circumstances. How to choose when to use each style usually comes down to experience, but if you are observant and perhaps learn about psychology or strategy, you might be able to make a wise decision. More on this later.

-Jason