6 Leadership Styles & Which One You Should Use

Getting Started

The age-old ‘Nature vs. Nurture’ debate on leadership may never reach a definite conclusion but there’s more to leadership than acquiring the necessary skills required to become a leader.

Leadership is not a black and white matter: each individual is different and so is their style of leadership but what makes a good leader great? It’s emotional intelligence. The road to corporate success is paved with unforeseen challenges every step of the way and that’s why the top-down dictator style leadership is no longer applicable in today’s evolving workplace.

There’s a subtle difference between a manager and a leader — one that’s frequently misunderstood. Famous management consultant and author Peter Drucker once said, ‘Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.’ The ultimate goal of effective leadership is to get results and while there is no surefire formula to achieving success, there are 6 distinct leadership styles that can be used to elicit a desired outcome in the workplace.

A Harvard study conducted by Daniel Goleman in 2001 titled ‘Leadership That Gets Results’ in which 3,000 mid-level managers were put to the test to determine what it takes to become an effective leader. The results of this study outlined the 6 different leadership styles, each stemming from an element of emotional intelligence.

Are You Aware Of What’s Going On Around You?

A leader cannot make decisions with blinders on. Daniel Goleman’s impressive Leadership Styles outline the importance of one key factor — emotional intelligence. It is the ability to understand and manage one’s own emotions and those surrounding them. Leaders who possess a higher emotional intelligence tend to understand the situation well and make smarter decisions for success.

The five main components of emotional intelligence are:

1) Self awareness

2) Self discipline

3) Motivation

4) Social skills

5) Empathy

A charismatic, emotionally intelligent leader can easily manage these five areas to run the workplace smoothly and successfully. Learn more…