As a leader, finding a leadership style that works for you and your team is important. The right leadership style can help you succeed, while the wrong style can lead to disaster. A good leader understands the strengths and weaknesses of their team and uses this information to choose the right leadership style. It may take some trial and error to find the right leadership style, but once you do, your team will thrive and you will be an effective leader. Here are six common leadership styles and situations where they are most effective:

Democratic Leadership

Democratic leadership is where the leader takes input from their team before making decisions. This style works best if there’s minimal or no hierarchal power structure, as everyone is considered equal. For example, you encounter a problem in an event you’re organizing. As the head organizer, you must set up a meeting and consult with fellow organizers on how to solve it. This leadership style follows what the majority of the team wants instead of what the leader wants, as the final decision of the whole team is considered the most beneficial course of action.

Autocratic Leadership

This style of leadership is based on a hierarchical structure. The leader makes all the decisions and can micromanage the team. This style can be effective in urgent situations where quick and effective decisions must be made. It can also be effective when working with new members who may lack the experience and expertise to make quick decisions. For example, one of your team’s projects is behind schedule. With little time left, you need your team to work quickly and efficiently to catch up.

Facilitative Leadership

The facilitative leadership style aims to help the team achieve its goals through your members’ growth. You should be able to create an encouraging environment where your team can learn from your guidance and work well together to find solutions. However, if you’re finding it difficult to fully practice this style, it may be because you need further training. You can work on your skills by signing up for facilitative leadership training, where you can learn from experts and get hands-on practice experience. With enough practice, you can harness the benefits of this style and help your members grow as professional individuals and as a team to achieve success.

For example, your team is working on a project, and you notice that one member is struggling. Instead of doing the work for them, you help them through it and guide them so that they can find their own strategy on how to proceed. By doing this, you’re helping them learn and grow as a professional while also ensuring that the team achieves

Transactional Leadership

Transactional leadership is a style of leadership that is focused on completing tasks. The leader uses rewards and penalties to motivate employees to complete tasks. This type of leadership is often used in output-based jobs where employees’ efforts can be quantified, and they will receive rewards for meeting or exceeding targets. For example, a sales team can get bonus commissions if they reach or exceed their sales targets. This ensures that employees are motivated to complete tasks and achieve results.

Bureaucratic Leadership

Bureaucratic leadership relies on rules and procedures to ensure that everything is done in a specific way. If there are any questions, the answer can be found in the written policies and procedures. This type of leadership is essential for fields that follow certain steps to achieve a goal, such as manufacturing. For example, a production line needs a clear understanding of what must be done to avoid errors, meaning you have to ensure that everyone is following procedures. Otherwise, the final product may be compromised. This type of leadership provides a clear structure for employees to follow and minimizes the chances of human error. It can also be very efficient since there is less room for interpretation.

Laissez-Faire Leadership

This leadership style gives the team complete freedom to work how they want. The leader does not micromanage or give specific instructions. This style can work well in situations where the team is highly skilled and motivated. For example, if you have a team of experienced developers, they likely don’t need you to tell them how to do their job. Instead, they just need you to ensure the team’s individual efforts contribute to a cohesive whole. This style relies on your complete faith in your members’ abilities and can be very effective when used correctly.

No one leadership style fits all situations. You may need to change your style to match the circumstance. As a leader, you should be able to adapt as necessary to achieve results that benefit the team and the company as a whole.