To become a truly great leader, one must embody many types of leadership.

You’ve likely heard this phrase by Annie McKee: “People don’t leave bad jobs. They leave bad bosses”

But instead of focusing on poor leadership, let’s explore how to inspire through GREAT leadership.

Shall we?

The many types of leadership and the impact they have in an organization or a society, is a topic of discussion as old as our first human civilization.

Yes, that old, my friends!

Thinkers and philosophers of all kinds have meditated on that and shared their ideas to the World; from Emperor Marcus Aurelius and Confucius, through Tsun Zu, Maquiavelo, Weber; to Liz Wiseman or John Mattone, nowadays.

The approaches vary, according to different times and according to different needs society and organizations have, as they evolve, or involve, sometimes…

“Success of a leader depends on the welfare of their followers” – Sun Tzu.

Different thinkers focused on the source of the authority of a leader, on the emotional and situational aspects, on the rational and strategic aspects, on the means, the skills and the tactics & strategies a leader needs to put in play to succeed...

But, no matter their time in history and their singular approach, every single philosopher and expert, throughout more than 2000 years, arrived to these two main conclusions:

1. A leader is effective ONLY if they take good care of their followers, if they create a welfare environment. Note here the key word: FOLLOWERS. NOT subjects or people under command, or anything like that.

FOLLOWERS. People willing to freely follow that leader.

2. A great leader is the one that is TRANSFORMATIONAL. The leader’s presence makes others greater, and that impact in the organization lasts after the leader’s absence.

“Leadership is the intense desire to prepare others to succeed.” – John Mattone

In other words, the legacy of that leader lives on and inspires throughout different generations of the organization.

As a vivid example of the above, many times - I’ve seen this myself – when in doubt, or at a crossroad’s of a crisis, people ask themselves how that leader would have reacted in a similar situation, as a guide to find a solution.

And that, Ladies & Gentlemen, shouts LEGACY and IMPACTFUL LEADERSHIP in my book.

With different ways of classifying and describing it, at the core, experts have identified 6 main styles of leadership:

• Visionary: mobilizes and inspires people towards a common vision of a compelling future.

(Remember my first article: No Vision, No Mission, No Leadership)

• Coach: develops people for the future with long-term capabilities.

• Affiliative: Builds emotional bonds and trust, creating harmony in the team.

• Democratic: Encourages participation, ownership and commitment.

• Exemplary/Pacesetter: Sets high standards through example.

• Authoritarian/Coercive: Seeks and demands immediate compliance.

The last 2 come with important warnings, though…

The exemplary/pacesetter, can cause certain burn out in the team members if they feel they’re never up to such high example and expectations. 

Unless we’re talking about a unique group of individuals, that every one of them are already high performers.

And the Authoritarian one, well... I’d put it in a box with the legend: “Break Glass ONLY in case of Extreme Emergency."

It is true, that sometimes, for very specific (and short) periods of time, if a huge or pivotal crisis needs to be solved, an organization or a team might need very clear affirmative action, and to be aligned, almost like a military organization.

Other than those exceptional times this last type, exercised on regular or daily basis is precisely the one that creates massive talent exodus, inefficiency and a very bad organizational culture.

Here’s when I share THE “secret” formula for disaster in your organization.

Are we ready?

Bad boss/es = Bad Organizational Culture = Inefficiency + Talent Exodus = FAILURE

On the opposite of that formula, experts say that exercising or heavily leaning into only one style doesn’t create a healthy organization, nor transformational or lasting results.

Mastering when and how to apply each style is what separates average managers from truly transformational leaders.

Throughout my career—through trial and error, and many moments of inspiration from leaders I deeply admired—I came to realize a vital truth:

The best leaders are fluid. They adapt, combine, and evolve their style depending on the people, the moment, and the challenge.

You need to be many leaders at once, depending on different contexts and situations, if you want to, at least, aspire to be a great one. You need to be able to articulate combinations of different styles, depending on context and people needs.

Always with clarity, consistency and intellectual honesty; trying to spark the best in others, whether teammates or reports.

Always foster FOLLOWERS!!!

What type of leader you want to be?

If you’re leading a team—or preparing to—let’s work together to help you build a leadership style that is adaptive, inspiring, and truly your own. 

Let’s co-create a model that not only delivers results but leaves a lasting legacy. 

Reach out for a tailored coaching or consulting session.

Let’s be GREAT and GOOD!