Martin Luther King, Steve Jobs or Winston Churchill: these names certainly remind you of undisputed leaders. Capable of Leading crowds, of sharing their innovative visions And of federate around a common goal: Being a leader is not for everyone.
So what is leadership? Are there multiple leadership “styles”? What is the connection with vocational training ?
We've dug into the subject for you in this article!
Why choosing a leadership style is crucial
First of all: do we really have to choose ONE leadership style? The answer is... no!
A good leader is one who will know adapt to teams that he has in front of him. An authoritarian style will not necessarily work with all your employees. The same is true for leadership that is too “delegative”: some employees need to be supervised and to be able to rely on clear guidelines.
As a first step, we advise you to establish your “natural” leadership style. It is the one you adopt without asking yourself any questions (and is directly related to your soft skills). Do you tend to involve your teams when making decisions? Or do you prefer to take on all the responsibilities associated with your team?
Remember to be aware of the other types of leadership that exist around you so that you can develop your own, or change your style depending on the situation.
What is leadership?
Definition of leadership
A leader is a person who is able to influence and guide a team towards Achieving goals for your business. The leader inspires and directs his employees towards a common vision.
To be an effective leader, it is essential to have skills of communication, of listening, of self-confidence and of exemplarity. A leader will be able to understand the challenges of his team and manage the problems if there are any. It is therefore essential for companies to have good leaders among their ranks!
Leader vs. manager: a fine but essential nuance
We wanted to draw your attention to this crucial difference: A good manager is not necessarily a good leader, and vice versa.
The manager has a purely operational objective. He was chosen by the management for carry out a project thanks to the management of its teams. It imagines action plans, assesses the performance of its employees and modifies its strategy according to the results obtained. His role is not necessarily to inspire, or to share his vision with the rest of the team.
The leadership role is not “recognized” as such in his company. Instead, the leader will adopt this role naturally thanks to The “aura” that it will release with other collaborators. He will be respected, followed and admired because of his achievements. He will share his vision with such conviction that his peers will want to follow him.
3 traditional leadership types
These three types of leadership are determined by Lewin's theory. The latter divides leaders into three classes: the authoritarian leader, the participatory leader and the delegative leader.
1. Authoritarian leadership
The term “authoritarian” can be interpreted negatively. It is often seen as an abuse of power. However, according to the exact definition of the Larousse dictionary, it is”the ability to make decisions and impose your wishes on those around you”.
An authoritarian leader will tend to decide for the rest of their team. He will not feel the need to consult his employees to decide on certain decisions. This type of leadership involves a hierarchical superiority of the manager. It is also an “autocratic” form of leadership, in opposition to democratic decision-making (“demos” = “people”, and therefore consultation of subordinates). The authoritarian leader will have a macro vision of what is happening in the company, and will not share all the information with his employees. Each element will be transmitted “dropwise” according to needs.
- The advantages
- carry out projects effectively
- a lot of good results on specific objectives
- motivating for the company thanks to these good results
- allows you to decide on certain decision-making
- leadership compatible with teams that don't express their needs very much
- The disadvantages
- may be the source of abuse
- lack of visibility on global strategic issues for teams
- incompatible with employees who express their opinion a lot
2. Participatory (or democratic) leadership
This type of leadership is considered to be The opposite of authoritarian leadership. A participatory leader will listen to all members of the team and try to find a compromise that will appeal to as many people as possible.
- The advantages
- Creates a link in your team
- encourages speaking out and collaborating
- values the work of its employees
- makes the members of his team gain autonomy
- an overview and transparency within the team
- Cares about The quality of life at work
- The disadvantages
- loss of control of the project because too much delegation
- lack of efficiency because decision-making takes longer
3. Delegative (or Laisse-Faire) Leadership
Delegative leadership goes even further than participatory leadership: his role can be similar to that of a “coach”. He coordinates his team, while making them as autonomous as possible. It does not make decisions, but shares methods with its employees to successfully carry out each project.
In total opposition to authoritarian leadership, this type of leader is very suitable for creative professions where too strict a framework limits the imagination.
- The advantages
- a positive attitude to creativity.
- the power for team members to make decisions themselves (even in the absence of the leader)
- a close-knit and stimulated group.
- blind trust in the team.
- The disadvantages
- lack of support for employees, which can be destabilizing and penalizing for the results obtained.
- less productivity if roles are not properly defined
4 emotional leadership styles
Faced with Lewin's theory, other specialists identified new forms of leadership. This is the case of Gary Goleman, and his “emotional leaderships”, developed in 2002.
1. Visionary leadership
The visionary leader has a rather authoritarian leadership style. The difference with the authoritarian leader is that he Share the whole picture with your team to unite around its vision. The objective is to motivate its employees around a common objective.
- The advantages:
- does not get discouraged, wants to reach his goal, no matter what cost.
- gives a clear direction to his team
- The disadvantages:
- This type of leadership does not work if the members of the team have ideas opposite to that of the leader
- The leader may have “blinders” and rush headlong, even if he is going in the wrong direction
2. Coaching-based leadership
The “coach” leader recalls the posture of a sports coach. He is a firm believer in the potential of his employees.. In this sense, he wants to develop their abilities to lead them to success. This leadership style combines autonomy and high standards. An often winning cocktail!
- The advantages:
- more productivity on the part of the team
- a motivating and engaging speech
- clear and established expectations that can reassure employees
- constructive feedback and a real desire for development from each employee
- The disadvantages:
- this type of leadership takes time to implement, because it requires a lot of skills (listening, ease, communication...)
3. Affiliative (or collaborative) leadership
The collaborative leader will tend to unite employees together and to favor cohesion within his teams. This type of leadership focuses on relationships., and wants to create a genuine climate of trust. A collaborative leader can be very useful in times of crisis, or to create a new team.
- The advantages:
- As with coaching based leadership, the feedback is constructive and positive
- conflict resolution is effective
- a close-knit and autonomous team that trusts its manager
- a sense of usefulness among employees
- The disadvantages:
- few negative remarks, which penalizes the development of employee skills
- business goals are sometimes set aside
- some employees may become lazy due to a lack of framework
- a strong bond is created between the leader and his teams: if the leader leaves, motivation in the team is likely to fall.
4. Leadership leader
The leader Give the example: “Do what I do”! He often has very good results, a lot of achievements to highlight and a lot of skills. The rest of the team is inspired by it to develop.
- The advantages:
- goals are achieved quickly with a leading leader
- Every member of the team is important
- The disadvantages:
- Very rare feedback
- the focus is on deadlines and results, rather than on deliverables: incompatible with creative jobs
- Comparing yourself to the leader leader can cause a decrease in motivation or stress.
2 modern leadership styles
Bernard M. Bass' theory highlights 2 opposing types of leadership: one that motivates by empowering, and the other that uses rewards and/or sanctions to motivate its teams.
1. Transformational leadership
The transformational leader will gain the trust and respect of the members of his team, and value each individual. This type of leadership is built around the four “Is”: idealized influence, inspiring motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized appreciation.
- The advantages:
- teams are united around a common goal
- it gives each member a responsibility by guiding and stimulating them.
- He trusts and respects each individual
- The disadvantages:
- the constant commitment of the leader can end up exhausting teams in the long run.
2. Transactional leadership
This leadership is opposed to that of transformational leader. As its name suggests, it is based on an exchange logic: negotiation between the efforts made and the corresponding compensation.
- The advantages:
- a course to follow that allows better results
- better supervision of employees
- effective in situations where quick results are expected
- The disadvantages:
- Unsuitable for creative individuals, as overinstruction can hinder freedom of expression.
- Les emotional needs of the team are overlooked.
