Emotional Leadership

People using this leadership style are inspiring, and they move people toward a common goal. Leaders tell their teams where they're all going, but not how they're going to get there – they leave it up to team members to find their way to the common goal. Empathy is the most important aspect of this leadership.

• The Authoritative (Visionary) Leader

• The Coaching Leader

• The Affiliative Leader

• The Democratic Leader

This leadership style connects people's personal goals with the organization's goals. A leader using this style is empathic and encouraging, and focuses on developing others for future success. This style centres on having in-depth conversations with employees that may have little to do with current work, instead focusing on long-term life goals and how these connect with the organization's mission.

• The Coercive (Commanding) Leader

• The Pacesetting Leader

• The Coaching leadership style

• The Democratic Leader

Leaders who use an autocratic approach to leadership. This style often depends on orders, the (often unspoken) threat of punishment, and tight control. People in modern, democratic countries are used to having a level of control over their lives and their work, and this approach deprives them of this. What's more, because this leadership style is so often misused, it can have a profoundly negative effect on a team.

• The Affiliative Leader

• Coercive leaders

• The Democratic Leader

• The Pacesetting Leader

A leadership style that focuses on performance and meeting goals. Leaders using this leadership style expect excellence from their teams, and often the leader will jump in him or herself to make sure that goals are met. The Pacesetting style doesn't coddle poor performers – everyone is held to a high standard. While this can be a successful style, it can have a negative effect on the team, leading to burnout, exhaustion and high staff turnover

• The Democratic Leader

• The Affiliative Leader

• The Coaching Leader

• The Pacesetting leadership style

The leadership style promotes harmony within the team. This style connects people together, encouraging inclusion and resolving conflict. To use this style, you must value the emotions of others and put a high value on their emotional needs.

• The Authoritative (Visionary) Leader

• The Affiliative leadership style

• The Pacesetting Leader

• The Coercive (Commanding) Leader

This leadership style focuses on collaboration. Leaders using this leadership style actively seek input from their teams, and they rely more on listening than directing.

• The Coaching Leader

• The Affiliative Leader

• The Democratic leadership style

• The Pacesetting Leader

When to Use It...

• This leadership style is best used in crisis situations, to jump start fast-paced change

• The Pacesetting leadership style

• Should be used whenever you have a team members who need help building long-term skills

• The Authoritative (Visionary) Leader

• The leadership style that is best used when you need to get high quality results

• The Democratic leadership style

• Most effective when the organization needs a new vision or a dramatic new direction

• The Coercive leadership style

• This style is best used when you need to get your team on board with an idea, or build consensus.

• The Coaching Leader