INTRODUCTION

Leadership matters. A lot. In today’s climate of heightened accountability and limited

resources, effective leadership is critical to improving teaching and learning and

turning around low-performing schools. Research confirms that, among school-

related influences on student learning, principal leadership is second in importance

only to classroom teaching. Nearly 60 percent of a school’s influence on student

achievement is attributable to principal and teacher effectiveness: principals account

for as much as a quarter and teachers over a third of a school’s total impact on

achievement. Research also suggests that there are virtually no documented

instances of troubled schools being turned around without an effective leader.

Investments in effective principals can be a cost-effective way to improve teaching

and learning, and these investments have the ability to dramatically improve student

achievement. Improving the quality of one teacher allows a classroom full of students

to benefit. Improving the quality of one principal, however, allows all the students in a

school to benefit. Effective school leadership is undoubtedly a catalyst to school

reform.

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EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP

Educational leadership is a collaborate process that unites the talents and

forces of teachers, students and parents. The goal of educational leadership is to
improve the quality of education and the education system itself. Read below to learn
why educational leadership becomes more important every day.

What is the Purpose of Educational Leadership?

The primary purpose of educational leadership is to ensure academic success

through process, material and training improvements. This is mainly accomplished
through collaboration with different individuals, such as educators, parents, students,
public policy makers and the public. From a business perspective, educational
leadership is a form of academic management and quality control.

What are the Key Qualities of Educational Leadership?

Educational leadership is centered on certain key principles. First, educational

leadership creates a vision of academic success for all students. This is important
because there has always been a historical gap between students on different socio-
economical levels and high and low achieving students. Second, educational
leadership strives to maintain a safe and receptive learning environment. That is, a
healthy school environment is key to providing comfortable, orderly and structured
classrooms. Third, educational leadership delegates responsibility to others. This
means that teachers, parents and even students are empowered to take
responsibility and accept accountability. Fourth, instructional methods and curriculum
content must be continually improved. Fifth, the field of education must borrow and
adapt modern management tools, processes and techniques.

How Do Teachers Contribute to Educational Leadership?

According to the Association for Supervision and Curriculum

Development (ASCD), teachers are the foundation of educational leadership. They
not only manage students, but also act as leaders among their colleagues.
Specifically, teachers are resource providers that help students and other teachers
find online and community resources. They provide valuable classroom management
and teaching strategies to other teachers. They also provide educational leaders with
constructive feedback for curriculum improvements.

How To Become an Educational Leader?

Every academic level has educational leadership career opportunities. For

example, this includes private kindergarten directors, public school principals and
university deans. Anyone interested in becoming an educational leader should have
on-hands teaching experience and a bachelor’s degree. A master’s degree in
educational leadership is available as a Master of Arts, Master of Science and
Master of Education. Coursework will include classes that cover law, finance,
professional development and strategic planning.
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Three Elements of Educational Leadership

1. Lifelong Learning

Reiss Medwed says that a personal commitment to lifelong learning is vital to

succeeding in an educational or organizational leadership role. She defines a lifelong
learner as, “someone who understands that learning is a continuous process and
someone who is going to bring their context into that experience.” Making lifelong
learning a personal priority gives educational leaders the authenticity to share its
value to others.

Whether your role is as a classroom leader, educational professional, non-profit

coordinator, or corporate trainer, it’s important to understand that every stakeholder
you will interact with is a part of a learning network in their own classrooms and
organizations. By modeling the love of lifelong learning, it influences others to value
that trait, as well.

Reiss Medwed shares that part of the working in the educational field requires
accepting that no matter your title or role, you must continue to improve and develop
throughout your career.

“Each of us is always a learner…we’re constantly going to be learning new things,”

she says. The nimbler the learner, she adds, the better.

2. An Ecosystem of Experiences

Reiss Medwed says that educational leaders should practice critical thinking,
empathy, collaboration, and flexibility in a variety of work environments—and with a
variety of people—in order to engage, lead, and effect change in a meaningful way.

For this reason, she says, Northeastern University emphasizes experiential learning
as a core tenet of their EdD program, offering students the chance to practice these
leadership skills in real-world situations that mirror the environments they’ll work in
after they graduate.

“Experiential learning is a critical quality for leadership today,” Reiss Medwed

remarks. She also stresses that increased self-awareness and an understanding of
tools such as design thinking—two skills that come out of hands-on learning
exercises—are essential ways to get “everyone to the table” when trying to effect
change.

3. Inclusivity

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The third aspect of educational leadership is one that’s becoming more prominent in
classrooms and companies everywhere—inclusivity. Reiss Medwed explains more
about what inclusivity means for today’s leaders and what their role will be in
bringing a more diverse perspective to learning:

“We speak a lot about inclusive prosperity, which is a way of looking at the world and
saying, ‘How do I go about doing this in my organization so that everyone has an
equitable seat at the table?’ I think that the language of inclusivity speaks to the
organizational level of educational leadership because you’re trying to track that the
improvements and the advances that you’re bringing are going to serve the broadest
possible population and that you’re not going to be advancing one side without
bringing everyone else along with you.”

Leaders intuitively know that being inclusive is the right thing to do, but it also has a
positive correlation to the success of organizations. A recent McKinsey & Company
study revealed that surveyed companies in the “top quartile for racial and ethnic
diversity are 35 percent more likely to have financial returns above their respective
national industry medians.” This success metric was consistent for gender diversity,
as well, as the top quarter in this group was 15 percent more likely to perform better
than their respective industry medians.

As workplaces acknowledge the benefit of focusing more on diversity in hiring, there

is an opportunity to recognize diversity in thought and experience among the teams
already working in an organization. Recognizing and being inclusive of the strengths
of your internal workforce, rather than continually pursuing external talent, can
strengthen an organization. An equipped educational leader will know the best ways
to bring people with all types of backgrounds and experiences together.

The Value of Educational Leadership

It’s easy to see how the embrace of lifelong learning and the noble pursuit of
inclusive prosperity can change the classrooms and companies that educational
leaders work in, but can it be a worthwhile pursuit beyond your day job? Reiss
Medwed shares that there is a value in earning a doctoral degree that extends past
the offices in which we work:

“An educational leader or organizational leader who is coming to their work with an
understanding of inclusive prosperity (or social justice) is carrying with them some
deeper insights into the ways in which all of our organizations are connected one to
the other,” she says. “This interconnectedness is one way to make bigger changes in
the world each day.”

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One of the most effective ways to become adept at educational leadership principles
is through a Doctorate of Education, and the program at Northeastern University is
helping students achieve their most ambitious goals.

“We are developing scholar-practitioners which means students are experienced

educators who already are in the field and are looking to change problems on the
ground. As students are moving through their coursework and learning new
knowledge and skills they are able to implement that within their organizations,”
shares Sara Ewell, associate teaching professor for Northeastern’s EdD program.

The program artfully combines classroom learning with the experiential practice
needed to meet learning communities where they are to provide the best outcomes
for leaders and those they lead.

5 Effective leadership styles in education

Leadership in education can play an integral role in creating a positive school

culture. It can also influence student learning and achievement. Effective school
leadership is increasingly viewed as the key to far-reaching education
transformation. With the right leadership approach, education heads can turn an
average school into a successful one. Here are effective leadership styles in
education that will prepare you to lead for impact.
Instructional leadership

The OECD report, Improving School Leadership suggests that effective school

management generally comes from engagement in instructional leadership. There’s
a growing body of evidence which shows that schools with instructional leadership
outperform others. This coaching style of leadership concentrates on student
learning outcomes by improving teaching quality. To realise this goal, school leaders
adopt the responsibility for the professional development of teachers.
Instructional leadership involves the practice of planning, evaluation, coordination
and improvement of teaching and learning. According to the Australian Institute for
Teaching and School Leadership, instructional leaders define the school’s mission,
manage the instructional program, promote high expectations and provide incentives
for teachers and students.  
Working directly with teachers, instructional leaders evaluate teacher performance
and help advance their skills through mentoring and coaching. Becoming an
instructional leader entails time spent solving pedagogical problems, taking action to
improve teachers’ instruction, as well as holding teachers accountable for improving
their instructional skills. This pursuit to improve learning within the school community

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requires leaders to have an in-depth understanding of pedagogy and practice
themselves. 

Transformational leadership

Taking a collaborative approach, transformational leaders empower their school

teams to have a say in decision-making processes and enable collective goal-
setting. Through role modelling, these leaders create a culture of innovation and
improvement and a shared sense of purpose. This sets the foundations for growth
and success. 

Transformational leaders are able to influence school outcomes by outlining high-

performance expectations, developing people through individual support, building
productive relationships and providing instructional support. According to researcher
Bernard Bass, the four attributes of transformational leadership are defined as
idealised influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation and individualised
consideration.
Transformational leaders instil trust, admiration, loyalty and respect – which inspires
teacher motivation, morale and performance. The influence exerted by
transformational leaders has been described as “the generating of feelings.” Using
charisma, compassion and emotional intelligence (EI), transformational leaders are
able to monitor and manage not only their own emotions but those of others as well.
This gives them the ability to energise their teams and drive successes.
Studies have shown that transformational leadership has a direct impact on teacher
performance, with teachers willingly taking steps to improve their classroom practice.
The findings also show that transformational leadership increases teacher job
satisfaction and strengthens their commitment to professional growth. The result
is improved student outcomes and lasting progress across the school system.
Constructivist leadership

This type of leadership is about facilitating the learning process, rather than directing
it. At the core of the constructivist approach is that learners control their own
learning, not teachers. Acknowledging that every learner understands, processes
and gives meaning to lessons through their own reality, constructivism places a
priority on customised teaching approaches that take into consideration individual
learning needs.  
School leaders who embrace the constructivist model shift the focus within their
school, from knowledge as a product to knowing as a process. Instruction and

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curriculum design under their leadership encourages the sharing of big ideas and
challenging other’s perspectives. The classroom is seen as a place where ‘inquiry
and co-construction dominate.’ Constructivist leaders expect teachers to engage in
reflective practices and processes with their students and peers. The purpose of
reflection is to challenge previous assumptions about teaching and learning and to
rethink and reframe student participation.
Constructivist leadership is about immersing teachers in a culture of learning and
enabling them to take risks. It’s not about dictating to teachers on how to deliver
instructions – it’s about educating teachers that we are all learners. 

Servant leadership

This participatory style of leadership pushes the ego aside and considers the needs
of others, rather than focus on self-interest. The philosophy behind servant
leadership is that a “great leader must first serve others and that this simple fact is
central to his or her greatness: true leadership emerges from those whose primary
motivation is a desire to help others.” School leaders who practice servant leadership
maintain high expectations; however, they also help teachers and students to
develop their skills to improve their performance. These leaders instil the desire for
improvement while maintaining a focus on both results and relationships.
The former president of the Robert K. Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership
identified the ten characteristics of servant leaders as: listening, empathy, healing,
awareness, persuasion, conceptualisation, foresight, stewardship, commitment to
the growth of people, and building community. Servant leaders are able to cultivate
high-performance teachers by removing barriers, providing resources and opening
communication channels with the whole school community. 
Sharing the power in decision-making, servant leaders motivate and persuade their
school community to fulfil their long-standing vision. By engaging with teachers and
students on what the school’s future should look like, servant leaders can implement
structural changes that keep an eye on the bigger picture. Research shows that in
the long-term servant leadership creates a positive and productive school
environment.  

Strategic leadership

Strategic leadership is based on long-range planning. Through analysis, evaluation

and monitoring, strategic leaders assess current school performance and take the
necessary steps to improve future results. These leaders not only set the direction of

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the school by having an organisational vision, they create frameworks, set up
interventions, allocate resources and maintain systems for reforms to take place.  
There are seven guiding principles of strategic leaders. Rather than focussing on
day-to-day issues, strategic leaders are future-orientated and prepare for an
uncertain destiny. These leaders base their decisions on evidence and research.
Drawing on data that demonstrates school learning outcomes, strategic leaders will
respond with the most suitable approach – whether that’s staff training, reviewing
policies and procedures, or fostering a culture based on achievements. Innovation is
at the heart of a strategic leader’s mission – they’re always looking for ways to
improve the school environment – whether that’s relationship building, embracing
diversity or creating partnerships with parents. Strategic leaders invest in
partnerships across the school community and use the power of collective thinking to
build a values-based school were transparency, ethics and accountability are the
cornerstones of their leadership.  
Studies show that using strategy as a tool to manage an educational organisation is
at the heart of developing successful schools in the long term. Aligning
organisational structures, processes, culture and people behind a strategic focus is
critical to this success.

10 Traits of Successful School Leaders

The following traits are common among the most successful school leaders.

1. They Understand the Importance of Building Community

Effective school leaders build and sustain reciprocal family and community
partnerships and leverage those partnerships to cultivate inclusive, caring and
culturally responsive school communities. To build these community networks it is
essential that school leaders are visible in their schools and community, develop
trust and create a sense of transparency and shared purpose with parents, staff,
community members and students.

Megan Tschannen-Moran, author and professor of educational leadership at the

College of William and Mary, discusses the importance that trust plays in building
communities in her book, “Trust Matters: Leadership for Successful Schools.”

Tschannen-Moran explains, “In schools with high levels of trust:

 Teachers are motivated and willing to try new strategies because they trust
leaders to support them.
 Students are motivated and connected to the school because they trust their
teachers.

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  Families are supportive because the principal and teachers have built trusting
relationships with them.”

2. They Empower Teachers and Cultivate Leadership Skills

Great school leaders know that they are not running a one-man show; that they
cannot do it all alone. They know that they must surround themselves with great
teachers and colleagues and, not only that, they must fully support teachers and staff
by encouraging them to continually learn, develop and, perhaps most important,
become leaders themselves.

It is no secret that when people are fulfilled and given opportunity for career growth,
as well as autonomy and control over their careers, they are more productive, more
engaged and more effective overall. In a recent Gallup poll, it was discovered that 33
percent of U.S. teachers are engaged in their work, while 51 percent are not
engaged and 16 percent are actively disengaged. These statistics are startling to say
the least.
Through offering professional development opportunities and support services to
teachers, as well as by creating an environment where teachers are able to
experiment, innovate and lead, principals can ensure a healthy environment for
educators that will have positive repercussions for students. Another Gallup study
found that “highly talented principals on Gallup’s Principal Insight assessment were
2.6 times more likely to have above average employee engagement at the schools
they lead three years later.” Gallup has studied the issue closely, even issuing a
report titled “Six Things the Most Engaged Schools Do Differently.”
In his book, “What Great Principals Do Differently,” education author and
researcher Todd Whitaker wrote: “Great principals focus on improving the quality of
the teachers within their buildings. By carefully hiring the best teachers, by
supporting their efforts and their ambitions, by holding all staff members to high
expectations, and by working to carefully support the individual development of each
professional, principals impact student achievement.”

3. They Utilize Data and Resources

Successful school leaders use data, including standardized and school-based

assessments, to drive continuous improvement through site-based decision-making
for the express purpose of promoting equitable and culturally responsive
opportunities for all students. The opportunities that data present are many and the
most effective leaders are able to leverage that data to make strategic decisions to
benefit their students.

According to educational technology company Illuminate Education, “building a

foundation for data-driven decision making” is the first of “Six Steps for School
Leaders to Use Data Effectively.”
A report from the Wallace Foundation asserts that: “When it comes to data, effective
principals try to draw the most from statistics and evidence, having ‘learned to ask
useful questions’ of the information, to display it in ways that tell ‘compelling stories’
and to use it to promote ‘collaborative inquiry among teachers.’ They view data as a
means not only to pinpoint problems but to understand their nature and causes.”

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4. They Have a Vision and a Plan

The very best leaders are also visionaries. They have a goal that they can unite a
team around and a plan to help them get there. Not just that, but they are able to
clearly articulate their school vision and goals.

Vision is perhaps one of the most important qualities a leader can have as it provides
momentum and direction, not just for the team leader but for each and every team
member. Of course, in order for leaders to be successful in pursuing their vision and
enacting their plan, they must pair their vision with unrelenting passion. Vision and
passion from an effective leader should generate inspiration, motivation and
excitement that permeates throughout the school.

According to a “Successful School Leadership” report published by UK-based

Education Development Trust, “Effective headteachers provide a clear vision and
sense of direction for the school. They prioritize. They focus the attention of staff on
what is important and do not let them get diverted and sidetracked with initiatives
that will have little impact on the work of the students.”

5. They Create Collaborative, Inclusive Learning Environments

Inclusive learning provides all students with access to flexible learning choices and
effective paths for achieving educational goals in spaces where they experience a
sense of belonging. The best educators know this and prioritize inclusivity, creating
safe learning environments that nurture every student. Leaders that prioritize
inclusive learning also typically believe that every person can contribute to the
greater learning community and therefore they encourage collaboration between
faculty as well as students.
“Perhaps the most critical role in successful inclusive schools is the role of the
principal,” wrote the Inclusive Schools Network. “The school principal’s active
participation is the single most important predictor of success in implementing
change, improving services, or setting a new course. The school principal is central
to facilitating systemic change and leading faculty to adopt new attitudes and new
practices.”

6. They Are Passionate About Their Work

Passion is a critical ingredient for nearly anyone who wants to be successful and
happy in their job. But passion is especially important for school leaders, who
typically have a great influence on their school’s climate and culture.

Passionate people have a contagious energy that can greatly affect teacher
satisfaction and drive as well as student performance. “All the knowledge in the
world can’t make a good leader: It’s the care for the work and the people who
collaborate with you that makes the difference,” wrote Forbes. “This is in large part
because people want to follow a passionate leader. Someone who cares about not
only the cause for which he or she is working, but also the other people who are
involved in the effort. Passion for the projects, for the company and for the people
involved are key to successful leadership.”

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7. They Encourage Risk-Taking

What most educators already know is that failure can be the greatest teacher. Just
as teachers should encourage risk-taking amongst their students in order to spur
growth, truly effective leaders encourage risk-taking amongst their subordinates and
colleagues by creating a supportive environment that rewards not just successful
ideas or initiatives but effort as well, no matter the outcome.

“Failure is required for learning, but our relentless pursuit of results can also
discourage employees from taking chances. To resolve this conflict, leaders must
create a culture that supports risk-taking,” wrote the Harvard Business Review. “One
way of doing this is to use controlled experiments — think A/B testing — that allow
for small failures and require rapid feedback and correction. This provides a platform
for building collective intelligence so that employees learn from each other’s
mistakes, too.”

8. They Lead by Example

We’ve all heard the saying, “Do as I say, not as I do.” Of course, the irony is that
actions are much more telling than words. Leaders who lead by example position
themselves as tremendous role models for not only the students in their school or
district but for colleagues and parents as well. A leader that leads by example almost
always receives respect and admiration, without which he or she will find little luck in
leadership. As philosopher and physician Albert Schweitzer once said, “Example is
not the main thing in influencing others; it is the only thing.”

9. They Persevere – Staying with a School for at Least Five Years

Change, while good, can also be disruptive when it occurs too frequently. In the case
of school leadership, it has been documented that frequent turnover results in a
negative school climate, which in turn has a negative effect on student performance.

“Committed and effective principals who remain in their schools are associated with
improved schoolwide student achievement. As a corollary, principal turnover is
associated with lower gains in student achievement,” reported the Learning Policy
Institute. “Principal turnover has a more significant negative effect in high-poverty,
low-achieving schools — the very schools in which students most rely on their
education for future success. The negative effect of principal turnover suggests that
principals need time to make meaningful improvements in their schools. One study
found that it takes, on average, 5 years of a new principal leading a school for the
school’s performance to rebound to the pre-turnover level.”

The best leaders, therefore, are willing to commit to a school and persevere despite
the obstacles or challenges. After all, realizing a vision doesn’t happen overnight;
true transformation takes time. A leader’s commitment displays not only passion but
dedication, which can have a tremendously positive effect on school culture.

10. They Are Lifelong Learners

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Perhaps the most important of all qualities that a school leader can possess is
the unquenchable thirst for knowledge. As John F. Kennedy said, “leadership and
learning are indispensable to each other.” The best leaders, no matter what industry
they work in, know they will never know it all. They are humble in their knowledge yet
confident in their abilities. They’re endlessly curious individuals who never stop
questioning, and learning.
The Harvard Business Review put it perfectly when they said: “It takes a real sense
of personal commitment, especially after you’ve arrived at a position of power and
responsibility, to push yourself to grow and challenge conventional wisdom. Which is
why two of the most important questions leaders face are as simple as they are
profound: Are you learning, as an organization and as an individual, as fast as the
world is changing? Are you as determined to stay interested as to be interesting?
Remember, it’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.”

The report also quotes the noted writer and professor John Gardner, who observed,
“The best leaders I’ve gotten to know aren’t just the boldest thinkers; they are the
most insatiable learners.”

“LEADERSHIP AND LEARNING ARE INDISPENSABLE TO EACH OTHER” —

JOHN F. KENNEDY
It is hard to think of an industry where constant learning is more applicable than
education.

To be a successful and effective leader is no easy feat. Yet, effective school leaders
are desperately needed in thousands of schools and educational institutions across
this country and around the world.

TYPES OF LEADERSHIP STYLES

1. Coaching leadership style

A coaching leader is someone who can quickly recognize their team members’
strengths, weaknesses and motivations to help each individual improve. This type of
leader often assists team members in setting smart goals and then provides regular
feedback with challenging projects to promote growth. They’re skilled in setting clear
expectations and creating a positive, motivating environment.

The coach leadership style is one of the most advantageous for employers as well
as the employees they manage. Unfortunately, it’s often also one of the most
underutilized styles—largely because it can be more time-intensive than other types
of leadership.

You may be a coaching leader if you:

 Are supportive
 Offer guidance instead of giving commands
 Value learning as a way of growing
 Ask guided questions
 Balance relaying knowledge and helping others find it themselves

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  Are self-aware

Benefits: Coaching leadership is positive in nature. It promotes the development of

new skills, free-thinking, empowerment, revisits company objectives and fosters a
confident company culture. Leaders who coach are often seen as valuable mentors

Challenges: While this style has many advantages, it is more time consuming as it

requires one-on-one time with employees. This may be difficult to obtain in a fast-
paced environment with time-sensitive priorities.

Example: A sales manager gathers their team of account executives for a meeting
to discuss learnings from the previous quarter. They start the meeting by completing
an assessment together of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats
regarding the team’s performance. The manager then recognizes specific team
members for exceptional performance and goes over the goals achieved by the
team. Finally, the manager closes the meeting by announcing a contest to start the
next quarter, motivating the salespeople to reach their goals.

2. Visionary leadership style

Visionary leaders have a powerful ability to drive progress and usher in periods of
change by inspiring employees and earning trust for new ideas. A visionary leader is
also able to establish a strong organizational bond. They strive to foster confidence
among direct reports and colleagues alike.

This type of leadership is especially helpful for small, fast-growing organizations, or

larger organizations experiencing transformations or corporate restructuring.

You may be a visionary leader is you are:

 Persistent and bold

 Strategic
 Risk-taking
 Inspirational
 Optimistic
 Innovative

 Magnetic

Benefits: Visionary leadership can help companies grow, unite teams and the
overall company and improve outdated technologies or practices.

Challenges: Visionary leaders may miss important details or other opportunities

because they’re so focused on the big picture. They also may sacrifice the resolution
of present-day issues because they are so future-oriented, which could leave their
team feeling unheard.

Example: A teacher starts a group at work for colleagues who want to help resolve
anxieties and issues students have outside of school. The goal is to help students

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better focus on and succeed at school. He has developed testing methods so they
can find meaningful ways to help students in a quick, efficient way.

3. Servant leadership style

Servant leaders live by a people-first mindset and believe that when team members
feel personally and professionally fulfilled, they’re more effective and more likely to
produce great work regularly. Because of their emphasis on employee satisfaction
and collaboration, they tend to achieve higher levels of respect.

A servant leader is an excellent leadership style for organizations of any industry and
size but is especially prevalent within nonprofits. These types of leaders are
exceptionally skilled in building employee morale and helping people re-engage with
their work.

You may be a servant leader if you:

 Motivate your team

 Have excellent communication skills
 Personally care about your team
 Encourage collaboration and engagement

 Commit to growing your team professionally

Benefits: Servant leaders have the capacity to boost employee loyalty and

productivity, improve employee development and decision-making, cultivate trust
and create future leaders.

Challenges: Servant leaders can become burnt-out as they may put the needs of
their team above their own, they may have a hard time being authoritative when they
need to be and the organization's goals may be at risk if the servant leader is only
focused on the needs of their immediate team.

Example: A product manager hosts monthly one-on-one coffee meetings with

everyone that has concerns, questions or thoughts about improving or using the
product. This time is meant for her to address the needs of and help those who are
using the product in any capacity.

4. Autocratic leadership style

Also called the authoritarian style of leadership, this type of leader is someone who
is focused almost entirely on results and efficiency. They often make decisions alone
or with a small, trusted group and expect employees to do exactly what they’re
asked. It can be helpful to think of these types of leaders as military commanders.

This leadership style can be useful in organizations with strict guidelines or

compliance-heavy industries. It can also be beneficial when used with employees
who need a great deal of supervision—such as those with little to no experience.
However, this leadership style can stifle creativity and make employees feel
confined.
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You may be an autocratic leader if you:

 Have self-confidence
 Are self-motivated
 Communicate clearly and consistently
 Follow the rules
 Are dependable
 Value highly structured environments

 Believe in supervised work environments

Benefits: Autocratic leaders can promote productivity through delegation, provide

clear and direct communication, reduce employee stress by making decisions
quickly on their own.

Challenges: This style of leadership can cause stress to the leader by bearing all
the weight of decision making. The lack of flexibility and rigidness, as well as the lack
of interest in hearing the ideas from others, can cause resentment on the team.

Example: Before an operation, the surgeon carefully recounts the rules and

processes of the operation room with every team member who will be helping during
the surgery. She wants to ensure everyone is clear on the expectations and follows
each procedure carefully and exactly so the surgery goes as smoothly as possible.

5. Laissez-faire or hands-off leadership style

This leadership style is the opposite of the autocratic leadership type, focusing
mostly on delegating many tasks to team members and providing little to no
supervision. Because a laissez-faire leader does not spend their time intensely
managing employees, they often have more time to dedicate to other projects.

Managers may adopt this leadership style when all team members are highly
experienced, well-trained and require little oversight. However, it can also cause a
dip in productivity if employees are confused about their leader’s expectations, or if
some team members need consistent motivation and boundaries to work well.

You may be a laissez-faire leader if you:

 Effectively delegate
 Believe in freedom of choice
 Provide sufficient resources and tools
 Will take control if needed
 Offer constructive criticism
 Foster leadership qualities in your team

 Promote an autonomous work environment

Benefits: This style encourages accountability, creativity and a relaxed work

environment. Because of this, it can also increase employee retention.

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Challenges: This style does not work well for new employees, as they need
guidance and hands-on support in their early days. This method can also lead to a
lack of structure, leadership confusion and employees feeling a lack of support.

Example: When welcoming new employees, Keisha explains that her engineers can
set and maintain their own work schedules as long as they are tracking towards and
hitting goals that they set together as a team. They are also free to learn about and
participate in projects outside of their team they might be interested in.

Read more: Laissez-Faire Leadership: Definition, Tips and Examples

6. Democratic or participative leadership style

The democratic leadership style (also called the participative style) is a combination
of the autocratic and laissez-faire types of leaders. A democratic leader is someone
who asks for input and considers feedback from their team before making a decision.
Because team members feel their voice is heard and their contributions matter, a
democratic leadership style is often credited with fostering higher levels of employee
engagement and workplace satisfaction.

Because this type of leadership drives discussion and participation, it’s an excellent
style for organizations focused on creativity and innovation—such as the technology
industry.

You may be a democratic/participative leader if you:

 Value group discussions

 Provide all information to team when making decisions
 Promote a work environment where everyone shares their ideas
 Are rational
 Are flexible

 Are good at mediation

Benefits: Under this leadership style employees can feel empowered, valued and
unified. It has the power to boost retention and morale. It also requires less
managerial oversight, as employees are typically part of decision-making processes
and know what they need to do.

Challenges: This leadership style has the potential to be inefficient and costly as it

takes a long time to organize big group discussions, obtain ideas and feedback,
discuss possible outcomes and communicate a decision. It also can add social
pressure to members of the team who don’t like sharing ideas in group settings.

Example: As a store manager, Jack has hired many brilliant and focused team
members he trusts. When deciding on storefronts and floor design, Jack acts only as
the final moderator for his team to move forward with their ideas. He is there to
answer questions and present possible improvements for his team to consider.

Read more: What is Participative Leadership?

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7. Pacesetter leadership style

The pacesetting leadership style is one of the most effective for driving fast results.
These leaders are primarily focused on performance. They often set high standards
and hold their team members accountable for hitting their goals.

While the pacesetting leadership style is motivational and helpful in fast-paced

environments where team members need to be energized, it’s not always the best
option for team members who need mentorship and feedback.

You may be a pacesetter leader if you:

 Set a high bar

 Focus on goals
 Are slow to praise
 Will jump in to hit goals if needed
 Are highly competent

 Value performance over soft skills

Benefits: Pacesetting leadership pushes employees to hit goals and accomplish

business objectives. It promotes high-energy and dynamic work environments.

Challenges: Pacesetting leadership can also lead to stressed-out employees as

they are always pushing towards a goal or deadline. The fast-paced work
environment fostered under this style can also create miscommunications or a lack
of clear instructions.

Example: The leader of a weekly meeting recognized that an hour out of everyone’s

schedule once a week did not justify the purpose of the meeting. To increase
efficiency, she changed the meeting to a 15-minute standup with only those she had
updates for.

8. Transformational leadership style

The transformational leadership style is similar to the coach-style in that it focuses on

clear communication, goal-setting and employee motivation. However, instead of
placing the majority of the energy into each employee’s individual goals, the
transformational leader is driven by a commitment to organizational objectives.

Because these types of leaders spend much of their time on the big picture, this style
of leading is best for teams that can handle many delegated tasks without constant
supervision.

You may be a transformational leader if you:

 Have mutual respect with your team

 Provide encouragement
 Inspires others to achieve their goals

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  Think of the big picture
 Places value on intellectually challenging your team
 Are creative

 Have a good understanding of organizational needs

Benefits: Transformational leadership values personal connection with their team,

which can boost company morale and retention. It also values the ethics of the
company and team instead of being overly focused on achieving goals.

Challenges: Since transformational leaders look at individuals, it can cause team or

company wins to go unnoticed. These leaders can also overlook details as they are
big picture thinkers.

Example: Reyna is hired to lead a marketing department. The CEO asks her to set
new goals and organize teams to reach those objectives. She spends the first
months in her new role getting to know the company and the marketing employees.
She gains a strong understanding of current trends and organizational strengths.
After three months, she has set clear targets for each of the teams that report to her
and asked individuals to set goals for themselves that align with those.

Related: What Does Leadership Mean?

9. Transactional leadership style

A transactional leader is someone who is laser-focused on performance, similar to a

pacesetter. Under this leadership style, the manager establishes predetermined
incentives—usually in the form of monetary reward for success and disciplinary
action for failure. Unlike the pacesetter leadership style, though, transactional
leaders are also focused on mentorship, instruction and training to achieve goals and
enjoy the rewards.

While this type of leader is great for organizations or teams tasked with hitting
specific goals, such as sales and revenue, it’s not the best leadership style for
driving creativity.

You may be a transactional leader if you:

 Value corporate structure

 Micromanage
 Don’t question authority
 Are practical and pragmatic
 Value goal-hitting

 Are reactionary

Benefits: Transactional leaders facilitate the achievement of goals, through short-

term goals and a clearly defined structure.

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Challenges: Being overly focused on short-term goals and not having long-term
goals can cause a company to struggle with adversity. This style stifles creativity and
is unmotivating to employees who are not incentivized by monetary rewards.

Example: A bank branch manager meets with each member of the team bi-weekly
to discuss ways they can meet and exceed monthly company goals to get their
bonus. Each of the top 10 performers in the district receives a monetary reward.

10. Bureaucratic leadership style

Bureaucratic leaders are similar to autocratic leaders in that they expect their team
members to follow the rules and procedures precisely as written.

The bureaucratic leadership style focuses on fixed duties within a hierarchy where
each employee has a set list of responsibilities, and there is little need for
collaboration and creativity. This leadership style is most effective in highly regulated
industries or departments, such as finance, healthcare or government.

You may be a bureaucratic leader if you:

 Are detail-oriented and task-focused

 Value rules and structure
 Have a great work ethic
 Are strong-willed
 Have a commitment to your organization

 Are self-disciplined

Benefits: This leadership style can be efficient in organizations that need to follow

strict rules and regulations. Each person in the team/company has a clearly defined
role which leads to efficiency. These leaders separate work from relationships to
avoid clouding the team's ability to hit goals.

Challenges: This style does not promote creativity which can feel restricting to some
employees. This leadership style is also slow to change and does not thrive in an
environment that needs to be dynamic.

Example: Managers at a Department of Motor Vehicles office instruct their

employees to work within a specific, defined framework. They must take many steps
to complete a task with strict order and rules.

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