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What leadership styles do you know?

According to Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis and Anne McKee, specialists in emotional leadership, managers work around what are six leadership styles. Each of these leadership styles is represented by specific methods that are applicable in certain situations, so a leader should not stick to just one of these styles. The key is the ability to adapt to all of them as best suits him.

Commanding or in command: This style is known for demanding the completion of tasks immediately, it is a “Do what I tell you”. It works in times of crisis, or when it is necessary to initiate a change of trend, it also works to handle employees who are problematic and do not want to collaborate. However, this style does not work when there is no crisis, because employees will consider this style as annoying. One piece of advice is to analyze very well which are the real crises, and which are not, in order to be able to apply it successfully.


Visionary or visionary: It serves to mobilize people towards a certain vision, it is a «Come with me». It is useful when it is time for changes that require a new vision for success or when a clear direction is required to function. This style does not work when the vision is far from reality, which will easily lower the morale of the work team. The key to this style is a clear vision of the future, one that is achievable, concrete and direct.

Affiliative or empathetic: Among the types of leadership This is the one in charge of creating harmony and emotional bonds, it is the type “People come first”. It is especially useful when it is necessary to heal divisions in a team, and it is also useful to motivate people when they are going through stressful circumstances. With this style, it is not good to exaggerate because what it produces is a lack of direction, and therefore can result in mediocre performances. The key to exercising it well is to establish a precise balance.

Democratic or democrat: In this style the leader achieves consensus through the participation of the entire group, it is the type "What do you think?"It is best used when you want to generate acceptance or to get valuable information from employees. It is not the best option when collective decisions are not the most needed.

Pacesetting: Here we proceed to establish high performance standards, being of the type «Do what I do, now». It is the best alternative to use to obtain results that are quick, and when you are interested in forming a team that is highly motivated and extremely competent. It should not be used frequently because it creates demotivation within the team. One tip for developing it is to let the team members talk a lot more, giving them autonomy so that they can make their own decisions.

Coaching: It is used for the purpose of better development for the future of the members, it is of the type «Try this». And it should be used to help the employee improve his or her performance or, in this case, to develop strengths that are imposed in the long term.