THE 6 LEADERSHIP STYLES IN DETAIL

The «Directive» style»

This is the most authoritarian style: it leaves little room for initiative, expects immediate action, and imposes actions to be taken without explaining the overall vision.

• Effects on team climate: this style almost always has a negative impact on team dynamics! Most often, an overly directive style seriously undermines the intrinsic motivation of teams who do not feel their leader's trust and do not see the meaning of their work.
• Optimal use: this style can however be useful in very specific cases. For example, in a crisis situation, when immediate action is necessary, or to «tighten the screws» on employees who do not follow instructions or passively wait for precise tasks to be given to them.
• Warning! this style does not work for managing more complex tasks requiring team initiative and creativity. This style is therefore generally to be avoided and to be used with moderation and in a targeted manner in the situations we have just mentioned.

The «Pacesetting» style»

A little less authoritarian than the «Directive» style, this leadership style is no less demanding. The «Pacesetting» leader aims for excellence and sets high expectations (for themselves) in terms of performance. It is a leadership by example that sets the pace and requires teams to follow.

• Effects on team climate: this style has a rather negative overall effect. People who fail to keep up with the leader risk becoming discouraged, demotivated with the feeling of not being good enough. This style does not promote the upskilling of teams.
• Optimal use: allows for quick results from a highly motivated and competent team.
• Warning! Pacesetting leaders risk losing patience with underperformers and taking over tasks themselves (the only guarantee of getting exactly what they want), leading to increased workload for the leader and demotivation, loss of self-esteem and self-confidence for the person concerned who is «set up to fail».

The «Visionary» style»

This style involves charismatic leadership that captivates us and allows for uniting and mobilizing a team around an inspiring vision.

• Effects on team climate: this style has a very positive overall impact on the team. Visionary leadership provides meaning, energy, and guides action by mobilizing the team around an inspiring vision.
• Optimal use: to give hope, overcome resistance to change, guide teams in a complex environment and show the way, e.g., during major organizational transformations, reorganizations, a change in the company's strategic positioning, a merger...).
• Warning! this style is not suitable for crisis management which requires quick action and a more directive approach. One must also be able to translate their vision into concrete and tangible actions to remain credible in the eyes of the team in the long term.

The «Collaborative» style»

Collaborative leadership primarily seeks cohesion and the participation of all team members. This management style promotes interactions and a positive dynamic within teams.

• Effects on team climate: this style has a very positive overall impact, strengthens cohesion, and provides support to teams.
• Optimal use: the «Collaborative» style helps to ease tensions (internal competition, interpersonal conflicts) and strengthen mutual aid and collaboration during difficult times.
• Warning! this style can be too «soft» and not stimulating enough for high-performing employees who expect a model closer to the «Pacesetting» style, and does not allow them to feel individually valued because «Collaborative» leadership focuses primarily on the collective.

The «Participative» style»

Participative leadership seeks consensus through democratic means and has a stabilizing and pacifying effect on teams. It readily solicits opinions with an open attitude, dialogue, and listening.

• Effects on team climate: this leadership style is inclusive and gives space to ideas so that each person feels heard and integrated into the team.
• Optimal use: this style stimulates collective intelligence, co-creation and innovation and allows for maximum capitalization on everyone's ideas and opinions. It actively involves each team member in decision-making.
• Warning! however, it is ineffective when it comes to achieving quick results, and unsuitable or even dangerous in times of crisis! highly performing individuals may become impatient having to wait for collective opinion to move forward.

The «Coach» style»

This is a leadership style that primarily seeks to develop team members in the long term. «Coach» leaders invest time to understand the intrinsic motivations and goals of their team members and support them in their development while fostering their autonomy. This style refers to the notion of’empowerment (development of the capacity and power to act).

• Effects on team climate: this leadership style is positive because each person feels valued and supported in their development.
• Optimal use: this style helps people to improve, develop their resources, be more effective, more autonomous, and also induces strong loyalty towards the organization.
• Warning! this style is relatively difficult to implement, as it requires being able to guide individuals while leaving them total autonomy in their choices… To succeed in «supporting» without «prescribing», qualities of listening, empathy, and benevolence are necessary, as well as confidence in everyone's ability to improve. This style does not work with people who expect a more structured and directive management style.