What Type of Leader Are You?

Do you have a clear sense of your personal leadership style? Would others say you have a distinctive way you guide, motivate, and manage your team or organization?

Recognizing and actively developing your leadership style is essential—not only for building self-awareness, but for leading with greater clarity, consistency, and impact.

Whether you take a directive, collaborative, or hands-off stance, each method comes with its own set of benefits and trade-offs. The diverse motivations, expectations, and values of stakeholders—ranging from team members to organizational leadership—often require different approaches. The key lies in understanding your core leadership style and knowing when, where, and how to adapt it to lead most effectively.

Types of Leadership Styles

There are numerous leadership styles, each shaped by different priorities, values, and methods of influence. Some focus on decision-making authority, others on motivation and team dynamics. Among the most recognized and common leadership styles are:

• Autocratic
• Democratic
• Laissez-faire
• Transformational
• Transactional
• Coaching
• Pacesetting
• Strategic
• Bureaucratic
• Visionary

Each of these styles offers distinct advantages—and potential pitfalls—depending on the leader, the team, and the context. We explore all ten in depth in our Leadership Styles in Action article to help you better understand which approach (or combination of approaches) may be most effective for you and your unique work environment.

Finding Your Leadership Style

We each have an intuitive leadership style that fits our natural strengths and personality. Considering your personal traits is a great place to start if you are in the process of finding your leadership style.

Your Personality

• What is your natural character?
• How do you express yourself?
• How might others describe you?

Your Strengths and Weaknesses

• What innate character strengths do you possess?
• Where do you struggle?
• What learned skills expand your influence? 

Your Values 

• What matters most to you?
• What ignites and inspires you?
• What are your imperatives in life and work? 

When you are clear on your personality, strengths, and values, you can more easily connect to a leadership style that comes naturally to you. However, there are several other tactics that can also be very helpful in identifying and refining your style. These include: 

Taking Assessments

There are many leadership style quizzes and assessments available online. Also, consider attending an executive education program designed to find and hone your leadership style. 

Perform Research

Spend some time digging deeper into the various leadership approaches. Which ones resonate most with you? Why?

Observe Other Leaders 

What approaches and behaviors do you admire? Which ones make the most sense, given your unique traits and leadership context?

Get Feedback From Others

What style would your team say you use? What do you do well? How might you do better?

Discovering your leadership style is an ongoing journey rather than a one-time decision. The practices outlined above can guide you in gaining greater clarity and self-awareness. For those looking to dive deeper, reputable leadership development programs offer valuable tools and perspectives to help uncover and refine your personal approach.

At Berkeley Executive Education, both our Berkeley Executive Leadership Program and Leading Strategy Execution through Culture Program provide assessments, proven frameworks, and practical guidance to help leaders identify and strengthen their unique leadership style.

Tailoring Your Leadership Style

An effective leadership style strikes a balance between your authentic self and the evolving needs of your team. While staying true to your natural approach is valuable, relying solely on it may not always serve your team well.

For example, a direct, assertive leader may find it difficult to engage a team that values empathy and collaboration. On the other hand, a reserved, hands-off leader might falter when decisive action is needed. Adapting your style to match team dynamics and situational demands can greatly enhance your effectiveness.

This idea is at the heart of situational leadership—the ability to adjust your approach based on changing contexts and individual team member needs. While this can involve informally modifying leadership behaviors, Ken Blanchard and Paul Hersey formalized the concept in 1969, identifying four core styles based on a person’s developmental level—a combination of competence and commitment to the task:

Directing 

Provide clear instructions, show how to execute tasks, monitor progress closely, and offer feedback. Best for team members with low competence but high commitment.

Coaching

Explain the rationale behind decisions, invite input, offer praise, and continue guiding task completion. Ideal for those with low to moderate competence and low commitment.

Supporting

Collaborate on decisions, facilitate participation, and encourage autonomy. Fits team members with moderate to high competence and variable commitment.

Delegating

Grant full autonomy and ensure needed resources are available. Appropriate for individuals with high competence and high commitment.

Developing Your Team’s Leadership Style

As teams grow and evolve, it’s not just individual leadership styles that need attention—teams too, benefit from a shared leadership approach. Leaders must shift from a purely personal leadership mindset to one that establishes norms, values, and behaviors that guide the entire group.

Developing a team-wide leadership style starts with intentionally defining how decisions are made, how information is shared, and how feedback is delivered. Leaders should clarify expectations around ownership, collaboration, and accountability—making these values visible and repeatable through systems and rituals.

Just as important, team members should understand not only what the team is working toward, but how they are expected to lead and support one another along the way. This clarity enables consistency as the team scales, while also creating space for individual strengths to thrive within a cohesive framework.

Check out our article Being a Connected Leader to learn more about emotionally intelligent, connected leadership and how it impacts and informs team leadership styles.

Key Takeaways

Understanding who you are as a leader is foundational—not just for your own growth, but for the strength and success of your team.

But leadership isn’t static. The most effective leaders remain flexible, adapting their approach to meet the evolving needs of their teams and the challenges they face.

By combining self-awareness with adaptability, you can foster a leadership style that is both grounded and responsive—one that empowers those around you to thrive.

References

• https://online.wharton.upenn.edu/blog/which-leadership-style-is-best-for-your-team/     
• https://situational.com/blog/what-is-situational-leadership-understanding-this-leadership-model/
• https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vQ1SocHjk9C87OATIhw8kZ4rjZXv8fTh/view?usp=sharing
• https://www.forbes.com/sites/rachelwells/2023/11/29/3-ways-to-easily-identify-your-leadership-style/
• https://hbr.org/2019/03/as-your-team-gets-bigger-your-leadership-style-has-to-adapt