What kind of leader are you? 5 leadership styles
Discover 5 leadership styles: directive, coaching, participative, visionary, and servant. Which one dominates in you?
There is no single "good" leadership style
Daniel Goleman's research (Harvard Business Review, 2000) showed that the most effective leaders do not use a single style — they switch flexibly between styles depending on the situation.
5 leadership styles
1. Directive style
"Do what I say." Clear instructions, quick decisions, close control of execution. Effective in a crisis, but demotivating day to day.
2. Coaching style
"Try it this way..." Developing people through questions, feedback and searching for solutions together. It takes time, but it builds the team's independence.
3. Participative style
"What do you all think?" Decisions made together, consensus, delegation. It builds engagement, but slows down decision-making.
4. Visionary style
"Follow me — there's something big over there." Inspiring with a vision of the future, strategic thinking. Key in transformations, but risky without substance.
5. Servant style (Servant Leadership)
"How can I help you?" Removing obstacles, caring for wellbeing, serving the team. It builds loyalty and trust. A model popularised by Robert Greenleaf.
When to use which style?
| Situation | Best style |
| Crisis, urgent decision | Directive |
| New employee, development | Coaching |
| Complex problem, need for creativity | Participative |
| Change of strategy, new direction | Visionary |
| Experienced, motivated team | Servant |
Take the free Leadership Style Test at PsychoProfil.pl — 20 questions, 5 styles, find out which one dominates.
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