What is The Best Leadership Style

Contents

What is the Best Leadership Style

Choosing the Best Leadership Style

Modern SituationalLeadership

What are the Four Styles of Situational Leadership

What Are Daniel Goleman’s Six Leadership Styles?

Consistency in Principles, Not Style

Connecting Honesty and Leadership Styles

Choosing the Best Leadership Approach

Your Next Steps

 

What is the best leadership style?

If you’re asking this question, you’re not alone. It’s one that leaders and managers at all levels continue to ponder throughout their careers.

In my experience as a leadership mentor, I’ve learned that Imposter Syndrome is more prevalent than many leaders let on. Deep down, we’re all looking for the reassurance that we’re ‘doing it right.’

But doing it right doesn’t mean having ‘a’ leadership style.

 

Choosing the Best Leadership Style

Leaders and managers do not need to have a defined leadership or management style, and there certainly isn’t one approach that we can consider to be the best.

The very question of ‘what is the best leadership style?’ is misleading.

Instead, as leaders, we should be continually asking ourselves the question, “What is the best leadership style to use in this situation?’

I had the privilege of interviewing General David Petreaus for my podcast, and I very deliberately asked him about this very topic. Here’s what he said in response.

 

 

“Tell me what you want me to achieve, tell me the context, tell me who I’m working with, and then I’ll tell you my leadership style.”

The Best Leadership Style Depends on the Situation

The concept of Situational Leadership has almost certainly been around since we lived in tribes and looked to a leader to keep us safe.

Consider a tribe in the Palaeolithic era that needed to hunt a large animal for food. It required coordination, focus, and immediate action to succeed.

The leader would have adopted a directive approach, issuing clear, specific commands.

 

“You three flank the animal on the left, and you two drive it toward the river.”

 

This approach ensured everyone knew their role and acted decisively, which is critical during a high-stakes, time-sensitive activity like a hunt.

Contrast this with the best leadership style needed to teach young tribe members essential skills like tracking, building shelters, or creating tools.

The leader would need more of a supportive approach, guiding and encouraging while allowing the individuals to practice and develop skills. For example:

 

“Watch how I carve the spear tip; then you try.”

 

This style nurtures future leaders and ensures the tribe’s survival skills are passed down effectively.

 

Modern Situational Leadership

The theory of Situational Leadership® was formerly developed in 1969 by Ken Blanchard and Paul Hersey.

They believe there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ leadership style.

Instead, they argue the case that the best leadership style is dependent on the situation or, more specifically, the Performance Readiness® of the individual they are working with.

Their research found that 54 percent of leaders use only one leadership style, regardless of the situation.

This means that 50 percent of the time, leaders are using the wrong leadership style to meet the needs of their people.

 

What Are the Four Styles of Situational Leadership

Blanchard and Hersey suggest four leadership styles that can be matched to the Performance Readiness® of the individual you are leading.

The ultimate goal is to progress your team through these styles whilst always being situationally aware and agile in your response.

 

Style 1. Telling, Directing or Guiding

Leaders provide clear instructions, set expectations, and closely monitor performance. There’s little input from team members as they are not yet experienced or confident in the task.

This leadership style may be used when onboarding a new employee. The leader outlines step-by-step processes and closely supervises their work to ensure they understand their role and responsibilities.

Style 2. Selling, Coaching or Explaining

The leader still makes decisions but provides background and context to explain their reasoning. They actively engage with the team member to reinforce buy-in and ensure continued progress through encouragement and support.

You could use this approach when a team is tackling a new project with unfamiliar challenges; the leader lays out the strategy, explains why it’s the best approach and invites input to address concerns. By balancing direction with collaboration, the leader builds confidence and commitment to the plan.

Style 3. Participating, Supporting or Facilitating

In this situation, the follower takes the lead in decision-making while the leader provides guidance and support. This approach is designed to instil confidence and enhance task mastery, empowering the follower to grow in their role.

An example of this in use would be when an experienced team member is leading a client presentation for the first time, the leader offers feedback during rehearsal, provides resources, and remains available for advice. This support allows the team member to refine their skills while taking ownership of the task.

Style 4. Delegating, Empowering or Monitoring

The follower is trusted to make task-related decisions independently and is encouraged to suggest strategies for improvement and identify best practices. The leader remains available for occasional support but primarily monitors outcomes.

This style would work with a senior team member managing a long-term product launch. The leader delegates full ownership, trusting them to devise strategies, adapt plans, and deliver results. The leader checks in periodically to review progress and provide resources if needed.

 

If you’re curious about which leadership style aligns best with your strengths or want to explore areas for growth, take my free Coaching Readiness Questionnaire. It’s a simple tool to help you reflect on your leadership approach and readiness to work with a coach.

 

What Are Daniel Goleman’s Six Leadership Styles?

Choosing a good leadership style is not merely a choice of Blanchard and Hersey’s four approaches.

It is more nuanced and more personal than that.

In more recent times, Daniel Goleman outlined six leadership styles that were first published in his Harvard Business Review article entitled “Leadership That Gets Results.”

#1. The Coercive Leadership Style

This style is about taking control and ensuring immediate action. Leaders using this approach provide clear instructions and expect prompt compliance to tackle urgent or high-stakes situations.

#2. The Authoritative Leadership Style

This approach requires leaders to inspire and rally their teams around a compelling goal. They focus on painting a clear picture of the future and energising others to align their efforts towards achieving it.

#3. The Pace-Setting Leadership Style

Leaders who adopt this style set the bar high, leading by example and expecting excellence. They empower their teams to be self-motivated and take ownership of delivering outstanding results.

#4. The Affiliative Leadership Style

This approach is about building trust and strengthening emotional connections. Leaders prioritise creating a supportive environment where people feel valued and motivated to collaborate.

#5. The Democratic Leadership Style

This style emphasises involving others in decision-making. Leaders seek input, encourage open dialogue, and strive to reach consensus.

#6. The Coaching Leadership Style

This approach centres on investing time in helping others develop their skills and realise their potential. Their focus is on succession and preparing people for future success.

 

Whilst Daniel Goleman’s six leadership styles were first published in 2000, they are still relevant today.

Goleman also takes the same position as Blanchard and Hersey; leadership success comes from flexibility of approach. His view can be summed up in this quote from his original article.

 

“The most effective leaders switch flexibly among the leadership styles as needed…[They] don’t mechanically match their style to fit a checklist of situations — they are far more fluid. They are exquisitely sensitive to the impact they are having on others and seamlessly adjust their style to get the best results.”

 

Consistency in Principles, Not Style

Replacing the question of “What is the best leadership style?” with “What is the best leadership style to use?” leaves us with a conundrum: how do people know what to expect from us as leaders?

This is an important question because it’s incredibly difficult to follow an unpredictable leader. Decades of research from Kouzes and Posner (The Leadership Challenge) emphatically and unquestionably shows that followers want a leader who is honest.

Simply put, this is about ensuring our actions match our words, keeping our promises, and being authentic.

 

Connecting Honesty and Leadership Styles

Leaders can harness the power of honesty by working to clarify their core values and truly understanding what they stand for. When we use this as the foundation of our leadership approach, it becomes the fallback for decision-making.

Over time, this consistency allows others to know what to expect from us. They can anticipate our decisions, and perhaps more importantly, they can understand our approach—even if they don’t always agree with it.

This creates a sense of trust and predictability, the cornerstones of effective leadership.

 

Choosing the Best Leadership Approach

Having clarified what we stand for as leaders and learned about the different leadership styles, we can be flexible and agile while maintaining authenticity.

This balance enables us to select the best leadership style at any given moment based on the task at hand, the context, and the people we are working with.

This adaptability is key to a leader’s success.

As Daniel Goleman explains:

 “A leader’s success depends on the productivity and effectiveness of the people who work for them. You’re shooting yourself in the foot if you use a style of leadership that’s counterproductive to their performance.”

By blending honesty, authenticity, and situational awareness, we are equipping ourselves with the tools to lead effectively and earn the trust and respect of those we serve.

 

Your Next Step

If this article has struck a chord with you, it might be time to explore how coaching and mentoring could help you grow as a leader or support someone in your team.

Leadership is as much about understanding yourself as it is about guiding others, and the journey often begins with a simple first step: reflection.

Take my free Coaching Readiness Questionnaire to discover how prepared you—or a team member—are to work with a coach or mentor. It’s designed to help you reflect on your current leadership approach and identify opportunities to enhance your effectiveness.

Is it time to unlock your potential and take your leadership to the next level?

Your coach,

#LeadOn