Read the following carefully:

1. I try to get compliance on working tasks by giving directives and monitoring errors
2. I try to reach agreements through communication
3. I try to promote harmony among colleagues and manage possible conflicts
4. I try to improve performance and establish high standards of excellence
5. I try to empower the team and professional development
6. I try to inspire the team with long-term vision and planning

If you had to pick one of the statements above, which would it be?
Find the number of the statement you chose and see what kind of leader you are according to leadership styles as defined by Daniel Goleman, psychologist and author of the bestseller «Emotional Intelligence».

     1. Commanding

Fosters discipline in the team by providing concrete and precise instructions. They are effective in under pressure or in a crisis. Their primary objective is to achieve the best results possible in record time.

Their weakness is that, in the long term, they can erode the motivation and dedication of the team. In many cases, prompting talent to leave the company.

The authoritative approach is very useful in the event of an emergency or during a complicated and high-stakes endeavor.

     2. Democratic

Weighs in on everyone’s opinions when making a decision. In other words, this leader is always open to new proposals and suggestions. As a result, a team led democratically feels valued by the company.

That being said, this situation can be more time consuming than planned; with a series of meetings extending the time it takes to make decisions.

     3. Collaborative

Foster strong connections both interpersonally with members of the team and between the team members themselves. Develops such strong relationships that the team comes to feel more like <<Family>>.

Leaders of this style must take care to keep the team’s key objectives in mind as they tend to be forgotten in the highly social environment fostered.

The objective is to inspire workers through a strong sense of community.

      4. Pacesetting

They have a clear goal for every project. They communicate very clear guidelines, delegate tasks, as well as monitor, correct, and guide the whole team.
If this leader isn’t present to initiate action the team is left without direction and takes no action.

This leader often runs the risk of overwhelming collaborators with demands. Additionally, they can sometimes stunt the growth of talent and professional development with their resistance to change within the organization.

      5. Coach

Helps identify a team’s strengths and weakness to eventually unlock it’s full potential. They create an environment of continuous group growth. All the while accepting a certain margin of error as part of the learning and growth process.

In some cases, workers can feel overloaded due to challenging tasks and by feeling up to par with the leader’s expectations.

     6. Visionary

Motivates their team with a clear, evocative, inspiring vision. Fosters a strong sense of commitment to the company’s goals.

Internal conflict may arise if this team is made up of people with more experience than the leader.

Very effective for unmotivated, aimless, teams; or when an organization is passing through a period of extreme change as this leader excels in making their team feel motivated and purposeful.

Ph: Pexels