What kind of Leader are you?

According to the definition in the Aurélio dictionary, a leader is a person who exerts influence over the behaviour, thoughts or opinions of others.

This skill is one of the main characteristics that help individuals stand out both in their personal lives and at work.

But after all, is the ability to influence and direct others a natural gift or a competence that can be developed throughout life? For many scholars, both things can be true and, even though it is an intrinsic characteristic, leadership needs to be perfected during the course of a person's development.

At this point, you're probably asking yourself: ‘But is there more than one type of leadership?’. Yes, there is and we're going to talk about the various types today.

Autocratic Leadership

The leader completely centralises authority and decisions, and those they lead have no freedom of choice. This type of leadership emphasises the leader alone.

The autocratic leader:

• Is dominant;
• Gives orders and expects full and blind obedience from those they lead;
• Is feared by the group.

Groups subjected to autocratic leadership have the highest volume of work produced, with obvious signs of tension, frustration and aggression.

Liberal or Laissez-faire Leadership

In this leadership model, the leader allows complete freedom to make individual or group decisions, participating in them only when requested. Liberal leadership only emphasises the group.

The liberal leader's behaviour is evasive and undirected.

Groups subjected to liberal leadership do not do well in terms of quantity or quality of work. They also display

• Strong signs of individualism;
• Dissatisfaction;
• Little respect for the leader, who is often ignored by the group.

Democratic Leadership

In democratic leadership, the leader:

• Interacts well with those led;
• Encourages the participation of those they lead in decisions;
• Is equally concerned about the work and the group.

The democratic leader acts as a facilitator to guide the group, helping them to define problems and solutions, coordinating activities and suggesting ideas.

The groups subjected to democratic leadership showed quantity and quality of work, accompanied by a climate of satisfaction, integration, responsibility and collective commitment.

In each of these three leadership styles, the leader's actions promote a communication network within the group. The challenge lies in knowing when to apply each style, with whom and in what circumstances.

What kind of leader do you want to be?