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__ _Bad leaders give bad orders._

_Good leaders give good orders._

_Great leaders create a team that doesn't need orders._ _._  L. David Marquet, former U.S. Navy captain $pictured$

Leadership style doesnt normally endanger lives. But faced with an unfamiliar nuclear submarine, L. David Marquet discovered his style of leadership potentially put his crew in danger.

In our interview, the former commander and author of _Turn the Ship Around_ and _Leadership is Language_ shared how he'd given an order that was impossible to action on the _Santa Fe_ sub _,_ yet the crew still tried to carry it out because he was their leader.

All my leadership training was that leaders were the decision makers and the order givers, he said. The crew tried to do \[the order\]  despite knowing full well they couldnt do it\! It stopped me in my tracks.

David Marquets U.S. Navy training was not just on another type of sub, it was in the command-and-control, autocratic style of leadership, one of 10 types of leadership style we discuss in this article. Here youll discover how David Marquet switched his style of leadership to one that was SO effective _7 Habits of Highly Effective People_ author Stephen Covey described him as leading the most empowered organisation hed seen anywhere. Not only that, you will be guided to find your own leadership style.

**Why is leadership style so critical?**

Research by Korn Ferry Hay Group shows an up to **30% increase in business performance** can be directly attributable to the climate that leaders create through their style of leadership. You may have been a great worker, but it is your leadership style $and all your leadership skills and qualities$ that makes you an effective or ineffective leader.

Perhaps youre thinking My leadership is changing or I cant describe my leadership style  and thats fine. Leadership styles arent fixed, but characteristics of each style $such as decisiveness and communication$ are important in managing others, especially when you hit challenges.

Ready to pinpoint Which leadership style am I? Try to recognise your traits in the 10 most common styles below.....

_Before you continue reading, a friendly invitation from us: If your leadership skills could do with further development join our leader learning community with a 12 month Leadership Pass._

**Autocratic Leadership**

Captain Marquet wasnt the only one taught this type of leadership.

"90% of leaders are still using an autocratic, command-and-control style of leadership," says _Trust and Inspire_ author Stephen M.R. Covey. In Stephens masterclass for Growth Faculty, we learned of enlightened command-and-control, which Stephen describes as "a softer but still autocratic top-down leadership style that sees people as assets $ie. things to be managed, leveraged, controlled, or used$."

Employees dont have input into decisions and are expected to act upon orders from above.

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**Pros of autocratic leadership** 

- **You work well as a sole proprietor.**

- **Youre nimble at decision-making $which can boost productivity by smashing down roadblocks$.**

- **You can push through a crisis.**

**Cons of autocratic leadership **

- **Its a one-leader show.**

- **You do all the thinking, which is exhausting.**

- **You micromanage, which nobody likes.**

- **You diminish others potential, which makes them dependent.**

- **You minimise the combined intelligence of the team, which dumbs it down.**

- **You lose staff due to low morale, which is a sign of a toxic work culture.**

**Example of an autocratic leader:** Former U.S. Navy captain L.David Marquet said that under this command-and-control style of leadership he was exhausted as he had one thinker and 134 doers. As a respectful yet autocratic leader he was the one doing all the thinking for his 134 crew of passive doers. When he changed to a more empowering style of leadership, he had 135 thinkers. This leadership style change became the basis for his book _Turn The Ship Around_ , and the _Santa Fe_ crew rose to become the top performers of the U.S. Navy submarine fleet.

**What do we think?**

Autocratic leadership seems effective because the authority bias in humans is strong.

_If a superior tells you to do something, by God we tend to follow it,_ says Daniel Coyle in our interview on his book _The Culture Code_. But its not a reliable way to make good decisions because the truth might be hidden from you. Look at how Captain Marquets team tried to execute on an order despite knowing the equipment configuration on the _Santa Fe_ made it impossible to carry out.

**Democratic Leadership**

Unlike the autocratic style, a democratic leadership style is inclusive and empowering. Its also known as participative leadership style as followers are encouraged to participate in debates and discussions before a decision is made.

At Growth Facultys live virtual event Patrick Lencioni, author of _The Five Dysfunctions of a Team_ , told us participation leads to more buy-in $honest emotional support$. A democratic leader may make the final decision, but they get better buy-in because everyone has had a chance to air their views.

**Pros of democratic leadership style** 

- **Helps others move forward in their own leadership development  which leads to better employee engagement and job satisfaction.**

- **Shows the leader is humble enough to admit they dont have all the answers.**

- **Role models learning and having a growth mindset.**

- **Offers an opportunity for diverse thinking.**

**Cons of democratic leadership style **

- **Can cause death by meeting where the organisation is bogged down by seeking consensus at every meeting**

- **It can lead to lost productivity if the leader is not disciplined about moving the discussion along.**

- **Democratic leaders can lose faith in their own ability to make decisions without team input.**

**Example of a democratic leader:** Brian Chesky, cofounder of Airbnb, tried to arrive at a consensus decision after a well-publicised in 2011: A renter had trashed a hosts apartment and stolen her identity. Airbnbs executive team participated in debates on a response for four weeks before Chesky, with the input of a venture capitalist, decided to take a position, and implemented a $50,000 protection package for hosts. ****

**What do we think?**

A democratic leader who is humble enough to admit they dont know all the answers is ideal for a Volatile, Unpredictable, Complex, and Ambiguous $VUCA$ world. By seeking out a range of viewpoints and diverse opinions, their company will stay agile and relevant. In a crisis, as Chesky did, the democratic leader can take the reins when needed.

**Situational Leadership**

When business-as-usual is disrupted a mix of leadership styles is ideal. Situational leaders have multiple competencies they can bring to bear in times of crisis. In practice, this means that while sometimes a leader will need to focus heavily on workflow and performance to get the job done, at other times the same leader will need to focus on how the team members are feeling and will ensure they are emotionally supported to keep morale and productivity high. $S.Bell, 2019$ Depending on the capabilities of their team and the task at hand, the situational leader will select from leadership styles that best suit the person and situation.

Ken Blanchard and Paul Hersey first described situational leadership theory in the 70s, which was revised as Situational Leadership II in 1982 to:

- **Directing**  giving instructions to those developing competence and confidence.

- **Coaching**  explaining decisions to those developing competence and confidence.

- **Supporting**  sharing ideas with those at higher competence levels.

- **Delegating**  turning over decisions those at higher competence levels.

Situational leadership is flexible and is tailored to meet everyones needs.

**Pros of situational leadership:**

- **Appreciates that employees grow and develop and leadership must keep up.**

- **Strong focus on understanding individual team members $and their daily needs$.**

- **Higher levels of morale and employee satisfaction will result.**

- **Ability to both develop and challenge employees, as needed.**

- **Highly agile and adaptive in a crisis.**

- **Decisive but also collaborative when needed**.

**Cons of situational leadership** :

- **Assessing someones development level incorrectly could lead to problems.**

- **Directing and coaching requires a courageous leader.**

- **May be too focused on the here and now, not overall, or long-term strategy.**

- **Employees change depending on the tasks, so switching leadership styles to keep up could confuse the team.**

- **Leader may be stronger in some leadership styles than others.**

**Example of situational leadership** : While Sir Richard Bransons leadership style is described as participative or democratic, he has a unique, hybrid model of leadership. Sir Richard adapts his style as needed. Keen on building confidence in others, Sir Richard believes in the art of delegation so followers can grow their leadership skills, but he also makes a point of knowing and learning from his people at all levels $he carries a notebook with him for this purpose$. Countering any perception of his leadership being all about fun and laughs, Sir Richard is not afraid of tough conversations or decisions.

There will be times when strong and decisive leadership is necessary, to make sure the right moves are made, he wrote in the _Telegraph._

**What do we think?**

Growth Faculty hosted Kieran Flanagan and Dan Gregory on our book club to discuss _Forever Skills_ - and we reckon they put it better than we ever could:

_Bothering to understand as many human beings around you as you can is a crucial skill._

By getting to know your team intimately, situational leaders bringing out the best in them as they grow and develop. Growth Faculty has helpful events that develop leaders. See our [**Leadership Pass**](https://join.thegrowthfaculty.com/#plans).

**Transactional Leadership**

Unlike transformational leaders, transactional leaders are not greatly interested in their peoples lives and problems. Instead, their primary concern is keeping the status quo and making day-to-day progress toward goals. They value order and structure so transactional leadership traits include focusing on workflow, organising resources, performance-related tasks and goals, and ensuring compliance with rules.

Its a highly directional style $You do this$ relying on rewards or punishments to motivate.

**Pros of transactional leadership:**

- **Practical style of leadership.**

- **Effective at short term goals.**

- **Suits areas like project management, sales, or manufacturing, where timeframes, quotas or goals must be met.**

- **Removes the risk of confusion and guesswork.**

- **Expectations are clearly defined.**

**Cons of transactional leadership:**

- **They tend to think inside the box when solving problems.**

- **May ignore developing team members.**

- **Could downplay need for team-building activities.**

- **Doesnt allow much room for co-creation and** **creativity.**

- **Can create a tense environment of meeting expectations.**

**Example of a transactional leader** : Microsoft founder Bill Gates is often named as an example of a leader with transactional leadership characteristics. Although he later adopted a more transformational style of leadership, he initially liked to exert control to ensure goals and targets were met and was known to reward staff with merchandise. Bill Gates also maintained a strict chain of command.

**What do we think?**

**** While transactional leaders are highly effective in reaching short-term goals and an asset to any organisation, their further potential could be realised with further leadership training  especially in the areas of humility and self-awareness. World-renowned researcher Jim Collins, author of _Good to Great_ , might put transactional leaders lower than Level 5 in his 5-level hierarchy of leadership. For a deep dive into Level 5 leadership, make sure you [**_book Jim Collins's event_**](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/event.php?eventId=a1J9g0000004KpcEAE&promoCode=Blog&utm_source=Blog).

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