It’s not about being a visionary, coach, or commander; it’s about knowing when to become each one.

Here’s the trap no one warns you about: you finally identify your leadership style and then you cling to it like a lifeline.

But leadership isn’t static. It’s not a personality test. It’s a living, breathing relationship between you, the people you lead, and the moment you’re in.

In other words, the best leaders don’t master one style. They master when to use it.

“A leader is best when people barely know they exist. When their work is done, their aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.” — Lao Tzu

Think about your team. Are they coasting or crumbling? Are you facing rapid change or steady growth? These aren’t just business questions; they're style cues. What works in one moment could derail progress in the next.

Why Styles Matter

Knowing your leadership style isn’t about boxing yourself in; it’s about expanding your toolkit. Your natural style (and we all have one) reveals how you make decisions, build trust, and react under pressure.

But no style is “the best.” They’re all effective, when used intentionally.

“Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in your charge.” — Simon Sinek

You may default to visionary, but when your team needs clarity over inspiration, that might fall flat. Alternatively, you can lead with empathy, which is essential in a crisis, but in a high-stakes launch, your team may crave decisiveness.

Quick Guide: Leadership Styles in Action

Here are six common styles and when to call them forward:

Visionary: Big-picture, purpose-driven. Use this when rallying your team around a bold new direction.
Coaching: Growth-focused and patient. Lean into this when developing individuals or navigating change.
Democratic: Collaborative and consensus-driven. Ideal when you need alignment and fresh thinking.
Affiliative: Builds connection and trust. Use this to unify a fractured team or when morale is low.
Pacesetting: High-performance, lead-by-example. Effective with skilled and motivated teams, but risks burnout if overused.
Commanding: Direct and decisive. Essential in crisis, but harmful long-term if it becomes your norm.

Tips to Practice Adaptive Leadership

Here’s how to move from knowing your style to using it strategically:

Know your default: Under stress, do you become more directive? Or do you lean into consensus? Spotting your instincts helps you interrupt them when they’re not serving the moment.
Match the moment: What does your team actually need right now: certainty, connection, clarity, inspiration? Pick the style that meets that need, not just the one that feels easiest.
Try on the unfamiliar: Choose one style you rarely use. Practice it in low-stakes situations this week. Stretching your leadership muscle now makes it available when it really matters.

“True leaders understand that leadership is not about them, but about those they serve. It is not about exalting themselves but about lifting others up.” — Sheri L. Dew

Final Thought

You don’t have to be all styles. But you do need to stop hiding behind one.

Keep showing up with intention, not imitation.

“Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.”

— Jack Welch

Resources to Dive Deeper

Ready to ditch the "check-out" mentality and embrace true delegation? Here are some resources to fuel your journey:

Article: Leadership That Gets Results – Harvard Business Review - Daniel Goleman’s foundational piece on the six emotional intelligence-based styles and their impact on performance.
Book: Primal Leadership by Daniel Goleman - This book dives deeper into how emotionally intelligent leaders use different styles to elevate team performance. Get it here
Podcast: Dare to Lead with Brené Brown: Armored vs. Daring Leadership - A powerful discussion on the emotional choices behind how we lead—and what we’re protecting or avoiding in the process.

Why Every Leader Should Read *The Artist’s Way*

This month’s leadership book pick is *The Artist’s Way* by Julia Cameron an unconventional yet powerful guide for any leader looking to unlock creativity, clarity, and authentic vision. Leadership isn’t just strategy, it’s art.
This book helps you reconnect with your inner voice, overcome self-doubt, and cultivate the kind of creative resilience today’s world demands. Whether you lead teams, projects, or yourself, *The Artist’s Way* offers a path to deeper insight and inspired action.
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