There are many leadership styles that people try to embrace, but that doesn’t mean every type is a good fit for you or your business. In order to assess what type of leader you are, there are many factors to consider, such as your company culture, your team dynamic, your industry, and the size of your business, to name just a few. Knowing as much as possible about the different leadership types and which ones fit you best will have an enormous impact on how you handle stress, make decisions, and interact with others.
Looking inward is one way to start. Taking a personality test is a good way to initiate the process of figuring out your leadership style because it helps you discover what kind of natural leadership style you gravitate towards. After that, you can decide whether you need to adapt certain traits in order to be effective. Even without a formal assessment, you can make a list of all of the personality traits that you know, as well as your strengths and weaknesses. If, for example, communication is not your strongest suit, that is an area that you know needs focus.
If you find it difficult to self-evaluate, there are ways to get other perspectives. Ask your coworkers, friends, and family what words they would use to describe you. Feedback from people you have previously led is a great way to get an honest assessment of what you’ve done in a favorable and not-so-favorable way. For some first-time leaders, delegating will be an entirely new concept. Just because you work well with peers, do not assume that means you will be an effective leader when it comes time to relinquish control of projects and trust team members.
Everyone is motivated by something. To find out what motivates you, picture yourself as a success years from now, and ask what that looks like, once you’ve achieved your long-term goals. Values are another great gauge of determining what you look for and expect in a team. It’s how you quantify success. There are many core values that are important to people, such as authenticity, courage, integrity, and respect. Both on a conscious and subconscious level, you will make decisions regarding your team and your company based on the values you hold closest to you. Keep this in mind while viewing the different leadership styles.