March 21, 2025•4 min read
There are loads of guides that have been written about leadership styles and approaches. Some of these come from the world of business and others from psychology. ThisHarvard Business Review articlecovers six specific styles you may have heard of.
How do you know which model is right for you? And what if you aren’t into labels or models? I think it’s worth doing some reflection before looking to popular theories for answers. I’ve put together four simple questions you can consider as you start to think about your leadership style.
What are your values - what is most important to you? Our values are the fundamental beliefs we have about what is important and they guide our attitudes and behaviour. If you haven’t ever articulated your values or thought about how they show up in your leadership, you are sailing a ship without a compass. Knowing your values helps you navigate the opportunities and challenges that come with leadership in an honest and authentic way. Knowing your own values is key to emotional intelligence. Discussing values in your team allows you and your team to identify shared and different perspectives, creating clarity and transparency when setting goals and achieving results together.
What are your strengths and how do they show up in your leadership? Are you someone who leans on relationships to get things done, on strategy, on tasks or on logic? Knowing your strengths gives you access to a toolkit that will allow you to make the most of your energy and efforts. If you haven’t already done so, I urge you to discover your strengths. Take the CliftonStrengths tool or a similar assessment for a science-backed approach.
What leadership traits do you admire in others? Think of leaders you’ve worked for that you appreciated and were motivated by. What did they do that you thought worked well? I’ve been fortunate to have several managers who were also great mentors. I learned so much from them about building and maintaining trust, behaving with integrity, and managing change well. Being on the receiving end of great leadership is an opportunity to thrive and the greatest compliment to that leader is to pay it forward.
What don’t you want to do? I’ve learned a lot from managers who didn’t lead effectively. Most often these examples didn’t come from bad intentions, just a lack of capability or confidence. As an example, I’ve had managers instigate discussions with me about highly sensitive topics (such as a contract coming to an end or a complaint from a team member) in the staff lunchroom. Learning from the mistakes of others is a cheap lesson. Think of one or two examples of poor leadership and try to identify what could have been done differently to get a better outcome. What can you learn from that?
I have worked in leadership roles for over 25 years. The single piece of advice I would give when it comes to leadership is to be authentic to yourself. Honestly appraise what you do well and where you need to improve. As a leader I’m a big-picture thinker, I focus on the future and can help teams articulate a super-practical strategy. These are all great when it comes to setting a vision and writing an action plan. I have to put more effort into the day-to-day detail and make sure that’s taken care of, and I don’t love data. By being authentic and honest, I know what gives me energy and what sucks my motivation. I know what I need to pay more attention to and where I need support from others (like with data and checking we have all the details covered to execute the plan).
Whether you’re an experienced, new, or aspiring leader, building your confidence and capabilities is an investment that will pay dividends well into the future. If you are ready for a serious skills boost, check out my tailored coaching and development programs.
You can also read my book Powered Up: Turning your strengths into superpowers.
