Leadership styles

Authoritative style leader:

• gives instructions and directions
• states how the task or tasks are to be done
• controls information
• establishes and uses channels of communication
• allocates roles and responsibilities
• supervises all aspects of team activity and interactivity.

Consultative style leader:

• gives instructions
• offers feedback to boost performance and self-esteem
• closely monitors performance
• takes occasional notice of team members' ideas.

Supportive style leader:

• becomes an active team member
• involves all team members in decision-making
• re-allocates roles and responsibilities where evidence supports change
• shares responsibility for decision-making
• allows team to take decisions
• exchanges feedback to improve performance.

Delegative style leader:

• steps away from the team
• advises when relevant and appropriate
• devolves team management to the team itself.

Different leadership styles can be observed in a leader's behaviour - different styles tend to produce different types of behaviours. Authoritative behaviour tends to be associated with both the Authoritative and Consultative leadership styles, most strongly with an Authoritative style. Supportive behaviours are associated with the Supportive and Delegative styles - most strongly with a Supportive style of leadership.

Underpinning these two different sets of behaviours are shifts in the leader's focus from the tasks to the people themselves.

Summary of behaviours

Here's a summary of the key leadership and management behaviours. It's deliberately short, you can add your own items to it as you wish.

There's a convenient mnemonic, VIPERS - these are the items: