Therefore, choosing the right leaders will directly influence business growth . However, more important than having good leaders is to identify them on your team. This is because developing leadership skills in employees is cheaper than looking for other professionals in the market, as the company will not run the risk of hiring someone who does not “match” with its organizational culture.

What is leadership development?

Leadership development is a people management process whose main objective is the creation and development of leaders among professionals who already collaborate with the company. It consists of strategies and actions that seek to develop a series of skills that are essential to occupy the position.

In this context, courses and training have become the best and most complete tools for a leadership development program.

Role of leadership in organizations

The first step in being a good leader is to understand what your responsibilities and roles are in the role. In addition, it is not enough for him to know his tasks within the company, it is also necessary for him to be aware of what results his team must achieve in the company.

Thus, it is the leader‘s role to plan the path that will lead employees to achieve the results that the organization needs , as well as determining the role of each team member in this trajectory and developing them according to their behavioral profiles.

Also, through behavioral management tools, employees will feel more motivated and engaged in playing their role within the team and the company as a whole.

More than anything, a good leader must inspire his team to the point where employees feel part of the company and everything it achieves. So, if he manages to impact his followers in this way, he will certainly be a high-performance leader!

Differences between boss and leader

Many confuse these terms, as both refer to positions of power. But there are big differences between a boss and a leader. Get to know the main ones now.

1-Boss Characteristics

Generally, the boss assumes his power role in an authoritarian way. That’s because it focuses more on the search for profits and results and less on the people involved in the process to achieve those results.

Thus, he sees team members as subordinates and not collaborators. This vision makes professionals feel unmotivated in expressing their doubts and opinions about the activities and the company as a whole, fulfilling their tasks only out of obligation.

2-Leader Characteristics

A natural leader is always attentive to employees and their strengths . Thus, he creates actions and strategies to use the team’s talents, putting them in the right place and playing roles according to their soft and hard skills. Furthermore, he also knows how to identify his weaknesses and seeks solutions for their development.

In addition, a good leader knows how to listen to his team, offers constructive feedback and recognizes when he makes mistakes — attitudes that motivate employees, inspire respect and open space for transparent communication.

Different types of leadership in management

Each leader has their own style of management , according to the company’s goals and values, the business’s area of ​​operation or the team’s profile. In this context, none of the styles is better or worse, but they all have their pros and cons . Now, we’ll briefly cover the main types of leadership within organizations.

1. Autocratic leader

It’s the classic boss. He is the one who makes all the decisions and his team just follows his lead. People who work in this leadership model tend to concentrate a lot of power and to ignore (in part or totally) the opinions of the collaborators. Such a management method has its advantages:

• the autocratic leader brings agility to decision making;
• the control of processes is in the hands of the manager;
• the team can be more specialized and focus on tasks;
• employees tend to produce more when the leader is around.

Of course, this model also has its drawbacks. Are they:

• in the absence of the manager, employees can produce less;
• the leader is seen as a dictator;
• collaborators do not contribute ideas;
• the manager tends to be overloaded due to the centralization of power.

2. Democratic leader

Democratic leaders are fans of their team’s participation. They like to receive suggestions from the team members and encourage them to do so. Furthermore, managers with such a profile are very concerned with the satisfaction and well-being of the team. The advantages of this type of leadership are:

• there is interaction between leader and team;
• team collaboration is valued;
• everyone feels more responsible for the projects;
• the team is more committed to its work.

However, this model also has some drawbacks. Like:

• decision making can be slow as many people participate in the process;
• the team needs to be mature and experienced for such management to work;
• some tasks or processes can be out of control due to the lack of someone to take charge of the project.

3. Liberal leader

The liberal leader follows a type of leadership more focused on the delegation of tasks. He understands that the team is already mature and does not depend so much on guidance, so he trusts each member’s capacity for self-management. This people management model   has visible advantages. Are they:

• team members are free to make decisions, which speeds up deliveries;
• the leader trusts his followers and this motivates them;
• bureaucracy reduces and power is decentralized;
• it is possible to work  intrapreneurship .

On the other hand, the disadvantages of this type of leadership also draw a lot of attention. It is the case of:

•  low productivity due to lack of education and quality control;
• employees’ disorientation, as they may feel lost, not knowing what to do;
• individualism, people on the team tend to this and lose respect for the leader.

4. Coach leader

This is one of the types of leadership focused on developing the team’s potential. The coach leader identifies skills, talents and abilities, in addition to encouraging employees to improve themselves in the corporate environment. The great advantages of this model are:

• employee performance is the focus;
• team members have more commitment;
• the feedback process happens constantly;
• both leader and led improve daily.

Among the disadvantages of this leadership model are:

• it is not effective when people are unwilling to progress or change their behavior;
• sometimes it is necessary to compromise short-term deliverables to invest in employee growth;
• leaders need to devote more time to team evolution, which can take time for more strategic decisions.

5. Technical leader

Technical leadership has a strong influence on company performance due to high knowledge and analytical skills. He is a leader respected by the team, as he works in a specific way, knowing exactly what each employee does and has the potential to do for the company. The advantages of this leadership regime are:

• the leader has a high technical knowledge and serves as a reference for the team;
• is an example for the team to be inspired by;
• he gives confidence to employees, who know they can count on him to solve problems.

However, there are also some negative points in this management method, such as:

• accommodation or even intimidation of some professionals, who consider that only the leader has technical capacity;
• there is the potential for the technical leader to be authoritative in demanding that work be conducted only one way;
• as he is focused only on his more technical skills, he may lack empathy and other  behavior-related skills .

6. Motivating leader

It is able to inspire professionals in search of a common goal, as their work is based on emotional appeal, encouragement and optimism. In general, leaders with this profile are unlikely to be moved when faced with difficult situations, they encourage those around them and easily control the things that don’t work out. The advantages of this model are:

• improvement of the organization’s atmosphere and, consequently, of the quality of teamwork;
• increased productivity, as it makes people “wear the company’s shirt”;
• in times of crisis, it urges employees to look for quick solutions and results. It can even be interesting in the  management of virtual teams .

As for the disadvantages, we can say that motivating leadership:

• can tire the team at times;
• the leader may end up paying more attention to people and less to tasks and projects;
• for having this more popular attitude, they may not know how to warn professionals about mistakes, fearing the negative impact of this.

7. Charismatic leader

It is one of the easiest to recognize. These leaders engage the team  and contribute to organizational harmony, because they combine persuasion and strong emotional appeal to people. Thus, it is important for the company because:

• has a lot of competence in conflict resolution;
• the team tends to be faithful to this leadership model, working in accordance with the organizational culture;
• he is a leader who has a lot of influence over the professionals, which helps him to achieve good results without having to be authoritarian.

However, there are some disadvantages to this lead, such as:

• the leader is less recognized for his technical skills and more for his charisma;
• he may find it difficult to give negative feedback, which can hinder the progress of projects;
• some employees may see you as a friend, leaving professionalism aside;
• a “climate” of paternalism can be generated, which makes it difficult for the manager to judge some actions impartially.

8. Situational leader

It is related to changing strategy and changing behavior to better deal with daily situations and different types of employees. That is, this leadership is exercised according to the level of maturity of the professionals and based on the conditions presented.

In this case, the leader adapts and acts differently in each circumstance, being more assertive according to his experience, thinking and business vision. Therefore, its main advantages are:

• develop more productive and engaged teams , as your team members have more autonomy;
• present a more strategic vision, agility and emotional intelligence;
• have high ability to achieve goals and adapt to the context;
• keep the organizational climate pleasant;
• contribute to the improvement of results.

Regarding the disadvantages, we can highlight:

• difficulty in identifying the best style for the team;
• prioritization of short-term vision;
• lack of identification with the team and, consequently, conflicts;
• communication usually generalist.

9. Paternalistic leader

As the name suggests, he assumes the role of father in the team, that is, he values ​​more fraternal relationships, acting in a protective and friendly way with his collaborators. In general, he is the type of leader that most pleases the Brazilian professional. For this reason, paternalistic leadership has several advantages, such as:

• provides a pleasant working environment and a harmonious relationship between the group;
• has a suitable profile for resolving conflicts;
• provides positive feedback constantly;
• develops effective communication with everyone around you, especially with your team members;
• seeks to understand the needs of employees and makes every effort to make members feel fully satisfied.

However, this type of leadership also has some disadvantages:

• ambiguous behavior, with a strong sense of control and dominance, or extremely permissive, with no limit or rule applied;
• difficulties in offering improvement feedbacks;
• commitment of the professionalism necessary for the results to be satisfactory due to the familiar figure;
• centralization of all responsibility for the events itself, which hinders the progress and evolution of the team and the company in general.

What is the profile of a good leader?

For a professional to become a good leader, it is necessary for him to increase his motivation and self-confidence , so that he can inspire his followers. Also, it is essential that he has a good sense of humor and a positive attitude, as with his position will come many challenges and daily responsibilities.

In addition, there is an ally in achieving a leadership profile that is a trend in organizations: Coaching. Currently, there are several courses with exclusive coaching techniques and tools that enable a deep self-knowledge.

Thus, it is easier for the professional who wants to become a leader, develop skills, competences and set goals, both individual and for their team and the company in general — achieving incredible results.