Written by Donna Bonfield | 11th November 2025
Leadership comes in all shapes and sizes. Some leaders take a hands-on approach, guiding their team every step of the way, while others step back and let their people take the lead. Some inspire through big ideas and vision, while others focus on structure, processes, and delivering results efficiently.
The truth is, there isn’t a right or wrong way to lead – it will depend on your strengths, your team, your company’s culture and needs at any given time.
Understanding that there are different ways to lead and being self-aware about your own leadership style matters because it helps you be adaptable when situations change, which will bring out the best in your team.
The two big leadership approaches
At a high level, you may have heard the term ‘Transactional Leadership’ where there will often be a cross over from management or supervision into leadership. Transactional Leadership is about getting things done; telling people what needs to be done and managing that output. There are times when this style is necessary and it can be effective, but it’s less about engaging teams, so you’re less likely to see discretionary effort.
Then there is ‘Transformational Leadership’, which is increasingly popular but not a new concept, with theorists MacGregor and Bass coining the style in the late 70s and 80s. Transformational Leadership is very people-oriented and is built around the values of trust and motivation with a focus on developing people and engaging with them to realise mutual benefit.
Kurt Lewin’s three leadership styles
There are many leadership models which exist within the broader Transactional and Transformational Leadership styles. Kurt Lewin (1939) uses 3 key styles, which help you to understand your own style, and how you can develop your skills to become a more rounded and therefore adaptable leader.
- Autocratic (authoritarian) leadership
One of three leadership styles identified in 1939 by Kurt Lewin, autocratic leaders make decisions themselves without consulting others.
This style is focused on getting things done. It is task orientated and management focused. Leaders using this style set clear tasks, goals and expectations, and employees are expected to follow orders without question.
Pros: This style can be effective for quick decisions and clear direction
Cons: May be difficult to engage and motivate employees or encourage them to go above and beyond their job requirements.
- Democratic (participative) leadership
Democratic leadership came out on top in a survey of 1,000 UK workers conducted by money.co.uk when they were asked which leadership style is best. It’s not difficult to see why when democratic leaders involve their teams in decision-making and believe collaboration leads to better ideas and more engagement.
As the second of Kurt Lewin’s leadership styles, this encourages input from your teams in order to share ideas before reaching a decision.
Democratic leaders are people orientated, who motivate and inspire others to achieve more and challenge themselves. They create a shared sense of purpose and make people feel part of a team. These leaders are often confident, passionate, and lead by example. They value innovation and creativity, giving their teams space to take risks and learn.
Pros: Ideal for effective team performance and creating engaged and motivated teams
Cons: Democratic decision-making can be a slow process, so may not be the right style f leadership in a time-critical situation.
- Laissez faire (delegative) leadership
The third of Kurt Lewin’s leadership styles is about giving significant freedom to your employees, and allowing them to make decisions and solve problems largely on their own. This can be very motivating for employees and will foster a culture of creativity and innovation, particularly in highly experienced and motivate teams.
Pros: Encourages creativity and autonomy
Cons: Can hinder delivery if the team lacks necessary skills or in situations requiring strict guidance or tight deadlines.
Why understanding your leadership style matters
Understanding your leadership style simply means knowing how you naturally lead – what you’re good at, what you struggle with, and how you come across to others. This kind of self-awareness is one of the most important parts of being a good leader.
When you understand your natural strengths, you can make a conscious effort to use them. You’ll also start to see where things sometimes go wrong and what habits might be holding you back. For example:
- If you like to involve everyone in decisions, you might recognise when discussions drag on and slow down progress, so you need to make a quicker, more directive call
- Or if you prefer to make quick decisions on your own, you might spot when your team are reluctant to share their ideas
Once you spot these patterns, you can make small changes, like setting time limits for discussions or asking for feedback more often for example, to get better results.
Knowing your leadership style also helps you communicate more clearly. You become more aware of how your tone, words and actions affect people. That means you can build stronger relationships, earn trust, and motivate your team more effectively.
Identifying and developing your leadership style
So how do you figure out what kind of leader you are? Ask yourself these questions:
- When a deadline is looming, do you take full control or delegate and trust your team?
- When someone on your team is struggling, do you offer advice or ask questions to help them find their own solution?
- In meetings, do you like hearing everyone’s opinions before deciding, or do you make quick calls to keep things moving?
Your answers can tell you a lot about the way you lead, whether your natural approach is structured and task-driven, collaborative and motivational or delegative and empowering.
Most people don’t fit neatly into one box, and that’s completely normal. You might be mostly transformational in your approach but use a more transactional style when you’re setting targets or reviewing performance. You might usually be democratic, but step into a more directive role when a situation calls for it.
Your leadership style also evolves over time and is shaped by your experiences, the managers you’ve learned from, the environments you’ve worked in, as well as your own personality and values.
Once you have discovered your leadership style (or styles), formal development training can really help you to learn how to adapt and give you tools and strategies to handle different situations.
Next steps
At Reality HR, we believe exceptional leadership isn’t just about managing people, it’s about inspiring them to achieve more than they thought possible. Our leadership development programmes will support you to understand the strengths and weaknesses of your natural style and how to adapt it when needs change. We can also help you with the skills to deliver in a leadership style which isn’t natural to you.
Get in touch to discuss your leadership development needs by calling: 01256 328 428 or emailing: training@realityhr.co.uk