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LEADERSHIP | JOURNEY THROUGH COACHING
What Kind of Leader Are You, Really?
Eight leadership styles worth knowing — and why discovering yours changes everything.
I once worked with a new leader, smart, capable, deeply committed to her team, who came to coaching feeling like she was failing. Her team seemed disengaged. Conversations felt flat. She was working harder than ever and getting less traction.
When I asked her to describe how she led, she paused for a long time.
“I’m not sure I know,” she said.
That moment was the beginning.
Because here’s what I’ve learned after nearly a decade of coaching leaders: you cannot lead others well until you know how you naturally show up. And most leaders, even experienced ones, have never been asked to look that closely.
There Is No Perfect Style
Sometimes I work with leaders who tell me, at the end of our coaching, that they began coaching believing I was going to somehow fix them.
One of my clients shared this in his review after our final session, and then he wrote: “But I left being more comfortable being me.”
That is the work. Not transformation into something new, but a discovery and a clarity of how you lead best.
Leadership research has given us a rich map of the different ways humans lead and what’s striking is not that one style wins, but that each one carries both genuine gifts and potential drawbacks.
The goal is never to find the “right” style. It is to know yourself well enough to lead with intention, especially in today's rapidly changing work environments.
Eight Styles Worth Knowing
Here is a brief glimpse of the eight leadership styles I explore with the leaders I coach:
Transformational — Inspire and elevate. You invest in people’s growth, foster creativity, and build a culture of meaning. Energizing at its best. Taxing when overextended.
Coaching — Develop the person, not just the task. You ask before advising. You help people find their own answers. Deepens trust and builds future-ready leaders.
Democratic / Participative — Every voice matters. You invite input and make space for shared decision-making. Builds ownership and surfaces diverse perspectives.
Visionary — The long view. You connect daily work to larger meaning and inspire people with a compelling picture of the future. Especially powerful during change and low morale.
Servant — Lead from behind. You see your role as supporting the team. You remove obstacles and believe the leader exists to serve. Trust and loyalty run deep.
Affiliative — People first. You prioritize harmony, emotional connection, and wellbeing. People feel cared for. Especially healing after disruption or conflict.
Adaptive — Read the room. You adjust your approach based on what each person and moment needs. Flexible without losing sight of the goal.
Pacesetting / Authoritative — High standards, clear direction. You set ambitious goals, model excellence, and move quickly. Teams know exactly where the bar is.
Every Style Has a Shadow
This is the part most leadership assessments skip, and the part I find most valuable.
Every style, when overused or unexamined, has a shadow side. The Transformational leader can burn out their team on personal energy. The Coaching leader can feel directionless to results-focused colleagues. The Servant leader can be perceived as lacking authority when hard decisions are needed.
Knowing your shadow is not a reason for shame. It is an invitation to lead with your eyes open.
The First Skill: Listening
Once leaders begin to understand their natural style, something interesting happens. They start to notice how they listen, or how they haven’t been.
Real listening is not waiting to respond. It is not problem-solving while someone speaks. It is arriving fully in the moment with another person, curious about what they are actually trying to say, and what they might not yet have words for.
This is where leadership transforms from a role into a presence.
Want the Full Guide?
I’ve created a free, in-depth guide — Discovering Your Leadership Style — that walks you through all eight styles, strengths and watch fors, and a series of reflection prompts to help you write your own leadership portrait.
It is the kind of document you return to as you experiment with how you lead and eventually define your own leadership style.
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No noise. Just thoughtful resources for leaders who want to keep growing.
Carrie is an ICF-certified professional coach and founder of Journey Through Coaching. She works with leaders at all stages — especially those navigating the transition from expert to guide — to deepen presence, clarify their leadership style, and build teams where people feel genuinely seen.
