A leadership style refers to the distinctive way a leader applies influence, exercises authority and interacts with their team. It represents the behavioural pattern or approach leaders use when guiding, motivating and managing others. This concept can be traced back to Lewin, Lippitt, and White’s (1939) seminal work, which categorised leadership behaviours into autocratic, democratic and laissez-faire styles.
Leadership styles are shaped by a mix of:
- Leader characteristics – including personality, values, and motives (e.g., preference for control vs. empowerment).
- Organisational context – such as industry norms, structure, and level of uncertainty (e.g., high-risk or safety-critical sectors often favour more directive approaches).
- Team characteristics – including competence, confidence, and maturity (as outlined by Hersey & Blanchard’s Situational Leadership model, 1969).
- Environmental factors – such as market volatility, crises, or technological change, which can demand adaptive or authoritative responses.
Over time, additional frameworks have refined the concept of leadership style. Burns (1978) introduced the distinction between transactional and transformational leadership, which Bass (1985) later expanded into the Full Range Leadership Model. More recently, authentic leadership has emerged, defined as “a pattern of leader behaviour that draws upon and promotes both positive psychological capacities and a positive ethical climate” (Walumbwa, Avolio, Gardner, Wernsing, & Peterson, 2008, p. 94).
