[Infographic] 6 Types of Leaders in the Workplace: Which Are You?

What type of leader are you? What type of leader do you want to be? 

These are the questions you have likely asked yourself and been asked by others since the day you took on your first leadership position - and for good reason! When you know what type of leader you want to be, you have a “guiding light” of sorts that you can use to ensure all of your actions and decisions align with the vision you have for yourself. 

In the following infographic, we’ll bring you one step closer to answering those important questions by providing a brief snapshot of the six common types of leaders in today’s workplace.

As a leader, you get the opportunity to become the type of leader that you always want to work for. The type of leader who you needed most or would have appreciated as an individual contributor. But what type of leader is that? To help you decide, consider which of the following six common types of leaders you most resemble today and which you aspire to become in the future.

What Are the 6 Types of Leaders?

In order to figure out what type of leader you are or want to be, start by familiarizing yourself with six of the most common types of leaders in the workplace. It is not unheard of when doing so, to think that more than one resembles the vision you have for yourself as a leader.

1. The Affiliative Leader
2. The Authoritarian Leader
3. The Charismatic Leader
4. The Democratic Leader
5. The Laissez-Faire Leader
6. The Pacesetting Leader

The Affiliative Leader

As an affiliative leader, your primary focus is on creating a sense of belonging and an environment of psychological safety for your employees. You are also keen on building relationships based on trust, minimizing interpersonal conflicts in order to maintain harmony, and keeping everyone happy. This type of leadership can positively influence collaboration among employees, team culture, and engagement.

The Authoritarian Leader

An authoritarian leader is characterized by the use of formal authority to control to activities and decisions of employees. While not all employees enjoy working for this type of leader, it is sometimes required when leading in environments that require strict protocols and policies to be followed such as food services, manufacturing, or construction.

The Charismatic Leader

A charismatic leader is the type of leader who keeps a positive attitude and encourages others even in the face of adversity. Your ability to tell stories, use humor, read non-verbal cues, and generally work a room, allows you to persuade and influence others to see things as you do. This can help you forge emotional connections and create a positive team culture.

The Democratic Leader

Rather than adhering to a team's formal hierarchy, democratic leaders focus on consensus, participation, and collaboration. This means that you will ask your team for their thoughts, opinions, and objections before making a decision that affects them (when appropriate). As you might imagine, this makes people feel included and creates a strong sense of trust and mutual respect.

The Laissez-Faire Leader

If you're a laissez-faire leader, you take a hands-off approach to leadership and interfere as little as possible in the daily activities and decisions of those who work for you. In the right circumstances, this can lead to more autonomous, empowered employees. Teams of trained experts, creatives, and highly accountable employees typically thrive under this type of leader.

The Pacesetting Leader

As the name suggests, this type of leader sets the pace or acts as the benchmark for their team and is keen to continuously improve. Pacesetting leaders are typically characterized by their drive, discipline, and persistence. When done right, this type of leadership can lead to higher levels of productivity and make it possible to meet, or exceed, performance expectations and professional goals.

Quiz: Find Out What Type of Leader You Are!

Now that you have any idea of the types of leaders which are most commonly seen in the workplace, you likely have an idea of which one you currently are and which you would like to see yourself become. In which case, we recommend you take the following quiz to confirm if your suspicions are right.