6 Most Popular Leadership Styles In 2025: Which Styles Are You?

According to top leaders, 93% believe that leadership styles directly impact employee engagement. So, do you want to become a leader who is loved and respected by everyone? Let's explore the 6 best leadership styles in management for 2025. Find the right one to optimize your work and grow your organization.

What Are Leadership Styles?

Leadership styles are the way leaders interact with, manage, and guide their teams. This goes beyond just communication and decision-making methods. It also reflects a leader's personal values and principles. In reality, many different leadership types exist, from democratic to authoritative. Each one has a different effect on a company's culture and employee performance.

Take our DISC test now to find your working style!

Why Leadership Styles Matter?

Different types of leadership styles are a blend of a leader's personality, experience, and emotional intelligence. Because of this, finding the right style for an organization is essential. 

When leaders understand their own style, they can manage tasks better and create a positive work environment. As leadership expert Brian Tracy once said, "Leadership is the ability to get extraordinary results from ordinary people".

According to a Gallup study, 70% of employees feel that good leadership is a key factor in helping them work more effectively, specifically:

• Leadership style has a profound impact on a team's performance and overall efficiency.
• The right style promotes individual growth and improves the skills of each team member.
• Conversely, an unsuitable style can slow down progress and hurt teamwork.
• Therefore, choosing the right leadership style is crucial for a company's success.

6 Common Leadership Styles

So, do you want to know types of leadership styles and their meaning? Here are six of the most common ones, along with their characteristics, best uses, and risks.

1. Visionary leadership

Visionary leadership focuses on creating a clear vision for the organization and inspiring employees to work toward a common goal. Visionary leaders can often see the future and help others understand the value of working toward that vision.

• Key traits: Excellent communication skills, the ability to motivate and inspire creativity, and a focus on big-picture goals.
• Weakness: If the vision isn't communicated clearly, employees may feel lost and unsure of the direction.
• Best for: Startups and tech companies that need continuous innovation.

Did you know? Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, is a great example of a visionary leader with a focus on sustainable energy and space travel.

2. Servant leadership

Servant leadership, or "the servant leader," puts the needs of employees first. These leaders earn respect by following through on their promises. Servant leaders listen, understand, and support their team members, helping them unlock their full potential.

• Key traits: Prioritizing employee development, improving skills, and building strong relationships.
• Weakness: This style can lead to a lack of quick decisions in situations that need immediate action, which may impact work efficiency.
• Best for: Nonprofits and educational organizations, where human values are prioritized.

3. Authoritative leadership

Why can some leaders make fast, firm decisions? Because they use an authoritative leadership style. These leaders make most of their decisions on their own without asking for input. Unlike servant leaders, they closely control their team and expect others to follow their direction exactly. They are formidable when quick decisions are needed, as they can make decisions in a short amount of time.

• Key traits: Quick and accurate decision-making.
• Weakness: If not balanced, this style can put a lot of pressure on employees.
• Best for: Creative organizations where new ideas are valued but still need clear direction.

Jack Welch, the former CEO of General Electric, used an authoritative style to restructure GE. He grew the company from a $12 billion to a $410 billion market capitalization through his bold, performance-focused decisions.

4. Democratic leadership

Democratic leadership is a style that encourages every team member to be part of the decision-making process. Unlike authoritative leadership, the power to decide is not in one person's hands. Everyone is encouraged to share their opinions. At the end of the meeting, the best and most well-rounded decision is made. This style promotes creativity, engagement, and a sense of ownership.

• Key traits: Encourages input, creates a democratic and collaborative work environment, and builds a culture of teamwork and creativity.
• Weakness: The decision-making process can be slow, especially when quick action is needed.
• Best for: Almost all types of organizations.

5. Coaching leadership

Coaching leadership is a style that focuses on the development of individuals and the team as a whole. This is done through constant guidance and feedback. These leaders act as mentors, helping employees improve their skills and abilities. Unlike authoritative leaders, they don't just give orders; they also help employees reach their full potential.

• Key traits: Focuses on personal and skill development and builds a supportive relationship based on trust.
• Weakness: This style may not deliver immediate results, as personal development takes time.
• Best for: Organizations that value workforce development, such as training and consulting firms.

Did you know? Pep Guardiola, the Spanish football coach, is a well-known example of a coaching leader. He is famous for his detailed coaching style and focus on developing the individual skills of his players, which improves the performance of the whole team.

6. Laissez-Faire leadership

The laissez-faire leadership style gives employees the freedom to make their own choices and manage their work. The leader only steps in when the team needs help.

Unlike other styles, this approach lets employees be creative and take charge of their work. It's a great choice for experienced and skilled teams, as it helps them grow and work independently.

• Key traits: Gives employees complete control, which allows for maximum creativity.
• Weakness: A lack of control can lead to a lack of direction or lower efficiency if employees don't have good self-management skills.
• Best for: Creative industries, arts, and research, where autonomy is important for creating breakthrough ideas.

Among all the leadership styles above, Democratic Leadership is currently the most popular. This leadership style not only encourages teamwork but also creates a friendly workplace where everyone's opinion is heard and valued. This is very important in creative and tech fields, where new ideas are the key to long-term growth.

How To Find Your Ideal Leadership Style

Are you unsure which way of leadership to follow? Here are two popular ways to help you choose an effective one.

Understand 5 levels of leadership

John Maxwell's 5 Levels of Leadership model helps you choose the right leadership style based on your personal growth and relationship with your team. Here's how to use it:

• Level 1 - Position: At this stage, you lead based on your title. Being an authoritative leader is useful for making fast decisions and directing the team.
• Level 2 - Permission: You focus on building relationships. A servant leadership style helps you build trust and support your employees.
• Level 3 - Production: When you achieve real results, being a visionary leader helps you inspire and guide the team toward a big vision.
• Level 4 - People Development: Focus on developing employees and creating new leaders. A coaching leadership type is a good choice to mentor and guide your team.
• Level 5 - Pinnacle: At the highest level, a leader is respected and admired. A democratic leader will build a strong company culture with everyone's participation.

To use this model, first figure out which level you're on. Then, choose the leadership style that fits your current stage. As you grow and move up, be flexible and change your style to meet the needs of your team and organization.

Read more: Leaders are also problem-solvers, find out these 5 easy tips to resolve conflicts at work.

Choose a leadership style based on DISC personalities

The DISC personality test is a popular tool that helps you understand your personality based on four factors: D-I-S-C. Each factor matches a different leadership type at work.

• Dominance (D): Fits with an authoritative leadership style, where you can make quick decisions and control situations.
• Influence (I): Suits a democratic leadership style, where you encourage participation and inspire your team.
• Steadiness (S): Matches a servant leadership style, which helps you build strong relationships and support your team.
• Conscientiousness (C): Fits with a coaching leadership style, with a focus on quality, detail, and performance.

Complete the DISC test to find your main personality factor. Then, choose the leadership style that matches the results. This helps you develop a style that fits your natural personality, which optimizes both your personal and team performance.

Read more: Do you know that excellent leaders tend to have a very high EQ score? Check out signs that indicate you have a high EQ!

Conclusion

No single leadership approach is perfect for everyone. It's a combination of your personality, the team you lead, and the environment you're in. At work, the best leadership style is often a "seventh type"—people of this type observe, experience, and experiment.

Hopefully, you have understood the 6 leadership styles explained above. You can also explore your personality through the DISC test at discpersonalities.com to understand and develop your own leadership style. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the best leadership style for startups?

A visionary leadership type is often the best choice for startups. Qualities of a good visionary leader are creating a clear vision and inspiring the team to work toward that shared goal. 

2. How to become a better leader?

Observe the greatest leaders in the world or the best leaders you’ve ever met. Start by asking yourself questions like: How do they act in public? How do they talk to people? How do they give orders? This will give you a better understanding of their leadership and communication. You can also try different leadership styles until you find the one that works best for you.

3. Which leadership styles do most famous people in the world tend to have?

Famous people don't tend to have just one specific leadership style. Instead, they often use a combination of styles depending on the situation. However, certain styles are commonly associated with well-known and highly successful leaders throughout history and today. These styles are Visionary, authoritative, and democratic.