The 4 Types of Business Leader

Four types of business leaders can be based on two key assets - empathy and assertiveness. Have a look at the table below; which category would you place yourself or your current leader in?

Let’s break down each leadership style.

Dominator - High Assertiveness / Low Empathy

I’m happy to say that I don’t fall under this category, however I can certainly see why this type of leader exists. Certainly in a business that needs a major overhaul as a stopgap solution.

We’ve all experienced the Dominator leader at some point in our working lives. A boss that bangs their fists on the table and shouts loudest to get things done, often with a “my way or the highway” mentality.

These type of leaders rely on fear and authority to get results which puts them high on the assertiveness scale. They also aren’t worried about what others think or how popular they are; putting them low on the empathy scale.

A Dominator is a leader that can install change quickly; someone you’d pull into troubled waters to get you back out. They don’t faff or delay decisions and aren’t afraid to make big changes. They take responsibility for tough actions and are not afraid of confrontation.

Unlikely to call upon help or support of others, they will run the show with a ‘can do’ mentality. However, they will warm more to people that offer something to help them personally succeed.

Whilst the Dominator leader will get results fast and achieve drastic change, the effects of this will often be short term and at the expense of morale. A Dominator will often be in a company with a high turnover of staff and a large output or a business that is in trouble and needs major change.

Avoider - Low Assertiveness / Low Empathy

The Avoider leader keeps a low profile; they have no interest in office politics and avoid confrontation wherever possible. They have low assertiveness and low empathy.

Sometimes in leadership its good to keep a low profile, I tend to push in and pull back as and when I feel my team needs time to evolve naturally or needs direction to put initiatives in place. Bringing several new hires into a department is a good example of this; often its best to let a team naturally evolve for a period of time and then take stock, rather than force the situation.

Often scared of failure and reluctant to take risks; the Avoider leader likes to operate a slow and steady, tried and tested setup. They are great at maintaining status quo but not so good at providing direction to their team and driving things forward. Sometimes this could apply to an interim leadership role that’s been filled internally, someone to paddle the boat whilst a longer-term transformation happens.

Executing strategy from above is what the Avoider leader does best; they are loyal and highly competent at following the orders of their peers. The problem with an Avoider leader it seems is they themselves need leading and are unlikely to drive change from their own initiatives.

Accommodator - Low Assertiveness / High Empathy

The Accommodator leader likes a happy ship. They believe that creating positive relationships with people in their team is the best way to maintain morale and productivity. People working under this type of leader are left to their own devices and often left to make their own decisions.

Whilst the Accommodator leader is quick to heap praise they can struggle dealing with problems; often overlooking mistakes or failure of their people through fear of causing unrest or affecting morale.

This type of leader doesn’t really care for office politics but may be easily swayed by others opinions, often this can influence or even force unplanned change.

One thing I’ve definitely learnt in business is that you can’t please everyone all the time. Whilst you should definitely have everyone’s back, you should also discourage fear of failure in your team. I doubt there are many successful entrepreneurs that haven’t learnt their biggest lessons by making the odd mistake.

Accommodator leaders are popular and can be successful if they have drivers in their team but are unlikely to implement any major change within a business. They are a good choice for a company that is set up to run itself and performing well.

Collaborator - High Assertiveness / High Empathy

Finally we get to the Collaborator, perhaps the perfect leader? This type of leader is highly influential of those around him/her. They drive the purpose of the business, put trust in their team and have everyone behind them.

The Collaborator makes everyone feel valuable by giving responsibility and accountability to make objectives happen. They provide clear direction and goals, achieving control with a respected assertion and often involve those around them in the decision process.

Collaborator leaders are also humble, they don’t blow their own horn, aren’t afraid to fail and don’t let success go to their heads. They gain trust and respect through actions not words; often not afraid to get their hands dirty or lead from the front.

Above all, Collaborator leaders have integrity and high social awareness, which allows them to adapt leadership depending on each individual.

Summary

A great leader is someone who makes people under them and around them better. Traits from each type of leader are required at some time or another but earning the respect of your team and understanding their individual qualities will get the best out of them.

Whilst I feel strongly that any leader should lead from the front and be prepared to get their hands dirty, they should also empower their people and provide the opportunity to shine. They should also accept the fact that they will sometimes have to make tough decisions and above all accept that you can’t always keep everybody happy.

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About the Author:

Chris Ailey is the founder of iThinkMedia, a UK Search Marketing Agency that works with global brands including eBay, Renault and Groupon to improve their SEO and Paid Media performance.