The Best and Worst Leadership Styles: How to Improve Yours

Leadership is a skill that affects every aspect of our lives—whether you're leading a team at work, coaching others, or even just managing yourself.

The most effective leaders inspire, motivate, and elevate those around them, while poor leadership can stifle creativity and disengage a team.

?Let’s explore the best and worst leadership styles.

?PART 1:? Best Leadership Styles

?Transformational Leadership

Some of the best leaders are what we would call Transformational leaders.?

They inspire their teams to achieve more than they ever thought possible by fostering innovation and growth.

They create a vision for the future and help their teams see how they fit into that big picture.

If you want to work on becoming a better transformational leader, use a technique referred to positive reframing which will help to keep your team focused on solutions rather than problems.

?Instead of saying, “This didn’t work,” say, “Here’s what we learned, and here’s how we can improve.”?

This keeps the conversation forward-focused.

When introducing change, say, “How open-minded would you be to trying....”

This phrase shifts the conversation from doubt to curiosity and opens up possibilities.

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Servant Leadership

Servant leaders prioritize their team’s needs above their own.

They build trust by listening, supporting, and guiding rather than dictating.

?A great way to foster your own servant leadership is to build rapport with your team through mirroring and matching their body language and tone of voice.

?This subconsciously builds trust and connection.

?Use the phrase “I’m not sure if it’s for you and...” when discussing changes or new directions.?

This taps into the emotional side of decision-making, allowing people to think not just logically but personally about the impact of their choices.

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Democratic Leadership

Democratic leaders value input from everyone.

They encourage collaboration and ensure that all voices are heard before they make a decision.

?One way to strengthen your democratic leadership style is by using embedded commands to subtly guide your team’s thinking.

For instance, “As we consider these ideas, notice which solution feels right for the group.”

This language softly directs the team toward consensus because you are literally telling them to consider the ides and to notice the solution.

Using a decision director like “the way I see it you have 3 options..” with the best choice containing embedded commands.

This encourages people to share their knowledge without feeling put on the spot.

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Worst Leadership Styles

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Autocratic Leadership

Autocratic leaders take a “my way or the highway” approach, making decisions without consulting their team.

They enforce rules strictly and leave little room for collaboration or creativity.

Obviously, this “I’m the boss style” stifles innovation, lowers morale, and builds resentment over time.

?Shift from giving commands to asking questions.

?Instead of “Do this now,” try, “What’s the best way to accomplish this task?”

This makes your team feel involved in decision-making, even in situations where the end goal is clear.

?Laissez-Faire Leadership

Laissez-faire leaders give their teams too much freedom.

They provide little direction and expect team members to manage themselves.

This do-what-you-want style often lead to confusion, lack of accountability, and inconsistent results.

?Provide clarity using presuppositions.? For example, say, “As we complete this project successfully, how can I support you?”

This presumes success and implies that support is available without being overbearing.

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Transactional Leadership

Transactional leaders focus on reward and punishment.?

Their leadership is built around performance metrics, often at the expense of personal relationships and long-term growth.

This approach limits creativity and reduces intrinsic motivation.

Employees feel like cogs in a machine rather than valued contributors.

Shift the conversation to outcomes and purpose.

?Instead of focusing on tasks, highlight the value of the work.

?“When we achieve this, we’ll be providing something truly meaningful to our clients.”

?This taps into your team’s deeper motivation.

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PART 2:? Improving Your Leadership Style with NLP and Exactly What to Say?

Now that we’ve covered the best and worst leadership styles, how can you take your own leadership skills to the next level?

Here are some key strategies using NLP techniques and insights from Phil M. Jones’ book.?

Use Language as Influence, Not Manipulation

NLP emphasizes the power of language patterns to influence without manipulating.

?Leaders should guide thoughts and behaviors rather than trying to control them.

Use the phrase “I’m not sure if this is for you, but…” to introduce new ideas gently.?

This phrase encourages consideration without forcing a decision, giving your team the freedom to explore options.

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Use Empathy and Curiosity as Leadership Tools

Good leadership isn’t just about giving orders.?

It’s about understanding and guiding.

By asking thoughtful questions, you can uncover what truly motivates your team.

Use active listening techniques like chunking down which is asking specific questions to get to the root of a problem or concern.

For example, “Share with me more about what’s challenging in this process?”

Or, use the phrase “just imagine…” to help your team visualize success.?

By painting a clear picture of the future, you inspire your team to think bigger and push through obstacles.

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Focus on Outcomes, Not Problems

Effective leaders focus on solutions, not barriers.

NLP encourages outcome-based thinking, which keeps your team motivated and forward-focused.

?Using the phrase “How would it feel if…?” will help to connect with the emotional aspects of success.

?When people can emotionally experience the benefits of their hard work, they are more motivated to achieve it.

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PART 3:? Actionable Steps to Improve Your Leadership Style

?Here are three steps you can start implementing today to become a more effective leader:

1.?? Self-Reflect: ?Take stock of your current leadership style. Are you more autocratic or democratic? Do you focus on tasks or outcomes???

2.?? Practice Active Listening: ?Use NLP techniques like mirroring and matching to build rapport and make your team feel heard.

3.?? Leverage Language Power: ?Incorporate phrases like “What happens if we would…?” or “How would you feel if…?” to guide, not dictate.

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CONCLUSION

The difference between a great leader and a poor one often comes down to communication.

You can transform your leadership style from one that simply gets results to one that inspires long-term success and growth.

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