Leadership Style

A leadership style is a set of similar behaviors that support or structure processes of individuals or teams for goal achievement. Many different leadership styles can be divided into styles that (a) focus on the people involved (person-focused leadership styles), such as supporting their well-being, or (b) styles that focus on the task at hand (task-focused leadership styles), such as structuring the work that needs to be done. Research has shown that both styles can be effective for goal achievement. Leadership styles can be displayed by a single, formally appointed leader but can also be shared or distributed among multiple individuals and/or a team, which means that team members support each other and structure processes themselves.

Since the early 20th century, different styles of leadership have ...