Transformational Leadership: The Five Primary Characteristics Of Leadership Styles

LEADERSHIP STYLES There are many leadership styles, and none appears to work for every situation, though some seem effective in a broader range of leadership interactions. The questions asked in both the Queendom and Mind Tools surveys generally address each of the leadership styles, Situational, Functional, Relational, Transactional, and Transformational; though to varying degrees. The most interesting aspect of these surveys is, while they are different in length and question complexity, both surveys had very similar results.

Situational

This type of leadership is minimally dealt with in either survey, and even then, the questions that appear to deal with this style, could be referencing another. This may be because, “…some scholars suggest that situational leadership should be treated more as a teaching tool than a theory…”. This style works from the premise that a leader’s actions stem from the situations that they are confronted with, and as such,

Communication skills play a key role, and leaders with highly developed thought and interaction abilities are often perceived as transformational by their followers. This may be true because, effective communication allows these leaders to accurately share their concept of what can, should, and will be.

According to Leadership: A Communication Perspective, the five primary characteristics of transformational leaders are listed as “creative, interactive, visionary, empowering, and passionate.” When followers buy into this vision, they make it their own. This creates a passion for the vision in followers that can be communicated and shared to create a visionary culture.

Each of these styles has a place in a leader’s approach, and for the exceptional leader, each may be necessary depending on the type of follower that they are dealing with. (Hackman & Johnson,