Which Type of Leader Are You? A Look at 6 Distinct Leadership Styles [Infographic]

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It can be a lot of pressure knowing that a team is looking to you to lead the way. When the burden of leadership starts to feel heavy, leaders can sometimes backslide into bad habits instead of consciously living the attitudes they'd like employees to emulate. But it doesn't have to be this way.

Simply becoming aware of what employees look for in a leader can help managers maintain a positive outlook and demonstrate the traits that foster a healthy and productive team.

The following infographic from Business-Management-Degree.net identifies six types of leaders: Authoritative, Affiliative, Democratic, Coaching, Pacesetting, and Coercive. The first four are good archetypes, and the latter two ... not as much. 

Which reigns supreme? According to Harvard Business Review research, authoritative leaders -- those who "mobilize people toward a vision" -- boast the strongest correlation with a positive work environment. However, HBR notes that the best leaders become adept in a variety of different leadership styles.

In addition to reading more about leadership types, dig into the image below to discover what emotional intelligence has to do with leadership and explore the ROI of employee motivation.