I want to come at this from a few different angles today.

First of all, let’s define “leadership style.”

Leadership is a noun, defined as follows:
the position or function of a leader, a person who guides or directs a group:He managed to maintain his leadership of the party despite heavy opposition.

ability to lead: As early as sixth grade she displayed remarkable leadership potential.
an act or instance of leading; guidance; direction: They prospered under his strong leadership.

the leaders of a group: The union leadership agreed to arbitrate.

Here’s how dictionary.com defines “style”:

A particular, distinctive, or characteristic mode of action or manner of acting:

When put together, “leadership style” is defined as the ability to lead with a particular, distinctive, or characteristic manner of acting.

There are some aspects of leadership that are universal: no matter your personality, industry, background, or audience, true leaders show up in certain ways.
 
Here are seven common traits of leaders, according to Entrepreneur Magazine:

1. Self-control
2. Stay clear of drama
3. Seekers of truth
4. Place courage over fear
5. Empathy towards self and others
6. Self-aware
7. Maintain and nurture their reputation

Forbes adds the following traits:
1.      Self-managing
2. Acting strategically
3. Being an effective communicator
4. Being accountable and responsible
5. Setting clear goals and persisting in achieving them
6. Having a vision for the future
7. Managing complexity
8. Fostering creativity and innovation
9. Teambuilding and promoting teamwork
10. Creating lasting relationships
11. Learning agility

So, based on these two business publications, here’s my summary of the common traits of leaders:

1. They have their own house in order – they are self-aware, have self-control, and manage themselves effectively. They are accountable for their actions and hold themselves to a very high standard.

2. They treat others with respect – they avoid gossip, show empathy, and create strong, mutually beneficial relationships

3. They create a positive working environment – by communicating effectively, setting clear goals, creating and disseminating the vision, facilitating creativity, and promoting teamwork

4. They are brave – they don’t let fear stop them from moving forward, they are strategic, they flourish in the complexity of the business environment, and they are continually learning


Now let’s drill down to your leadership style. Think of this as the specific way in which you lead.

As a master practitioner of the MBTI, I want to talk about leadership style in the framework of your personality first. Of course, you need to take the MBTI to know your type, but you probably have a good idea of at least some aspects of your personality.

The first preference pair in the MBTI is Extraversion vs. Introversion. This has to do with where you get your energy, and extraverts get their energy from people and activities. Introverts get their energy from being by themselves.

In general, Introverts will be quieter leaders, more difficult to get to know, and will often bring forth fully formed plans.

In general, Extraverts will be more talkative, easier to get to know, and will often throw out ideas they’ve just thought of.


The next preference pair in the MBTI is Sensing vs. Intuition. This has to do with how you take in information. Sensers take in information by way of the five senses, and Intuitives take in information by the way of their sixth sense.

In general, Sensers will be slower to change and will lead by specifics. That is to say, Senser leaders will have a very specific plan for how to proceed and will want to share those details with the team.

In general, Intuitives love change and will lead by inspiration. Intuitive leaders will lay out the vision and will allow the team to achieve the goals in the way they see fit.


The next preference pair in the MBTI is Thinking vs. Feeling, which has to do with how you make