As a business leader, your leadership style is often key to the success, or failure, of your team.
While it’s tempting to stick with what has worked in the past, there are times when adapting your approach can make all the difference.
Here, we’ll explore five occasions when it’s particularly useful to adjust and adapt your leadership style, and how different styles — ranging from authoritative to hands-off — can suit various situations.
Different Leadership Styles
Before we dive in, let’s touch on leadership styles.
Leadership styles vary widely, existing on a spectrum that ranges from high control to complete autonomy.
Here’s a snapshot of common leadership styles:
- Authoritative – You provide a clear vision, set expectations, and lead with confidence. It’s a “follow me” approach.
- Democratic – You involve the team in decision-making, valuing their input. It’s more of a collaborative leadership style.
- Coaching – You focus on personal development and growth, helping team members reach their potential.
- Delegative (Hands-off) – You trust the team to take ownership and give them the autonomy to make decisions, stepping in only when needed.
Each of these styles has its place in leadership. Knowing when to switch gears, as a leader, is a vital skill.
Here are five situations where adjusting your leadership style can be a game-changer:
1. You’re Not Getting the Results You Want
Perhaps the most obvious signal that a leadership shift is needed comes when the results simply aren’t materializing. Whether it’s missed targets, poor team performance, or stagnant growth, this is a sign something needs to change.
If you’re typically a more authoritative leader, it may be time to step back and empower your team. Delegative leadership can inspire creativity and accountability, allowing your team to take ownership of solutions rather than waiting for direction.
On the other hand, if you’re already hands-off, it might be time to tighten the reins. Introducing a bit more structure and providing clearer guidance can help realign focus and objectives.
It’s about finding the balance — sometimes you need to lead from the front; other times, from behind, as well as letting go of any fears involved with switching approaches.
2. Conflict Within Your Team or With Stakeholders
Conflict can derail even the most capable teams, and as a leader, how you handle it can either resolve tensions or exacerbate them. Different types of conflict require different leadership styles.
For internal team conflict, a democratic or coaching approach can be incredibly effective. Encouraging open dialogue and giving team members space to voice their concerns helps foster a culture of collaboration and mutual respect.
In these situations, being a good listener is key. When you take a back seat and facilitate conversation rather than dictate solutions, you empower your team to resolve conflicts in a more sustainable way.
For external conflicts with stakeholders or clients, an authoritative approach might be necessary. In these cases, demonstrating strong leadership and decisiveness can be reassuring and ensure that you protect the interests of your business while maintaining relationships.
3. Extraordinary Circumstances
Whether it’s navigating an economic downturn, managing a crisis, or dealing with a significant business disruption (think of the pandemic!), extraordinary circumstances often require an immediate change in leadership style.
In times of uncertainty, a more directive, authoritative approach is often necessary to provide clarity and stability. Your team will look to you for guidance and reassurance, and clear, decisive action is crucial to provide sufficient psychological safety to move forward.
However, once the immediate crisis has passed, don’t be afraid to shift back to a more democratic or coaching style, allowing the team to reflect, learn, and help shape the next steps.
Great leaders know that in moments of crisis, people value direction. But once the storm has calmed, they value autonomy and the space to rebuild.
4. Responding to Feedback
As leaders, we all like to think we’re doing a great job, but often feedback reveals blind spots.
Whether it’s from your team, peers, or higher-ups, responding to feedback is one of the best opportunities to adapt your leadership style.
Let’s say your team has indicated they need more autonomy. If you’re a hands-on leader, it could be a good time to adopt a more delegative approach, allowing them to take on more responsibility and make decisions independently.
On the other hand, if the feedback suggests your team feels disconnected or unsupported, it might be a sign to adopt a more coaching-oriented leadership style—focusing on one-to-one development, mentorship, and regular check-ins.
Being open to feedback not only demonstrates humility but also positions you as a responsive, flexible leader.
5. Your Commitment to Growth
Leadership isn’t static; it evolves just like your organisation does.
The best leaders are those who are committed to continuous learning and growth, not just for their teams but for themselves.
If you’ve been leading in the same way for years, it’s worth asking: Is this still the best approach for where the business is now?
As your organisation evolves — whether it’s scaling up, diversifying, or shifting focus —your leadership style should evolve too.
For example, a founder’s authoritative style might work well in the early days of a startup when fast decisions and strong guidance are needed. But as the business grows, a more democratic or coaching approach might be required to allow emerging leaders within the company to step up and take ownership.
Investing in your growth as a leader means being adaptable, understanding the needs of your team and your business at any given moment, and being willing to pivot accordingly.
Adapting is Leading
The idea that leadership is a “one size fits all” model couldn’t be further from the truth. Great leaders know that adaptability is the key to staying relevant, effective and impactful.
The ability to read a situation and adjust your leadership style — whether it’s providing more structure, providing autonomy or taking charge in a crisis — can make all the difference in driving desired results and maintaining a motivated, cohesive team.
Leadership is about knowing when to step up, when to step back and when to adjust your approach to suit the moment.
Our Nudge Forward executive coaching programmes provide individual leaders with a confidential sounding board to help you reflect your leadership approach, support your adaptability and encourage your ongoing development and growth.
If you’d like to explore this further, let’s talk.
Written by Sally Dhillon, Head Coach, Nudge Forward Ltd