According to Daniel Goleman, who in addition to being a psychologist, is also a writer of several books related to behavioral sciences and mental processes, there are several models of leadership that can be applied to human beings.

In particular, these models of leadership according to Goleman are expressed in his book Primal Leadership . In this article we will see what each one of them consists of, so that the reader can get to know them and also specify which one he identifies with the most.

What is leadership?

Leadership capacity basically focuses on being able to transmit to other people a level of influence that is significant enough for them to achieve objectives and goals under the guidance of the person who acts as a leader.

There are certain types of leadership that are commonly known, and all of them revolve around conventional concepts commonly associated with teamwork processes (autocratic, transformational, participatory, bureaucratic, charismatic and natural).

The psychologist Daniel Goleman has developed 6 models of leadership , apart from the already existing and conventional ones, that expand our conception of what it means to be a leader.

The 6 leadership models proposed by Goleman

Next we will see which are the leadership models according to Goleman and his collaborators Richard Boyatzis and An Mckee, and some of the most representative characteristics of each one of them.

1. The visionary leader

In this first modality of leadership Goleman proposes that to motivate a group of people to carry out tasks with a higher and more personal level of motivation, the ideal is to share with them the final idea without indicating the process of reaching it. This way, each one of them will have the opportunity to explore what are the best ways to transcend in order to reach the final objectives, and will be motivated in the process.

It is not a highly recommended method when it comes to motivating experts in an area of your knowledge.

2. The personal trainer

This form of leadership is based on the leader attending to each of the participants individually, actively listening to what their ideas and purposes are within the project.

This type of leadership contributes greatly to the personal growth of each of the company’s participants, taking into account that by being served individually the leader also has the opportunity to motivate them in terms of their aspirations at their own level.

3. Affiliate Leader

This type of leader is in charge of creating significant connections between all the members of the company with the intention that they can better understand each other and achieve the objectives with a higher level of productivity.

The main idea of this type of leadership is to decrease the stress levels that can be generated by personal quarrels within the work environment; if all workers manage to connect in a more harmonious way, then a better level of efficiency will be reached. This is one of the types of leadership proposed by Goleman that creates greater personal involvement.

4. Democratic leader

The democratic leader attends to all the ideas and opinions of his group in an equal way , giving each staff participation the same importance in principle. It is a very advisable method when the first contact with a group of people is made to undertake a project.

The leader who uses this modality encourages everyone to participate in an active and equal way, making them feel that nobody is above anybody and that all their ideas and capacities are taken into account for the realization of the project in question.

5. The controlling leader

The controlling leader is in charge of setting the objectives to be achieved in a quite clear way , without involving the staff members; moreover, he usually sets himself as an example as to how to do things.

The leaders who choose this modality as their banner usually achieve good results in the short term , but as time goes by, the staff tends to become unmotivated and does not perform at its best under this leadership style.

6. Authoritarian leader

This mode focuses on giving precise instructions that must be complied with to the letter , without the opportunity to participate in the methods that will be used for the execution process.

This type of leadership established by Goleman is beneficial in transmitting confidence to the group, and is a good way to calm the fears of the less experienced members, since they see in their leader a person with enough knowledge to lead them to success.

This is particularly effective at times when quick action is needed to achieve objectives. It is in times of crisis when the previous alternatives have been exhausted that this type of leadership is most often employed.

Bibliographic references:

  • Goleman, D., Boyatzis, R., Mckee, A. (2017). The resonant leader creates more. The power of emotional intelligence. Pocketing.