General Comments on Effective Leadership Styles

Certainly to be a successful leader you will need to develop leadership skills, knowledge and aptitude, however, it's your leadership style that really gives your business unit (no matter how big or small) its flavor.
An effective leadership style for one individual or one organization may not work for you and your situation:

• How well do you think Southwest Airlines or Virgin would run with Jack Welch at the helm?
• How much would Herb Kelleher struggle (internally at least) if he were to find himself a leader in The Ford Motor Company?
• It is well documented that Winston Churchill was a great leader during World War 2. Yet in peacetime his style was found lacking by the nation that had so recently held him in esteem as a hero leader.

Your style as a leader will be largely influenced by two things:

1. The culture of the organization you find yourself in
   
2. The quality of leadership, coaching and mentoring you experience as you move through your career
   

When you inherit a style from the culture or are overly influenced by another person, you may find yourself feeling frustrated and on-edge. You may have the feeling that you are trying to be someone you are not. You will do well to remember that leadership isn't something that you do, it is an expression of who you are.
Learn about and then try applying the various styles to find the a style that works best for you, your team and your organization.
A word of caution. Do not try to make your preferred/(natural) style fit all circumstances. Remain flexible enough to alter your style to fit the particular situation you find yourself in.
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