Bill Taylor is the cofounder of Fast Company and author of the new book Simply Brilliant: How Great Organizations Do Ordinary Things in Extraordinary Ways. After 30+ years of experience working with leaders, Taylor has identified four styles of leadership. He outlines them in the Harvard Business Review article “The 4 Leadership Styles, and How to Identify Yours.” Which one are you?
- The Classic Entrepreneur. These types of leaders thrive on competition and success. They focus on measurable variables like cost, quality, and profit, and aim to build great products and powerful companies.
- The Modern Missionary. Missionary leaders care less about competition and money than they do about making a difference and creating meaningful products and organizations. Driven by human values, these leaders want to turn their companies into causes.
- The Problem Solver. Problem solvers focus on concrete results, valuing expertise and experience as a way to both confront issues and seek new opportunities. These take-charge leaders are focused on getting things done.
- The Solution Finder. These leaders search for contributions in unexpected places. They tend to be modest and humble, and they believe that everyone should be included in achieving results.
According to Taylor, knowing what kind of leader you are helps you to understand the way you work and the things you value. You can leverage this understanding to become a better leader and garner support for what you want to accomplish.
