What Type Of Compassionate Leader Are You?

Soulful leadership isn’t as much as a sub-category of leadership, but a way that any leader can lead. There are many different leadership styles out there, all of which can be enhanced by a compassionate approach. At Technalink, we encourage our leaders to investigate what leadership style they most identify with, and to find what works for them in terms of a base leadership strategy. For today’s women in business, there is a leadership style to match any personality or soulful approach.

Some of the most common soulful leadership styles include:

• Coach leadership – A coach-style leader is a leader that recognizes the strengths and weaknesses in their teams and uses a strategy of encouragement to get the most out of everyone’s unique skills. Coach style leadership requires quite a bit of emotional investment in your team, and strategies that revolve around every member to encourage them to develop into their best selves.

• Democratic leadership – Democratic leaders are compassionate leaders with a particularly good ear for active listening. They take into consideration the feelings and feedback of every member of their team, and craft goals or solutions that meet team-wide needs. Democratic leaders are naturals at compromise, conflict resolution, and open communication.

• Laissez-Faire leadership – Compassionate leaders who have a deep trust in their team may take a laissez-faire approach. These leaders provide supervision only when needed, and they put trust in their team to do their best no matter what. Leaders who don’t wish to micromanage and have a high respect for the talent they have behind them will often practice some form of laissez-faire leadership.

Compassionate leadership comes in all shapes, sizes, and strategies. For today’s soulful leaders, women in business, and professionals of all kinds, finding the way you lead best will help you to progress in your own leadership skills while learning more about yourself in the process. There is no “wrong” way to lead with compassion, and your own leadership style can be any combination of “known” styles, or another style you create entirely yourself.