Understanding your leadership style

The video gives a topic overview and has a viewing time of around 5 minutes. The written learning guide offers a more in-depth exploration and has an approximate reading time of 10-15 minutes.

Learning objectives

By the end of this guide, you will be able to:

• Identify your natural leadership preferences and how they show up in practice.

• Recognise when your default style serves you well and when you need to adapt.

• Understand how your preferences impact your team and colleagues.

• Apply practical strategies to flex your leadership approach when needed.

Why your leadership style matters

Most of us didn't train for our roles thinking we'd end up managing people. Yet here you are, leading a team, navigating practice politics, making decisions that affect people's livelihoods, and somehow still getting through your day job.

Your leadership style isn't something you chose from a menu. It emerged from your personality, your experiences, your training, and probably a few hard lessons along the way. The problem? What works brilliantly in one situation can backfire spectacularly in another.

Understanding your natural style isn't about putting yourself in a box. It's about knowing your defaults so you can make conscious choices about when to lean in and when to adapt.

Your leadership preferences: the foundation

Your leadership style sits on top of deeper preferences about how you work, think, and interact. Let's explore these.

How do you process and make decisions?

Some leaders need to think things through alone before they're ready to decide. Others process best by talking it through with the team. Neither is better, but each creates a different dynamic.

Consider two different approaches to the same situation. One GP reviews the quarterly figures alone, makes notes, formulates a recommendation, then presents it at the practice meeting. Colleagues appreciate the thoroughness but sometimes feel decisions are already made before they're consulted.

Another GP operates differently. The moment an issue arises (say, three complaints about telephone access in one week) they'll call an impromptu team discussion. "Right, what are we going to do about this?" The team appreciate being involved but sometimes wish there'd been more thinking time before everyone was gathered together.

Neither approach is wrong. But both create consequences.

Where do you get your energy?

This matters more than you might think. Leading people is draining if it goes against your natural grain.

Some leaders are energised by being around their team, having multiple conversations, keeping their finger on the pulse. Others find this exhausting and need solo time to recharge and think strategically.

This isn't necessarily about being introverted or extroverted in social situations. It's about what drains your battery and what charges it back up. If you're leading in a way that constantly depletes you, something's got to give.

How do you handle structure and control?

Some leaders like clear processes, defined roles, and predictable systems. Others thrive in flexibility, adapting on the fly, and keeping options open.

One practice has a protocol for everything. New staff get a detailed induction checklist. Team meetings have a standing agenda. Everyone knows exactly what's expected of them. The practice runs smoothly but can feel rigid when situations need creative solutions.

Another practice keeps things loose. "Let's see how it goes and adjust." The team appreciate the flexibility but sometimes feel uncertain about priorities and expectations, especially newer staff who crave more structure.

Your relationship with conflict

This is potentially the biggest differentiator in leadership styles.

Some people address issues head-on. They're comfortable with confrontation and see it as necessary and healthy. Others avoid conflict, prioritise harmony, and hope problems resolve themselves.

Neither extreme works well. The avoiders let issues fester until they explode. The confronters can create a culture where people walk on eggshells.

How your preferences shape your leadership style

Your preferences don't just affect you. They create patterns that your team learns to navigate.

The decisive leader makes quick calls and moves on. Their team appreciates clarity but may feel bulldozed or not consulted. This works brilliantly in a crisis. It can be detrimental when building buy-in for change.

The consultative leader wants everyone's input before deciding. Their team feels valued but can also feel frustrated by slow decision-making. This can build ownership and accountability, but conversely may mean decisions can take weeks when they should take hours.

The hands-on leader stays close to the detail and their team. People feel supported but can also feel micromanaged. This works when staff are new or situations are high-risk. It creates dependency and stifles initiative in experienced teams.

The delegating leader gives people autonomy and trusts them to deliver. Staff feel empowered but can also feel abandoned without enough support. This develops capable teams brilliantly. It also means things can go wrong before you notice.

The harmonising leader values relationships and team cohesion above all else. People feel cared for but difficult issues don't get addressed. This creates psychological safety. It can also let poor performance slide.

The driving leader pushes for results and high standards. The practice achieves a lot but people can burn out. This creates excellence. It can also contribute to turnover.

The context changes everything

Here's what matters most: no single leadership style works in all situations.

Leading a well-functioning team of experienced staff? Delegation and autonomy work beautifully.

Managing someone who's struggling with performance issues? You need to be more directive and hands-on.

Implementing a major system change? You need consultation and involvement to build buy-in.

Dealing with a serious incident? You need decisive action and clear communication.

The best leaders aren't those with the "right" style. They're those who recognise what the situation needs and can flex accordingly, even when it's uncomfortable.

When your style gets in the way

Every leadership preference has a shadow side that emerges under stress.

The decisive leader can become dictatorial. The consultative leader may become paralysed. The harmoniser can be conflict-avoidant. The driver can become overly pressurising. The delegator may become absent. The detail-oriented leader can become a micromanager.

Practical strategies: flexing your style

1. Name your defaults

Get clear on what you naturally do. Ask trusted colleagues: "How would you describe my leadership style?" Their answers might surprise you. The gap between how you think you lead and how others experience your leadership is where the development is needed.

2. Recognise your triggers

What situations push you into your least effective version? Time pressure? Conflict? Uncertainty? Financial stress? Once you know your triggers, you can begin to manage them better in the moment.

3. Build your range

If you're naturally decisive, practise asking "What do you think?" before sharing your view. If you're naturally consultative, practise making smaller decisions without consensus. If you avoid conflict, start with low-stakes difficult conversations to build your muscle. If you're hands-on, deliberately step back on a project and let someone else lead it.

4. Match your style to the situation

Before any leadership moment (a meeting, a difficult conversation, a decision) pause and ask: "What does this situation need?" Not "What am I comfortable with?" but "What's needed here?"

5. Be transparent

If you're flexing outside your comfort zone, be honest and say so. "I'm naturally someone who likes to think things through alone, but I know this decision affects everyone, so I want to hear your thoughts first." This level of disclosure builds trust and gives context to your approach.

Key takeaways

• Your leadership style is shaped by deeper preferences about how you process information, make decisions, handle conflict, and relate to structure.

• No single style is best. Effectiveness depends on matching your approach to what the situation needs.

• Self-awareness is the foundation. You can't flex your style if you don't know your defaults.

• Under stress, your preferences become exaggerated and less effective.

• The best leaders build range by deliberately practising approaches outside their comfort zone.

Actions: try this week

1. Identify your default: Ask yourself, when under pressure, what's my go-to leadership move? Write it down.

2. Get feedback: Ask a colleague or team member: "How would you describe how I lead?" Listen without defending.

3. Spot one pattern: Notice one situation this week where your usual approach might not be serving you. What would a different approach look like?

4. Experiment once: Pick one small leadership moment this week and deliberately try a different approach. If you usually decide alone, consult. If you usually consult, make a quick call. Notice what happens.