A leader's singular job is to get results. But even with all the leadership training programs and "expert" advice available, effective leadership still eludes many people and organizations.

One reason, says Daniel Goleman, is that such experts offer advice based on inference, experience, and instinct, not on quantitative data. Now, drawing on research of more than 3,000 executives, Goleman explores which precise leadership behaviors yield positive results. He outlines six distinct leadership styles, each one springing from different components of emotional intelligence. Each style has a distinct effect on the working atmosphere of a company, division, or team, and, in turn, on its financial performance.

• Coercive leaders demand immediate compliance.
• Authoritative leaders mobilize people toward a vision.
• Affiliative leaders create emotional bonds and harmony.
• Democratic leaders build consensus through participation.
• Pacesetting leaders expect excellence and self-direction. And coaching leaders develop people for the future.

The research indicates that leaders who get the best results don't rely on just one leadership style; they use most of the styles in any given week. Goleman details the types of business situations each style is best suited for, and he explains how leaders who lack one or more of these styles can expand their repertories. He maintains that with practice leaders can switch among leadership styles to produce powerful results, thus turning the art of leadership into a science.

The Harvard Business Review Classics series offers you the opportunity to make seminal Harvard Business Review articles a part of your permanent management library. Each highly readable volume contains a groundbreaking idea that continues to shape best practices and inspire countless managers around the world and will have a direct impact on you today and for years to come.

About the Author

Daniel Goleman is the coauthor of the acclaimed business bestseller Primal Leadership and author of the international bestsellers Emotional Intelligence, Working with Emotional Intelligence, and Social Intelligence. His latest books are What Makes a Leader: Why Emotional Intelligence Matters and The Triple Focus: A New Approach to Education. He was a science reporter for the New York Times, was twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, and received the American Psychological Association's Lifetime Achievement Award for his media writing.

Author social media/website info: danielgoleman.info, linkedin.com/in/danielgoleman, @DanielGolemanEI

Book Information
ISBN 9781633692626
Author Daniel Goleman
Format Paperback
Page Count 96
Imprint Harvard Business Review Press
Publisher Harvard Business Review Press