At the other end of the spectrum is the extroverted leader who is persuasive and totally engaged with his or her people.  This leader seems to know everyone's name as well as the names of their children.  She cares about people and takes the time to get to know you.  She focuses on motivating her team with enthusiasm and passion for what they are doing.  Employees tend to like these charismatic leaders but sometimes take advantage of their close relationships to escape scrutiny with emotional ploys.

I have described but two archetypes of leaders and of course there are many different styles.  So which of these types is the best?  Which type is able to extract the most performance from the employees?  Is one type of leadership preferable in turnaround situations while another excels in start-ups?  I think not.

The best type of leadership occurs when the leader is surrounded with individuals whose underlying drives and motivations are responsive to that particular style of leadership the boss exhibits.  The most gifted leaders are also able to modify their style to meet the needs of different team members.   The autocrat learns that patience and human understanding can go far in cementing critical relationships.  The really smart autocrat keeps an advisor nearby who is better with people and can help him or her see when they are missing the human element.  Of course, for the real hard-line autocrats the only opinion they genuinely respect is their own.

The persuasive motivator attracts those who are able to share the vision…those who light up when the boss calls them to duty in pursuit of an exciting and lofty goal.  This type of leader draws energy from the people he leads.  As he builds buy-in from the staff he or she fortifies the vision and the dynamic grows ever more powerful.