Leadership Styles: The 11 Most Common & How to Find Your Style Imagine the leaders that inspire you. Each is likely unique, with a different style they use to meet goals, motivate, and animate their teams. There are many different styles of leadership, and each can have a different impact on a company. In this post, we’ll cover the most common types of leadership, how they influence business, and give tools to help you figure out what styles are best for you. Start reading, or jump to the section you’re looking for: Types of Leadership Styles Deciding Between Different Leadership Styles How to Choose the Right Leadership Style for You Leadership Style Assessment Why It’s Important to Know Your Leadership Style Knowing your leadership style helps you provide adequate guidance and feedback to employees, and better understand your thoughts, how you make decisions and strategies you can consider implementing when making business decisions. It can also help you understand how your direct reports see you and why they may give you specific feedback. For example, if employees feel stifled at work and don’t have many opportunities to speak their minds, they may be telling you that you’re an autocratic leader who can benefit from changing their style. Knowing your leadership styles may help you improve with limited feedback. Each leadership style has its pitfalls, allowing you to proactively address areas of improvement. This is critical because some employees might...

How to Give Off Good Boss Energy, According to 9 HubSpot Leaders We all know "good boss energy" when we see it. Maybe it's the boss who begins each 1:1 by checking-in with you and ensuring you don't feel too overwhelmed or stressed. Or, perhaps it's the boss who goes out of her way to find new growth opportunities for you, and is always your biggest champion. If you're a leader, it's critical you demonstrate qualities related to good boss energy. But those qualities can be difficult to pin down — which is why I spoke with nine HubSpot leaders who were nominated by their direct reports as leaders with good boss energy. Here, we'll dive into how those leaders believe they foster good boss energy in their roles — and how you can, too. Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader: Data from 500+ Marketing Executives on How to Get Ahead in 2023 What is "Good Boss Energy"? Before we dive into HubSpot leaders' tips for embodying good boss energy … Let's cover what it is. The term was started by HubSpot's Social team as an opportunity to introduce positivity when it comes to discussing corporate culture on social media. Leslie Green, HubSpot's Managing Editor of Brand Social, told me, "#CorporateTok is the internet’s favorite work vent venue. But to grow better, you have to do things differently. When we entered TikTok, we saw a huge opportunity to flip the script on corporate negativity and celebrate all things...

23 Stats We Gained from Surveying Marketing Leaders A recent HubSpot Blog survey asked 1,067 global marketing professionals working in B2B and B2C companies about the top marketing trends they leverage, the strategies they use, and the challenges they face. In this post, we’ll discuss the insight we gathered from director+ level marketers about their companies marketing strategies and what they will look like in 2022. Read on to learn: Trends Marketing Leaders are Following Marketing Strategies Marketing Leaders Use Challenges Marketing Leaders Face Trends Marketing Leaders are Following 1. The top trends marketing leaders follow are short-form video, experiential marketing, and influencer marketing. 2. The trends marketing leaders follow that have the highest ROI are influencer marketing, short-form video content, and permanent social media content. 3. The trends marketing leaders companies invest the most in are short-form video content, inbound marketing, and social responsibility. 4. Marketing leaders say they’ll increase their investments in content marketing, social media marketing, and influencer marketing. 5. Influencer marketing is the most effective trend that director+ marketers companies leverage. Marketing Strategies Marketing Leaders Use 1. The primary marketing strategies director+ level marketers say their companies use are social media marketing, content marketing, and co-marketing. 2. The most popular media formats in director+ level marketers’ content strategies are videos, infographics, and blogs. 3. The top platforms director+ level marketers companies post video content on are Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. 4. 48% of director level+ marketers...

Why Self-Awareness in Leadership is a Must-Have for Success As a leader, you need to accept that you are not always going to be right and you aren't always going to excel in everything — and that's okay! Self-awareness in leadership is key to the success of any organization and can encourage growth, adaptability, and honesty in the workplace. To help you learn why self-awareness in leadership is integral to your company's success, we're going to explore the meaning of self-awareness, its benefits, and real-life examples of self-awareness from business leaders. What is self-awareness in leadership? Self-awareness in leadership means having a conscious understanding of your character, behaviors, motives, and how these things impact your leadership abilities. Are your motives aligned with your company's goals? How do you behave as a leader when things don't go as planned? How does your character impact your interactions with your colleagues and subordinates? These are questions to ask yourself — and answer honestly — to build your self-awareness as a leader. "Everyone has strengths, and everyone has weaknesses," said HubSpot Marketing Fellow Dan Tyre. "Being self-aware means that you are aware of the things you do well and the things that you need to develop or delegate. "It means understanding that the process of working with those attributes sends a strong, consistent, universal message that it is perfectly okay to be good in some capacity and need support in others, which should be reassuring to everyone. Leaders who are living the...

Leadership vs. Management: Key Differences You Should Know We often hear the terms "leaders" and "managers" used interchangeably. However, there are key differences in how each operates. In this article, we'll dive into what those differences are and how you can leverage each one within an organization. What’s most interesting is that every leader has likely taken on a managerial role. However, not every manager has been a leader. This is because someone typically steps into a manager role when there’s a need within your organization. Anyone who can meet those needs will succeed as a manager. However, a leader requires a different skill set and can emerge naturally at any point in an organization’s growth – in fact, a leader doesn’t need a title that specifies it. Let’s break down the key differences below. Vision vs. Execution As a leader, you are responsible for setting the vision. This means the ability to see beyond where you currently are and imagine a future that goes beyond expectations. Meanwhile, a manager will focus on executing that vision and figuring out the key processes to get there. Leaders are able to see the big picture and develop a strategy for how to get there, whereas managers typically break down those goals into smaller, actionable tasks. People vs. Processes Another key distinction between leaders and managers is that leaders focus on people while managers focus on processes. Leaders are there to inspire, motivate, and nurture the people they work with, often...

5 Skills You Should Leave Leadership Training With ​​Are you an experienced leader looking to brush up on your skills? Or maybe you’re brand new in this space and want to gain the tools to help you succeed. In this article, you’ll discover the key leadership skills you should leave leadership training with along with the benefits of taking a leadership training course. Why leadership training is important? Leadership training is valuable to anyone who currently or aspires to hold a supervisorial role. The qualities needed to succeed in a leadership role don’t just appear once you’ve been assigned the role. In fact, you should be exhibiting these qualities long before you step into it. This is why taking a leadership training course can be valuable, even if you don’t oversee any direct reports. For fresh managers, it’s an incredibly valuable resource that will arm them with the tools and strategies needed to motivate and inspire their teams. Leadership training is also a good setting for new leaders to discover leadership styles and determine which one fits best for them. For experienced leaders, it’s an opportunity to learn new tactics that will help them improve their leadership style. For instance, psychological safety has been prioritized by many companies within the last few years, much more than before. As such, it’s a big part of many leadership training courses available out there today. Leaders also have an ethical responsibility to stay on top of their game. How can you...

16 Leadership Goals Every Business Leader Should Have Outstanding leadership is key to any organization's success. Without it, a business is prone to low morale and frequent turnover. One way to help yourself grow as a leader is to set actionable, trackable leadership goals. These goals should be focused on addressing your weaknesses and building upon your strengths. Whether you’re a seasoned leader, or you’ve just stepped into your first management role, you should always make a point to improve your leadership skills. If you’re not sure where to start, we’ve put together everything you need to know about setting leadership goals and what goals you should focus on. What are leadership goals? How to Set Leadership Goals Leadership SMART Goals Leadership Goals Examples What are leadership goals? Leadership goals are objectives aspiring leaders set that typically pertain to improvements in communication and fostering healthy relationships — both of which create healthy, happy, and productive work environments. As a leader, you should always assess your skills and look for ways to grow and improve. Maybe you’re excellent at organizing data for meetings but could work on your public speaking skills, or you excel at conflict-resolution but could still be a better active listener. Goal-setting is key to effective leadership that can keep up with evolving industries. If you consistently set goals for your leadership style, both your employees and your business will benefit. How to Set Leadership Goals Your strengths and weaknesses as a leader may...

30 Leadership Behaviors You Need to be an Excellent Leader Leadership isn’t just about control — it’s also about actions and behaviors. As a leader, do your current leadership behaviors align with both your and your team's goals? And does your behavior boost your team’s morale or bring the mood down — resulting in high turnover and less efficiency? To help you answer those questions, we've put together a breakdown of the kind of conduct that leaders should exhibit. Leaders who don't possess these behaviors may struggle with completing objectives, maintaining a healthy work environment, or managing their team members. With that in mind, let's take a look at 30 examples of leadership behaviors that will benefit both you and your team. Effective Leadership Behaviors Examples 1. Compassion Compassion means having sympathy and concern for others, especially when they are experiencing misfortune. Leading with compassion builds trust and promotes collaboration. Your employees will feel more comfortable confiding in you about issues that may be disrupting their workflow. 2. Adaptability An excellent leader is always prepared to shift priorities and processes to adapt to changing market conditions. New viral social media sites are popping up every day. State-of-the-art technologies are always in development and changing the ways consumers interact with products and services. Adaptable leadership means working to keep up with these changes and ensuring that your business model is always up-to-date and evolving. 3. Coaching mindset Having a coaching mindset means wanting to help your employees improve their...

How Emergent Leadership Can Help Your Team Thrive Think of every group project you’ve been in – whether in high school, college, internship, or other. Often, someone would naturally take the reigns without being officially appointed as the leader – that’s called emergent leadership and it’s something you may want to leverage in your professional life. Learn the key characteristics of emergent leadership, examples of it in daily life, and the benefits of this approach. Emergent leadership allows the right leader to be elected once they have demonstrated their potential in group settings. This will be someone who has earned the respect and trust of their colleagues and are able to inspire them. Too often, companies bring in new leaders and there’s a big adjustment period. They may struggle with communication, understanding their teams’ values, establishing trust, or a number of key elements needed to propel a team forward. This approach democratizes leadership by letting employees make key decisions regarding not only their leaders but also their projects. As a result, you can get employees who are more invested in the company and serve as its champion. Promoting emergent leadership within your team is all about fostering an environment of collaboration and ownership. As a manager, you will serve as a resource while allowing your team to take the lead. By creating this environment, your direct reports will feel comfortable bringing their full selves to work and take the lead whenever their skills align. To recap, emergent leadership:...