Adapted from the upcoming 'The Wall Street Journal Guide to Management' by Alan Murray, published by Harper Business.

    Leadership is less about your needs, and more about the needs of the people and the organization you are leading. Leadership styles are not something to be tried on like so many suits, to see which fits. Rather, they should be adapted to the particular demands of the situation, the particular requirements of the people involved and the particular challenges facing the organization.

    In the book 'Primal Leadership,' Daniel Goleman, who popularized the notion of 'Emotional Intelligence,' describes six different styles of leadership. The most effective leaders can move among these styles, adopting the one that meets the needs of the moment. They can all become part of the leader's repertoire.

    Visionary. This style is most appropriate when an organization needs a new direction. Its goal is to move people towards a new set of shared dreams. 'Visionary leaders articulate where a group is going, but not how it will get there setting people free to innovate, experiment, take calculated risks,' write Mr. Goleman and his coauthors.

    Coaching. This one-on-one style focuses on developing individuals, showing them how to improve their performance, and helping to connect their goals to the goals of the organization. Coaching works best, Mr. Goleman writes, 'with employees who show initiative and want more professional development.' But it can backfire if it's perceived as 'micromanaging' an employee, and undermines his or her self-confidence.

    Affiliative. This style emphasizes the importance of team work, and creates harmony in a group by connecting people to each other. Mr. Goleman argues this approach is particularly valuable 'when trying to heighten team harmony, increase morale, improve communication or repair broken trust in an organization.' But he warns against using it alone, since its emphasis on group praise can allow poor performance to go uncorrected. 'Employees may perceive,' he writes, 'that mediocrity is tolerated.'

    Democratic. This style draws on people's knowledge and skills, and creates a group commitment to the resulting goals. It works best when the direction the organization should take is unclear, and the leader needs to tap the collective wisdom of the group. Mr. Goleman warns that this consensus-building approach can be disastrous in times of crisis, when urgent events demand quick decisions.

    Pacesetting. In this style, the leader sets high standards for performance. He or she is 'obsessive about doing things better and faster, and asks the same of everyone.' But Mr. Goleman warns this style should be used sparingly, because it can undercut morale and make people feel as if they are failing. 'Our data shows that, more often than not, pacesetting poisons the climate,' he writes.

    Commanding. This is classic model of 'military' style leadership probably the most often used, but the least often effective. Because it rarely involves praise and frequently employs criticism, it undercuts morale and job satisfaction. Mr. Goleman argues it is only effective in a crisis, when an urgent turnaround is needed. Even the modern military has come to recognize its limited usefulness.

    当领导就是少考虑自身需求，多考虑你所领导的人和团队的需求。领导风格不能像衣服一样试来试去，看哪件合适。相反，它们应当适应具体形势的需求、相关人等的要求以及整个团队所面临的挑战。

    在《Primal Leadership》一书中，普及了“情商”概念的丹尼尔•戈尔曼(Daniel Goleman)描述了六种不同的领导风格。最具成效的领导人可以在这些风格之间转换自如，采用最符合情势需要的风格。这些风格都可能成为领导人傍身之技的一部分。

    远见型。这种风格最适用于团队需要新方向的时刻。其目的是让人们朝着新的共同梦想前进。戈尔曼与合着者们在书中写道，远见型领导人会说明团队前进的目标，但不会限定达到目标的方式，从而让人们自由地去创新、实践、承担计划中的风险。

    指导型。这种一对一的风格重点在于单独培养人才，教他们如何改进自身表现，并帮助将他们的个人目标与团队的目标联系起来。戈尔曼写道，指导型风格对于表现主动积极、想实现更多职业发展的员工最为有效。但如果这种风格被认为对员工管得太死，损害了员工的自信，则会适得其反。

    亲和型。这种风格强调团队合作的重要性，并通过让人们彼此联系来营造团队中的和谐气氛。戈尔曼认为，在试图增加一个组织中的团队和谐、提振士气、加强沟通或修复受损的信任时，这种方法尤其有价值。但他警告说这种方法不能单独使用，因为它注重对群体的褒扬，可能会致使表现不好的情况得不到纠正。他写道，员工可能会认为平庸是可以容忍的。

    民主型。这种风格吸收人们的知识和技能，并就最终目标达成集 承诺。在团队的发展方向未明、领导人需要大家群策群力的情况下，民主型领导风格最为有效。戈尔曼警告说，在出现危机的情况下，紧急的事态要求迅速作出决策，这种建立一致性的方法可能带来灾难性的后果。

    身先士卒型。这种风格的领导人会给工作表现设定很高的标准，很想更快、更好地完成任务，并且对每个人都同样要求。但戈尔曼警告说，这种风格应当谨慎运用，因为它可能会打击士气，令员工觉得自己很失败。戈尔曼写道，我们的数据表明，领导一马当先时常破坏气氛。

    发号施令型。这就是“军事化”领导风格的典型模式，可能也是最常用的，但也是最不容易收到成效的。因为这种风格很少表扬，然而经常批评，故而会打击员工士气和对工作的满意度。戈尔曼说，这种风格只在出现危机、需要紧急扭转事态时有效。就连现代的军队也已经认识到这种方法的效用有限。