Best Answer
There are several different types of army leadership styles that can produce the desired results among the armed forces. Leadership in the army differs a little from leadership in other scenarios because some type of followership is built into the armed forces. The main leadership styles that you are likely to encounter in the army are transactional, transformational, servant, and autocratic.
Transactional leadership is the type of leadership one most often encounters in the military. It is based in structure and relies strongly on both rewards and penalties. Rather than collaborating with subordinates, the transactional leader tells them what to do, establishes timelines and checkpoints, and determines what the reward system will be.
Transformational leadership involves leading by example. It involves more coordination with subordinates and may be more appropriate as leaders go up the chain of command and are in charge of subordinates at higher levels. It is not well-suited to all parts of the army but can be very useful in smaller units such as special operations units.
Servant leaders lead through service. In a civilian environment, Jesus is often cited as an example of servant leadership, but the best way to describe it is a leader who would not ask subordinates to do something the servant leader would not do for them.
Autocratic leadership has a negative connotation outside of the armed forces because of an emphasis on democratic processes and input. However, in the armed forces, subordinates may need to follow orders without questions in order to ensure unit safety. A leader who can use an autocratic leadership style, at least when necessary, can be important especially in a combat context. Autocratic leadership may combine with transformational leadership to help establish trust between commanders and subordinate.
