THREE LEADERSHIP STYLES 1
A Dive into Three Leadership Styles
Courtney Phillippy
School of Business, Liberty University
Author Note
Courtney Phillippy
I have no known conflict of interest to disclose.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to
Courtney Phillippy
Email:
,THREE LEADERSHIP STYLES 2
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to enhance the learning of various leadership styles and provide
examples of what they look like to provide leaders with self-reflection tools. Being a leader is a
tall order and should be taken seriously by every leader. Being a leader comes with great
responsibility to inspire those that you lead and make a positive difference. Various leadership
styles yield different results when it comes to staff and organizational results. In this paper, three
common leadership styles will be reviewed, and an explanation of each one will be provided.
The three leadership styles examined are authentic leadership, transformational leadership, and
authoritarian leadership. Examples of the three leadership styles will be provided from biblical
leadership stories. The biblical leader's examples will involve King David, King Solomon, and
King Rehoboam. Based on the biblical examples, suggestions will be made regarding what
leadership style may have worked better for each King. A brief description of each suggested
leadership style will be provided and why the suggestion was made. Lastly, each leadership style
mentioned throughout the paper will be reviewed for its efficiency within biblical times and
modern times to see if the leadership style could work both times or is more suited for one period
of time than the other. This paper will also evaluate what situation or type of work each type of
leadership style may be well suited for.
Keywords: leadership, authentic, transformational, servant, authoritarian
, THREE LEADERSHIP STYLES 3
A Dive into Three Leadership Styles
The leadership style of a leader can impact staff and organizational goals alike. In
modern-day leadership, there are three common styles of leadership that can be seen in almost
any sector of the workforce. These leadership styles can also be seen throughout religious works
and stories. These three common leadership styles include an authentic leadership style, a
transformational leadership style, and an authoritarian leadership style. Each of these leadership
styles has room for improvement and areas of weakness that will be discussed. Recommended
leadership styles will be suggested as well based on the examples provided from the religious
works. This paper will also evaluate if the leadership styles discussed can be successful in the
biblical setting and the modern-day setting and why. Lastly, this paper will touch on what types
of settings and situations these leadership styles may be appropriate or not.
Authentic Leadership Style
Simply stated, an authentic leadership style means acting as one’s true self (Latta, 2019).
Ideally, to work towards an authentic leadership style requires a high level of self-awareness. A
Leader needs to have a solid understanding of themselves and their beliefs to be an authentic
leader. Authentic leadership is known for affecting positive results and relationships with staff
(Latta, 2019). Staff appreciate authenticity from their leaders, and it does help build trust. An
example of this leadership style can be seen in the story of King David. King David was
primarily an authentic leader, leading as himself and following his own morals. He had the
opportunity to kill Saul twice and did not take them because that is not who he is (Merida, 2015).
He also grew as a leader with self-reflection and remained true to himself throughout his reign
(Merida, 2015). King David was certainly not a perfect leader and had moments of weakness
where he was not always fair, like with Uriah, but he was open to feedback about his character
A Dive into Three Leadership Styles
Courtney Phillippy
School of Business, Liberty University
Author Note
Courtney Phillippy
I have no known conflict of interest to disclose.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to
Courtney Phillippy
Email:
,THREE LEADERSHIP STYLES 2
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to enhance the learning of various leadership styles and provide
examples of what they look like to provide leaders with self-reflection tools. Being a leader is a
tall order and should be taken seriously by every leader. Being a leader comes with great
responsibility to inspire those that you lead and make a positive difference. Various leadership
styles yield different results when it comes to staff and organizational results. In this paper, three
common leadership styles will be reviewed, and an explanation of each one will be provided.
The three leadership styles examined are authentic leadership, transformational leadership, and
authoritarian leadership. Examples of the three leadership styles will be provided from biblical
leadership stories. The biblical leader's examples will involve King David, King Solomon, and
King Rehoboam. Based on the biblical examples, suggestions will be made regarding what
leadership style may have worked better for each King. A brief description of each suggested
leadership style will be provided and why the suggestion was made. Lastly, each leadership style
mentioned throughout the paper will be reviewed for its efficiency within biblical times and
modern times to see if the leadership style could work both times or is more suited for one period
of time than the other. This paper will also evaluate what situation or type of work each type of
leadership style may be well suited for.
Keywords: leadership, authentic, transformational, servant, authoritarian
, THREE LEADERSHIP STYLES 3
A Dive into Three Leadership Styles
The leadership style of a leader can impact staff and organizational goals alike. In
modern-day leadership, there are three common styles of leadership that can be seen in almost
any sector of the workforce. These leadership styles can also be seen throughout religious works
and stories. These three common leadership styles include an authentic leadership style, a
transformational leadership style, and an authoritarian leadership style. Each of these leadership
styles has room for improvement and areas of weakness that will be discussed. Recommended
leadership styles will be suggested as well based on the examples provided from the religious
works. This paper will also evaluate if the leadership styles discussed can be successful in the
biblical setting and the modern-day setting and why. Lastly, this paper will touch on what types
of settings and situations these leadership styles may be appropriate or not.
Authentic Leadership Style
Simply stated, an authentic leadership style means acting as one’s true self (Latta, 2019).
Ideally, to work towards an authentic leadership style requires a high level of self-awareness. A
Leader needs to have a solid understanding of themselves and their beliefs to be an authentic
leader. Authentic leadership is known for affecting positive results and relationships with staff
(Latta, 2019). Staff appreciate authenticity from their leaders, and it does help build trust. An
example of this leadership style can be seen in the story of King David. King David was
primarily an authentic leader, leading as himself and following his own morals. He had the
opportunity to kill Saul twice and did not take them because that is not who he is (Merida, 2015).
He also grew as a leader with self-reflection and remained true to himself throughout his reign
(Merida, 2015). King David was certainly not a perfect leader and had moments of weakness
where he was not always fair, like with Uriah, but he was open to feedback about his character
