5 Leadership styles that win hearts—and deliver results too

Leadership is evolving every day, shifting from being purely strategic to becoming more people-centric, adaptive, and emotionally intelligent.

It’s no longer just about making decisions from the top, but about understanding people, navigating complexity, and growing through experience.

True leadership doesn’t happen overnight; it’s shaped over time, built through trust, and ultimately recognized by the people who choose to follow.

Popular leadership style that people love

In the early ’90s, the common leadership style was hierarchical and authority-driven. Over the years, it transformed into a more people-centric, adaptive, and emotionally intelligent approach. It’s not that the ’90s leadership style was bad or rigid, it was simply the need of the industrial revolution at the time. Leaders were expected to be decisive, with a focus on structure, control, and delivering results. That style often overlooked feedback, emotional intelligence, and inclusivity in the decision-making process.

Despite that, many influential leaders from that era are still admired for their distinct leadership aura. Take Richard Branson, for example. He founded the Virgin Group with a charismatic, hands-on, people-focused, and risk-taking leadership style—always keeping the end in mind. He’s still respected for how he empowered employees, prioritised well-being, and encouraged innovation. He’s widely known for his empathetic leadership and for inspiring people to challenge the norm, treating failure as an opportunity rather than something to avoid.

In the tech industry, Steve Jobs, co-founder and former CEO of Apple, is remembered for his visionary, perfection-driven, and product-obsessed leadership style. His storytelling, clarity of purpose, and ability to rally teams around a bold vision transformed the industry and are still studied in business schools today.

And who doesn’t remember Colm McLoughlin, who transformed Dubai Duty Free into one of the world’s most successful airport retailers? His visionary and people-first leadership style, hands-on approach, and consistent investment in talent made DDF a global benchmark in duty-free retail.

Similar leadership values are evident in Indira Nooyi, Satya Nadella, Jack Welch, and H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum—all people-welfare leaders who also delivered exceptional results.

It’s not that leadership came naturally to them—they became leaders by facing adversity and working through tough decisions to arrive at resilient, effective solutions. In a world of unscripted change, their leadership styles stood out: resilient like steel, results-driven, innovation-led, and deeply inspiring.

They navigated global tech disruptions, agile workplace transitions, and sustainability challenges with grit and vision.

Here are some leadership styles that continue to inspire and shape success today:

#1 Visionary Leadership

Visionary leaders set a clear and compelling direction, aligning people with a shared purpose—beyond just a big idea. They unite teams, spark conversations about long-term innovation, and position organizations for the future.

While others may pause to assess risk, visionary leaders act boldly to find clarity and drive transformative change. They're not reactive—they’re proactive, leading with ambition and turning imagination into impact.

Example: When Satya Nadella took over Microsoft in 2014, he envisioned a new future. He shifted the company from a "Windows-first" mindset to a cloud-first, AI-driven, and collaboration-focused approach. He also transformed the company culture—introducing transparency, inclusivity, and a “growth mindset” that emphasized learning, humility, and purpose. His empathy and foresight redefined Microsoft’s trajectory.

#2 Transformational Leadership

Transformational leaders inspire with vision and empower people to go beyond tasks—to innovate and drive meaningful change.

They challenge the status quo and push individuals past perceived limits. They don’t just aim for outcomes—they pursue transformation and lead by example.

Example: As former CEO of PepsiCo, Indira Nooyi brought a visionary shift with “Performance with Purpose,” balancing profit with sustainability, employee well-being, and social responsibility, well ahead of its time in the global FMCG industry. She also championed diversity, creating space for women in leadership.

#3 Coaching Leadership

These leaders are admired for their willingness to mentor, guide, and empower others to grow both professionally and personally. They see their team's success as their own and create a culture of development.

Coaching leaders ask powerful questions, give constructive feedback, and promote learning through experience. They don’t spoon-feed solutions, rather create space for experimentation, failure, improvement, and eventual success.

Example: Sheryl Sandberg, former COO of Meta, is known for this coaching-led style. She cultivated emerging leaders at Facebook by encouraging open dialogue, giving meaningful feedback, and creating a psychologically safe environment. In her book Lean In, she emphasized the importance of developing others and helping them overcome internal barriers.

#4 Servant Leadership

Servant leaders flip the traditional power dynamic—they exist to serve their teams, not the other way around.

Their leadership is rooted in empathy, humility, active listening, and an unwavering commitment to others’ growth.

They prioritize well-being, remove obstacles, and enable people to reach their full potential, not for personal recognition, but for collective success.

Example: H.H. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founding father of the UAE, led with deep compassion and wisdom. His leadership during the nation’s formative years focused on empowering people and building a prosperous, inclusive society. Even today, the UAE’s transformation is widely attributed to his values-first leadership.

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#5 Adaptive Leadership

In an era of constant change, adaptive leaders thrive by being observant, agile, and responsive. They recognize that yesterday’s solutions may not address today’s problems and are open to learning on the fly.

They value diverse perspectives, stay grounded during crises, and inspire innovation when it matters most.

Example: Jacinda Ardern, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, earned global admiration for her adaptive, empathetic, and crisis-resilient leadership. Whether responding to a terrorist attack, a pandemic, or social challenges, she led with transparency, emotional intelligence, and humility—always listening to public feedback and making policies that resonated with people.

In conclusion, leadership over the years has evolved from being power-driven to becoming more people-centric and purpose-driven. The top CEOs we see today are leading with clarity, connection, and care, while also being bold enough to challenge the norm. Leadership styles were never about labels, but about mindsets that define how we lead, inspire, and shape people and industries.