The 3 Leadership Styles That Separate Great Leaders From Average Ones

Discover which of the 3 levels you’re operating at and learn the specific skills to expand your leadership capabilities

Most leaders think they’re more effective than they actually are. The difference between good and great leadership isn’t talent or experience, it’s using the right approach for your situation.

Leadership researchers Bill Joiner and Stephen Josephs spent decades studying hundreds of managers and identified five distinct leadership levels: Expert, Achiever, Catalyst, Co-Creator, and Synergist. Their work revealed that how you think and approach problems determines your leadership effectiveness more than any other factor.

The first three levels encompass over 95% of leaders today. Understanding your current level helps you develop the specific capabilities needed for sustained success.

What Is Leadership Agility?

Leadership agility is your ability to match your leadership approach to the complexity and pace of change in your environment. Most leaders get stuck using the same style whether they’re managing a routine project or navigating a complex organizational transformation.

The concept emerged from Joiner and Josephs’ research into why some leaders consistently outperform others. They discovered that the highest-performing leaders don’t just have more skills, they operate from fundamentally different mental models about what leadership means and how problems get solved.

Think of leadership agility like driving gears. You need first gear for steep hills, second gear for city driving, and highway speeds for open roads. Using the wrong gear for the terrain makes everything harder and less effective. Similarly, Expert leadership works well in stable environments, Achiever leadership excels in moderate complexity, and Catalyst leadership thrives when everything is changing rapidly.

The key insight: leadership effectiveness isn’t just about what you do, but how you think about leadership itself.

Leadership Levels Comparison

Expert Leadership: Tactical Problem Solvers

Core Belief: “My job is to be the subject matter expert who solves key problems”

Expert leaders drive results through deep knowledge and hands-on problem-solving. They build their authority on technical expertise and take personal responsibility for getting things done right.

When Expert Leadership Works

Expert leadership delivers strong results in stable environments with clear parameters. These leaders shine when:

• Problems require deep technical knowledge
• Quality standards are non-negotiable
• Teams need clear direction and oversight
• Work processes are well-established
• Change happens gradually and predictably

When Expert Leadership Struggles

Expert approaches break down when situations become complex or ambiguous:

Tunnel Vision on Immediate Problems Experts get absorbed in solving today’s crisis instead of preventing tomorrow’s. They optimize within their domain but miss how their decisions affect other parts of the business.

Either/Or Conflict Resolution Disagreements feel personal because experts tie their identity to being right. They defend positions rather than explore alternatives, missing opportunities for creative solutions.

Authority Through Position When expertise isn’t enough, experts default to “because I said so” or “trust me, I know.” This approach fails when leading peers or managing situations outside their technical domain.

Are You an Expert Leader?

• You get energized solving complex problems in your area of expertise
• Colleagues often challenge your decisions, leading to frustrating either/or conflicts
• You feel undervalued when others don’t immediately recognize your expertise
• You prefer diving into task details rather than developing people
• You work best in stable, predictable environments with clear success metrics

For personalized development guidance, explore our Leadership Agility 360 assessment and coaching program.

Achiever Leadership: Outcome Drivers

Core Belief: “My job is to create alignment and drive teams toward meaningful outcomes”

Achiever leaders coordinate multiple moving parts to deliver results. They think strategically, build stakeholder support, and create systems that motivate sustained performance.

When Achiever Leadership Works

Achiever leadership excels in moderately complex environments that require coordination:

• Multiple teams must work together toward common goals
• Success requires balancing competing priorities and resources
• Stakeholders have different agendas that need alignment
• Strategic planning and execution discipline drive results
• Change happens at a manageable pace with clear communication

When Achiever Leadership Struggles

Achiever approaches hit limits in rapidly changing, highly complex situations:

Heroic Problem-Solving Mentality Achievers feel responsible for having the answers and driving solutions. This works until problems become too complex for any individual to fully understand.

Buy-In Instead of Co-Creation Achievers develop good strategies then work to sell them. They gather input to improve and gain support, but rarely invite others to fundamentally reshape their approach.

Compromise-Based Conflict Resolution When stakeholders disagree, achievers find middle ground through negotiation. This works for resource allocation but fails when breakthrough thinking is needed.

Are You an Achiever Leader?

• You naturally think in strategic timeframes and enjoy connecting current work to bigger objectives
• You’re skilled at reading stakeholder dynamics and building support for initiatives
• You feel responsible for developing solutions and persuading others to execute them
• You handle moderate complexity well but feel overwhelmed when everything changes rapidly
• You excel at orchestrating teams but struggle when traditional approaches aren’t working

Catalyst Leadership: Culture Architects

Core Belief: “My job is to create conditions where people contribute their best thinking to solve complex challenges”

Catalyst leaders build environments where breakthrough solutions emerge. They understand that sustainable success in complex environments requires developing organizational capability, not just driving results.

When Catalyst Leadership Works

Catalyst leadership thrives in dynamic, complex environments where traditional approaches fail:

• Challenges are too complex for predetermined solutions
• Innovation requires diverse perspectives and creative collaboration
• Organizational capability matters more than individual heroics
• Rapid adaptation is essential for survival
• People development and results must happen simultaneously

When Catalyst Leadership Struggles

Catalyst approaches can be inefficient in stable, straightforward situations:

Over-Collaboration on Simple Problems Not every decision needs extensive input. Catalysts sometimes slow down routine work by involving too many people in straightforward decisions.

Patience Required for Culture Building Developing collaborative capabilities takes time. In crisis situations requiring immediate action, catalyst approaches may move too slowly.

Complexity Can Overwhelm Teams Some team members prefer clear direction and find open-ended, collaborative approaches stressful or confusing.

Are You a Catalyst Leader?

• You create compelling visions that challenge conventional assumptions about what’s possible
• You genuinely want others to shape solutions rather than just execute your ideas
• You can hold multiple perspectives simultaneously without needing to choose sides immediately
• You adjust your approach in real-time based on what emerges in conversations
• You get energy from building organizational capability and seeing others grow

Development Strategies

From Expert to Achiever

Expand Your Planning Horizon Move from daily/weekly tactical focus to quarterly/annual strategic thinking. Start by identifying how your current projects connect to broader business objectives.

Practice Stakeholder Mapping Before major decisions, identify who will be affected and what they care about. This builds the stakeholder awareness that separates achievers from experts.

Shift from Tasks to Outcomes Instead of focusing on completing work correctly, focus on achieving meaningful results. Ask “What does success look like?” before diving into execution.

From Achiever to Catalyst

Question Your Assumptions Before solving problems, ask “What are we assuming about this situation?” Challenge conventional thinking about both problems and solutions.

Invite Co-Creation Instead of developing solutions then seeking buy-in, invite stakeholders to help shape the problem definition and solution approach from the beginning.

Develop Real-Time Awareness Practice noticing your thoughts, emotions, and reactions during important conversations. This awareness allows you to adapt your approach as situations unfold.

Want hands-on practice developing these capabilities? Our Developing Future Leaders Workshop provides interactive training on Expert, Achiever, and Catalyst leadership styles.

Why This Matters Now

Traditional “command and control” leadership worked when business environments were stable and predictable. Today’s leaders face what experts call a VUCA environment, one characterized by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. This fundamental shift in operating conditions requires a fundamentally different approach to leadership.

These VUCA conditions make it impossible for individual leaders to have all the answers. The pace of change and complexity now demands leaders who can harness team thinking and build on the expertise of the team rather than rely solely on their own expertise. Understanding these environmental challenges helps explain why traditional leadership approaches are failing and why catalyst-level leadership is essential for success.

Joiner and Josephs found that leaders operating at higher levels consistently outperform their peers because they can:

• Navigate ambiguous situations without getting paralyzed
• Generate innovative solutions by engaging diverse perspectives
• Build organizational capability that survives leadership transitions
• Adapt quickly when circumstances change

Organizations led by catalyst-level leaders show greater resilience during disruption and faster growth during expansion because they’ve built collaborative capability throughout the organization.

Your Development Plan

1. Honestly assess your current level using the descriptions above
2. Choose one specific capability to develop rather than trying to change everything at once
3. Practice new approaches in lower-stakes situations before applying them to critical challenges
4. Ask trusted colleagues for feedback on changes they observe in your leadership approach
5. Reflect regularly on what you’re learning about yourself and your evolving effectiveness

Leadership development happens through practice, not theory. Start where you are, focus on your next level, and remember that developing higher-level capabilities is a journey that transforms both your effectiveness and your organization’s performance.

Ready to develop your leadership skills? Contact us to discuss which leadership training is right for you, your team, and your organization.