I’ve often wondered, ‘What type of leader am I?’ It’s a question that seems straightforward, but it’s anything but simple. Leadership can feel daunting, especially with the common belief that leaders are somehow born, not made. Personally, I disagree. I believe anyone can learn to lead, though the real challenge lies in overcoming our own self-doubt and the assumptions we think others have of us.

Like many, I didn’t start out thinking of myself as a leader. It’s been a journey, with plenty of learning along the way. My own leadership journey didn’t start with any big title or vision. It began in a more modest place: as a volunteer with a group of young girls, the Brownies.

At the age of 27 I was influenced to become a brownie leader as I needed something to do other than hang out in the pub at the weekends . I joined the local brownie unit in Cobh as a leader. It was easy enough as kids aged between 7 and 12 generally look up to you, once you are entertaining them or teaching them something that is fun they tend to listen to  you. 

A few years later, I moved into the girl guide section as a leader so that i could go to Disneyland Paris. The age group was 14 to 16, teenagers are different they question everything, My approach as a leader was to talk to them like anyone and not someone in charge , i loved doing the fun bits , being silly and just having a laugh. 

Moving to Galway I was influenced to open my own Guide unit, i had always been a leader that just turned up but had no real responsibility, Opening a guide unit is something different altogether, I didn’t think I would be able to do it. I have no idea how I did it but I managed to run that unit with the help of 2 other leaders. It was very stressful alot of the time i had no idea what I was doing. I was very nervous talking to Parents, organising Camping and paying for things. Filling out forms and managing the money was the hardest part of being a leader in charge. I was grand with the kids that came and i was always able to come up with a programme that entertained for the hour and a half every friday. 

As a leader in charge I tried to practice what I preached, be fair to all and not lose the head with the kids or the other leaders. Thinking about it now I have no idea how I got through the stressful parts of being a leader and I was delighted to retire after 16 years of being a Leader.  

Until doing this pathway I’ve never really thought about my leadership style. Looking online there are lots of leadership styles. Here are some examples I have found 

Authoritative leadership – a leader is often described as those with ultimate authority and power over others. These leaders tend to make choices based on their own ideas and don’t seek input from others,  for example Darth Vader

Democratic Leadership – this type of leader makes room for multiple people to participate in the decision making process. This can involve a lot of meetings and a lot of time to make a decision, An example could be Danerys Targayen who would take in info from her advisors. When it took too long for a decision she made a bad one near the end. 

Laissez Faire Leadership – this is where the leader is a hands off leader and gives the team the freedom to make decisions without any authority.  For example Captain jack Sparrow, he left it to others but was still in charge most of the time.

There are so many other types of Leadership styles its hard to pinpoint where I would fit. There are online tests, I have done about 3 since i started thinking about this speech, the first time i got Coaching style Leadership, the second time I got Democratic style Leadership and the last time i took the test i got Coach leadership style.

Coach-style leadership is to mentor someone who is interested in your role or area of the business. You assess what they know and advise on training if there are gaps in the knowledge , for example mr miyagi

After looking into different leadership styles, like Coaching and Democratic, I realize I don’t fit neatly into any single category. Leadership styles are useful as guides, but real leadership is more about what you bring to each situation.

For me, good leadership means making sure my team feels supported, offering clear direction, and being willing to step in when needed. I don’t have all the answers, and sometimes I doubt myself. But I’m committed to learning and adapting, because that’s how I keep growing as a leader.

So, am I a good leader? I’d like to think so. I work hard at it every day, and maybe that’s what makes the difference—not a particular style, but the willingness to keep getting better