Healthy organizations inevitably have healthy leaders. That statement is so self-evident that it is hardly worth articulating. Where we often do not give adequate attention to leadership, however, is making certain that leaders are in positions that best fit them functionally.

My functional classification is likely an oversimplification. Still, it has helped me understand different types of leaders and how they might best serve and lead in an organization.

Visionary Leaders

The visionary leader has the high-level view. Some leadership experts define this type of leader as the person who can see a preferred future. I don't disagree with this understanding as a rule, but it may not always work. A visionary may not see the future with clarity, but he or she has looked at various longer-term possibilities and decided on a destination for the organization.

This category of leader is thus a person who has a vision and the courage to lead an organization toward the future. Because the visionary leader ...