What's your default CTO leadership style, and should you adapt it? | CTO Craft

Your default leadership style is the lens you automatically use when pressure spikes, and it can make or break a CTO's impact. James Cook argues that awareness of that default mode - whether autocratic, laissez-faire or democratic - is the first step toward intentional leadership.

Lewin's three classic styles each have clear trade-offs. Autocratic leaders move fast and delegate decisively but risk alienating talent and missing critical input. Laissez-faire leaders grant autonomy and boost ownership, yet they can lose track of under-performance. Democratic leaders foster engagement and shared decision-making, but they may stall when rapid choices are needed. The article walks through real-world examples of each style in a CTO context, showing how stress pushes leaders toward their default.

The key is not to abandon a style but to develop a personal toolkit of micro-behaviours that can be swapped in as the situation demands. Cook recommends self-assessment tools like the DiSC profile to surface how you react under pressure, then mapping triggers to specific style adjustments. By practicing small, daily improvements - "progress over perfection" - leaders can gradually expand their behavioural repertoire.

Cultural and generational factors also shape which style works best, so a one-size-fits-all approach fails. Understanding the nuances lets a CTO choose the right blend for their team, whether that means stepping in with clear direction during a crisis or stepping back to let high-performers own their work. The takeaway is practical: know your default, identify the context, and apply the appropriate micro-behaviour to keep the organization moving forward.