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01/21/2026
How to Improve Your Print Leadership Style for Better Results
Source: Print Media Centr, January 20, 2026
If you’ve been wondering if you should improve your print leadership style to get better results, the answer is yes. Whether you are starting your print career or you’ve worked in the industry for decades, refining your leadership style can improve your personal effectiveness and get better results from those around you.
Leadership Styles Are Evolving
Leadership development has a vital role in print business growth and success. And, I believe it’s essential for employees at all levels in a print company to make improvements in their own style.
When I came up through the print industry, there were two leadership styles: the big boss (“it’s my way or the highway”) and the nice guy (“let’s work together and do our best”).
The current approach to general leadership development recognizes that there are many different types of leadership styles. That’s true for print leadership as well.
The Various Styles of Leadership
Whatever your style of print leadership, you can improve it.
“But how can I improve my leadership style if I don’t know what it is,” you might wonder.
In my marketing and growth consulting work with printing companies, I get asked this question by both new employees and print veterans.
Here’s a list of modern leadership styles we can apply to the printing industry:
This article from Shopify lays out nine leadership styles with brief descriptions. Do you see yourself on this list?
- Autocratic leadership
- Bureaucratic leadership
- Coaching leadership
- Democratic leadership
- Laissez-faire leadership
- Servant leadership
- Transactional leadership
- Transformational leadership
- Visionary leadership
Once you identify styles similar to your own, research the pros and cons. There is no single “best” leadership style.
Register Today for the 2026 Michigan Leadership Summit
Leadership, workforce engagement, sustainability, risk management, postal optimization, mergers and acquisitions, and artificial intelligence are all shaping the future of the printing and graphic communications industry. On Thursday, May 21, Graphic Media Alliance will bring together industry leaders and nationally recognized speakers for the 2026 Michigan Leadership Summit in Romulus, Michigan. This full-day experience features seven educational sessions designed to help organizations strengthen leadership, improve operational performance, and prepare for the future of print. Space is limited. Register today and secure your spot for one of GMA’s premier leadership events of the year.
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