Many factors influence which leadership approach is most suitable for a specific time, culture and demography. One of the greatest challenges for a leader is taking abstract concepts and bringing them to life at the workplace. Asrif Yusoff writes that as human beings who need to manage their emotions, leaders should start by being kinder to themselves.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the myriads of leadership ideas out in the world today. A simple search on Amazon returns 60,000 leadership books in the market and the leadership shelf of Goodreads currently stands at 40,000 strong. That’s a lot of books to read.
In my line of leadership research, I am deeply interested in understanding leadership styles that work best for the most challenging part of an organisation: middle management. These are people who are constantly stuck in between making their bosses happy and keeping their staff motivated. Undertaking this research has exposed me to many theories, models, and frameworks that attempt to answer the same question, “How does one lead better?”
Naturally, I gravitate towards theories that I resonate with the most as a leader such as servant leadership, transformational leadership, and inclusive leadership. These are approaches that I believe to be most practical and useful for me to lead, motivate and get the most out of my team. The more I read about these ideas, however, the more confused I get over which one works best, when, and for whom. Leadership is, after all, situational. There are multiple factors that influence which approach is most suitable for a specific time, culture and demography.
I find myself meandering between one concept and another when asked about the best leadership approach for today’s workforce. There is no one answer, to be honest, and I often end up with the age-old consulting response, “It depends.” That said, all is not lost. Here are three ways of navigating the jungle of leadership ideas out there.
Break it down
One reason to be overwhelmed by leadership ideas is the way they strongly relate with one another. Taking the models of servant, inclusive and transformational leadership as examples, we can see how the core principles are simply kindness and empathy. Servant leadership is about putting the needs of others first, inclusive leadership is about making everyone feel appreciated, and transformational leadership is about instilling a growth mindset in embracing change.
Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft, is a proponent of transformational leadership, which focuses on fostering a growth mindset and promoting inclusivity. In leading Microsoft, Nadella shifted the organisation’s culture from “know-it-alls to learn-it-alls” He also cited empathy as a key enabler of innovation at the workplace. Could we then allude that all it takes in being a good leader are kindness and empathy? This is where the situational element of leadership comes into the picture.
One size doesn’t fit all
Effective leadership is situational — what works in one environment might not work in another. In teams where morale is low or relationships are strained, servant leadership can be a game changer as it focuses on serving employees and addressing their needs to feel motivated in giving their best.
For organisations with diverse teams, inclusive leadership is crucial as it helps to build trust, foster psychological safety and create a culture where everyone’s voice is heard. When organisations are undergoing change, transformational leadership is crucial as people need a clear reason to shift the way they think and work.
Herb Kelleher, who co-founded and led Southwest Airlines for 30 years, is often cited as a true example of a servant leader. Under his leadership, Southwest is known to promote an employee-centric culture where he led by example in being an attentive listener and an engaging chief executive to the workforce. Could Kelleher’s style of leadership fit in any commercial airline today?
Putting theory into practice
Leadership theories are only valuable when they are applicable. One of the greatest challenges in leadership is taking abstract concepts and bringing them to life at the workplace. To make leadership theories work for you, start small by picking one or two elements from a leadership theory and experimenting on them.
Adopting active listening in a one-to-one conversation is a good start that can be immediately practiced and assessed. It is important to appreciate that every team is unique, and adapting to the followers’ needs is just as important as the reverse.
From time to time, assess how your leadership style is influencing the drive and morale of your team. This can be as simple as seeking feedback and as complex as a departmental-wide survey. In taking these steps, it’s key to remember that leadership is dynamic, and evolves with changes in your organisation, team, and surrounding. Ultimately, it’s not about choosing the perfect theory, but about becoming the kind of leader your team needs at any given moment.
Leadership styles are not necessarily behavioural modes that can easily be switched on and off from time to time. Even as leaders we are, after all, human beings who need to manage our own emotions. Maybe we should start by being kinder to ourselves.
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- This blog post represents the views of the author(s), not the position of LSE Business Review or the London School of Economics and Political Science.
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Good perspective and insight. Relational leadership seems to also encompass key aspects of the leadership theories mentioned in the article.