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At a glance
Navigating the many, at times conflicting, leadership models on offer is a common challenge faced by leaders in all industries. While it may be tempting to become fluent in one style, it is not necessarily the best way to develop an effective and well-rounded leadership identity.
“Leaders should treat leadership not as a fixed identity but as a living, adaptive practice that is evolving,” says Dimitrios Salampasis, associate professor in emerging technologies and fintech at Swinburne University of Technology.
Rather than remaining static, he says, leadership must evolve to keep pace with a changing world.
“Currently, we have many shifting dynamics from an organisational standpoint, a technological standpoint, a societal standpoint and a geopolitical standpoint. We live in a time where there are lots of moving pieces.”
In this changing environment, Salampasis, who is a member of CPA Australia’s digital transformation centre of excellence, says that leaders can draw on the different models according to their role, their organisation and its culture.
Take a flexible approach
Dr Will Felps, an associate professor in management at UNSW Business School, advocates for a flexible approach that matches leadership models to specific contexts. Rather than relying on one leadership model, he believes that leaders should mix and match according to need.
“There’s not one best approach,” Felps says. “There are different approaches for different problems.”
Adaptive leadership, for example, is ideal for solving what are known as “wicked problems” — those complex issues where there is no clear path forward.
“In these situations, there might be conflicts between different parties,” Felps says. “When you’re in that kind of situation, classic command-and-control directive leadership or transformational leadership won’t work. There is a different set of tools you need for that context.”
Different settings require different leadership models.
Coaching — where a leader may support employees through creating learning plans, providing regular feedback or focusing on career development — is most beneficial for teams requiring upskilling. “It is about helping to raise people’s abilities,” Felps says.
In times of turmoil, authoritative leadership comes to the fore.
“In a crisis, you can’t deliberate too much because time is of the essence,” he continues. “You need someone who can make a wise decision, explain it and then move forward.”
Not all models will fit a leader’s character or values. “There are situations where you have to stretch out of your comfort zone,” Felps acknowledges. In these circumstances, authenticity is crucial.
“People like it if their leaders are authentic. Therefore, the more it’s possible to channel your true self while you’re leading, the better.”
Crisis management (online course)
Developing leadership skills
Leadership courses can provide emerging leaders with the skills and knowledge necessary to create a flexible leadership style.
Felps also recommends a “learn-by-doing” approach, where a leader learns not just from experience, but also from reflecting on it afterwards. He says one way to achieve this is to conduct regular small-scale experiments in everyday life, by identifying a problem or an area of individual leadership that needs developing and testing different strategies to find a solution or improve results.
Potential experiments might include offering more positive feedback to employees or using storytelling to communicate ideas rather than relying on charts or graphs, Felps suggests.
“Pick something new, give it a go and then reflect on the experience.”
Common leadership styles
Transformational leadership inspires and motivates followers to achieve change or growth. Capable, innovative and bold, these leaders create a collective vision to achieve exceptional results.
Servant leadership is a people-first philosophy that drives performance through promoting employee development and wellbeing.
Servant leaders create high levels of trust through empathy and active listening.
Adaptive leadership employs a collaborative approach to solving complex problems. These leaders are adaptable and flexible with high levels of resilience and emotional intelligence.
Democratic leadership is a consultative style suited to organisations with flat hierarchies and high levels of employee expertise that leaders can call on to make decisions.
A coaching approach to leadership focuses on developing the skills and knowledge of employees. A coach provides team members with feedback, support and guidance to achieve organisational goals.
Authoritative leadership is a top-down approach that provides employees with clear direction. Confident, decisive and emotionally intelligent, these leaders possess a strong vision and equip employees to succeed, offering support when necessary.
Authoritarian leaders exert complete control over their teams with little opportunity for consultation.
Laissez-faire leadership is an approach where employees are given minimal guidance. In this situation, they require a high level of competency to operate independently with little direction.
