How can you apply group leadership models to different organizational cultures?

I’ll answer universally here only because it is first in the list. These models will all work when properly applied. Furthermore, if someone has enough gumption to understand these various models, the opportunity for hybrid applications exist, too. Articles like this are effective for people willing to learn and discern.

The definition of organizational culture as the set of shared values, beliefs, norms, and practices that shape how people work together and achieve goals sounds complete in theory, yet, it is often incorrect. Corporate culture is the behaviour that is rewarded and punished, it is often the reflection of the founders' or senior leaders' preferences. Have done 100s of psychological safety and motivational drivers assessments in companies it was really eye-opening to see the disconnect between the espoused values and the actual behaviours. I.e. we value innovation, but people get punished for failures. A functional model can be as efficient as their ability to understand and optimise team dynamics through psychological safety and motivation.

At Educated Change, we integrate the principles of our Eightfold Path to Fulfillment and "Leading with Love" (LWL) to empower individuals and businesses. We foster curiosity, prioritize customer care, champion growth, collaboration, diversity, and inclusion. We embrace digital transformation, focus on wellness, and efficient time management. Our goal is to use AI technology to foster purposeful communities and bring about meaningful change, reshaping how we connect and create value in this increasingly digital world.

Organizational models is derived from the physics of its parts and chemistry of the people who are driving force behind the parts. “Physics”as it determines the entropies that each function and it’s dependent function must overcome to manage the smooth functioning of its all its parts or certain critical parts to deliver desired results the organization wants to achieve in a given market or wrt consumer preferences. The Chemistry is about people, their work motivation, leadership affiliations, personal attributes, professional choices, and situational preferences. Both together will define the organizational health and its functional achievement.

There is a reason this is called a "functional model" in the same way we'd describe a machine's functions in which each part of the machine does its job to complete a singular task. The idea of a leader being all-knowing has long-since gone by the wayside. The role of leader, in today's time, is to assist in the organization of assets (people) to best accomplish an organizational goal in the most efficient, value-based, and ethically responsible way possible. The functional model allows for each member of the team to emphasize their own strengths and everyone, including the leader, serves as puzzle pieces in a much larger picture. When they all work together, they create a beautiful picture.

Consider using the SkillWill Matrix a 2x2 model that evaluates employee motivation and skill 1. Delegate: High Skill, High Motivation (a) Skilled and motivated employees excel in challenging tasks (b) They thrive with minimal oversight, making them potential future leaders 2. Guide: High Will, Low Skill (a)Enthusiastic but lacking necessary skills (b) Benefit from training programs to develop required skills and leadership potential 3. Excite: High Skill, Low Motivation (a) Possess skills but need increased motivation (b) Improve their work experience, incentives, and attention to boost performance 4. Direct: Low Skill, Low Will (a) Require close supervision and guidance (b) With proper support, they can become more productive over time

Situational Leadership: The Situational Leadership Model, which adapts leadership styles based on the readiness of the group, can be applied to a variety of cultures. In hierarchical cultures, leaders may take a more directive approach with less experienced teams, while in collaborative cultures, they might adopt a coaching or supporting style.

It has been my experience that deploying the situational model requires the leader to have a high level of discernment. Or how else will the leader know which approach is best for that moment and person. The real danger is that the leader may be seen as having favorites if they are softer with one person and harder on another. And the accusation won't come from them two, but from a third person who is watching the interactions from the sideline.

In and out of the military the leaders I’ve respected the most knew when directive leadership was necessary; when transformative leadership was needed; when it was time for participative leadership and always servant leadership. I suppose leadership could be just like a recipe - too much of any one ingredient doesn’t make a perfect dish. Yet the right combination creates a perfect and memorable meal.

Motivation with the right direction is what helps the most in situational model. That comes with experience , when I say experience you don't need to be an decade old experienced person. Having right knowledge acquired via various mediums such as teachers, mentors, our prior and current life finding moments and many more of such things, gives you that, and that is all it needs.

Transformational Leadership: Transformational leadership, focused on inspiring and motivating teams, can thrive in organizations with a collaborative and innovative culture. Leaders can encourage creativity and change by setting a compelling vision and empowering employees to achieve it.

Transformational leadership depends on the company having a clear vision. To do this the leader or founder of the company must create a mission statement. The mission statement of a company then builds the foundation for all employees to be trained in accomplishing the mission. While there are multiple ways to accomplish the same mission statement, even someone at the lowest level of a company should be well versed in the vision. For example, if your restaurant is certified kosher, then even the dishwasher needs to be trained to behave in ways that are kosher both inside and outside the restaurant. Eating and praying kosher is not enough. Employees must also be responsible for behaving kosher in other ways outside the work environment.

When thinking about Transformational Leadership one must consider the overall organization and how transformation truly starts with the leadership team. If you as a leader inspire and motivate through shared goals and a belief in the power of change, your team, and your mission will be strengthened. If motivate without a clear vision, or have the clear vision but lack the leadership to transform and inspire your team this method will fail. Remember, when we lead from a place of inspiration and knowledge we can transform and grow. If we fail to inspire those around us, growth will come at a much greater cost.

With this style of leadership... It's not enough to talk about a future that people need to achieve. Transformational leaders must also help people find a meaningful "purpose." Something that will motivate them to tackle the challenge (everyday). Even if that future is not realized. Transformational leaders are more than (just) "visionary." Instead of... ? “I DRIVE THE VISION.” Their mindset is... ? "I CREATE THE SPACE FOR THINGS TO EMERGE.”

In 2019, I completed my Master's dissertation on transformational leadership, a style I found quite relevant to the not-for-profit sector. Bernard Bass's model outlines four components: idealised influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, & individualised consideration. Idealised influence involves leaders instilling confidence & acting as role models. Inspirational motivation inspires through enthusiasm & a shared vision. Intellectual stimulation encourages creativity, risk-taking, & challenging beliefs. Individualised consideration supports holistic team development through listening, guidance, & coaching. I personally value transformational leadership for fostering creativity & innovation in our uncertain world.

Relational leadership is a partnership-based model that involves "buy in" from the stakeholders and partners involved in the process. The relationship is mutually beneficial to the leader, subordinates and those externally affected by the situation. For example, as a former military leader, I assumed command of an organization that was not achieving our goals. Step one, was to establish trust with my subordinates. Step two was to gain respect, and involve them in decisions that affected the outcome. By empowering the stakeholders, and focusing on partner relationships early, we overcame failure as a group, and achieved lasting goals and success.

For most of the 20th century, we viewed companies as machines where leaders would: → Diagnose-Envision-Plan-Implement-Stabilize. In the latter part of the last century... Two new perspectives under the "relational model" offered a different way of thinking about change: 1?? The Interpretive Perspective. Ideas are the principal means by which people create the coherent social reality of who they are. 2?? The Critical Perspective. Changing ideas requires challenging the dominate: → theories → narratives → and mental models ...endorsed by those currently (or previously) in power. The relational model reminds us that the we have fewer... → objectively defined → predictably certain Ways of managing change than we previously believed.

It has been my experience that there is not a connection between the relationship level of the people on the team and their ability to for them to be high performance. But, a low relationship team will become toxic. While a high relationship team will build the psychological safety the people need to come forth when they need help.

While leadership models can be helpful as a mental framework when faced with challenges, I’d caution people against getting too huge up on trying to choose a model or getting locked into the idea that a certain model will universally work better for a culture or situation. One of the greatest challenges of leadership is you’re leading people and people are complicated. What may work in one situation with a specific group of people may have the opposite effect later for no apparent reason. While it can feel overwhelming, focus on building strong, trusting relationships. Focus on outcomes, not activity. Get to know your team on an individual level. And, build consistent mechanisms for dialogue and feedback. Those will never let you down.

Based on my experience, I always confirm my target to drive all the decisions to achieve it. Listening from others is very important to modify/change the strategy to fit the culture/situation but you should aware where you are going or what you want to do. Don’t listen too much from the inexperienced, which can affect your goal’s effectiveness.

These are all great models. You may need to use a combination of leadership models to develop leaders. You should also factor into the development process each leader's style.

Models are only theoretical in nature unless there are skills attached to the model. The models presented here are guideposts but no guarantees of application or success without leaders being given the skills to lead. For example, one of the most important skills a leader needs is, how to create psychological safety. Without that ability, these models are simply nice to look at.

What's important to remember if that you lead people. Models and frameworks are pretty sterile and look great with some graphicsand stats, but people can be messy. Don't fall into the trap of thinkng that one style or model works best for every leader, person under their care, or situation. If you focus on what's best for the people, and treat leadership like a responsibility and service, then you'll probably be fine.